Georgia Pecan Growers Invest In New Trees After Hurricane Michael

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Many pecan trees were uprooted during the October storm in the middle of harvest season.

Georgia pecan farmers are figuring out the next steps in the recovery from Hurricane Michael after losing $250 million in trees.

GPB's Sophia Saliby reports on how pecan growers are investing in new trees after losses from Hurricane Michael.

Georgia is traditionally the nation’s largest pecan-producing state. Last year, though, New Mexico topped the country because Hurricane Michael wiped out over 15% of the state’s pecan acreage.

However, that loss has led some farmers to invest in better trees.

Martin Adams is a pecan grower in Camilla and vice president of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association.

He says, in the long run, there could be a silver lining in losing so many older trees.

“There are always good things that come out of bad situations, and, yes, every tree we put in now is a newer variety which is more resistant to disease and has the potential of increasing your yield," he said.

Though, the recovery won’t be immediate. Adams says it will take at least a decade for the trees to become mature enough to harvest.