New Mexico Pecans Driving China Nuts

Small, brown, but full of flavor ? New Mexico pecans are so popular right now they are driving other places – nuts!

With the holidays right around the corner, Stahmanns Pecan Farm is busy preparing for big sales. And not just locally, orders from China have sales soaring.

“It is hard to keep up,” Sally Stahmann, President of Stahmanns Pecan Farm, said.

Pecans drenched in chocolate, coated in caramel, or baked into pies ? one look inside of Stahmanns pecan factory is enough to make your mouth-water. But Stahmann said it is the natural, raw pecans that are driving places like China plain nuts.

“The demand has grown almost exponentially,” Stahmann said. ?I get people from China calling me saying they want anywhere from 100 to 500 containers of pecans, the containers are worth about 40-thousand pounds a piece.”

In 2005, New Mexico shipped nearly 600-thousand pounds of pecans to China. Sales skyrocketed to nearly 15-million pounds in 2009, and this year, Stahmann says, imports could well surpass 100-million?hundreds of thousands of which will come from Stahmanns.

“Well it’s really exciting that the demand for pecans is so high,? Stahmann said. ?Obviously I can’t supply them with all their demand they need but it’s good, it’s good for the pecan industry.?

But why global hype for little treats grown in southern New Mexico orchards?

“Pecans, I think, have the best taste out of any nut,? Stahmann said. ?And they also think that it’s very healthy for you.”

Healthy or sweet and tempting, Stahmann said it is an order they are willing to take.

“It’s a good thing, it’s a really good thing,? Stahmann said. ?It’s fun, it keeps us on our toes.”

India could be the next country placing some large orders, adding to staggering totals, Stahmann said. Last year alone, pecan sales generated more than $130-million in net sales going directly to New Mexico growers.