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Georgia lawmakers push to expand access to Indian market for US pecan
While shelled pecans are currently being shipped to India, Indian buyers are now seeking in-shell pecans because they travel better and allow for final processing on arrival.
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Pranavi Sharma - Fri, 23, May 2025
- 23:44 EDT
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Stock image. / istock
A bipartisan group of lawmakers from Georgia, led by Congressman Rick W. Allen, has urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help open India’s market to in-shell pecans grown in the United States.
India, already an emerging market for U.S. pecans, imported over $1.3 million worth of the nuts in 2022. That number could rise to $5 million annually, according to projections by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, following India’s decision to reduce its tariff on pecans by 70 percent.
Congressman Allen, along with Representatives Sanford Bishop, Buddy Carter, Lucy McBath, Austin Scott, Rich McCormick, and David Scott, and Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, signed a letter addressed to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on May 22, asking the agency to expedite the process that would allow in-shell pecans to be exported to India.
While shelled pecans are currently being shipped to India, Indian buyers are now seeking in-shell pecans because they travel better and allow for final processing on arrival.
“While U.S. pecan exporters are now successfully exporting shelled pecans to India, the product purchasers in India have requested the U.S. to export in-shell pecans, which enables the pecans to travel in a more shelf-stable state and allows buyers to finish processing upon arrival in India,” the lawmakers wrote.
However, exports of in-shell pecans are currently blocked due to the absence of a necessary plant quarantine (PQ) code required by India’s import rules. The U.S. must submit a Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) and other documentation to qualify for this code.
“In 2024, the U.S. pecan industry submitted documents to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to begin the process of obtaining a PQ code, and we write to request assistance from USDA in expediting the process,” the lawmakers wrote.
India has indicated that once these documents are submitted, its Dried Fruit and Nut Council would advocate for swift approval from the Indian government.
Georgia is the top producer of pecans in the United States, which leads the global pecan industry. The U.S. grows 80 percent of the world’s pecans, with nearly 30 percent of the crop exported. The market is projected to reach $3.64 billion by 2034.
The lawmakers emphasized that quicker action from the USDA is vital for supporting growers in Georgia and beyond. “Efficient completion of India’s import requirements is essential to the success of the pecan industry in Georgia and across the nation,” they wrote.
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