NM's 2008 pecan harvest proved expensive to grow

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New Mexico's pecan growers pumped more money than ever into this year's pecan crop and both producers and processors are hoping the market and consumers won't play Grinch when it comes to buying the nuts during these troubled economic times. The harvest is under way in southern New Mexico after colder weather arrived earlier this month, causing the orchard leaves and pecan shucks to dry. Harvesting machines and equipment are humming along orchard rows, shaking the nuts from the trees and gathering them up off the ground. But New Mexico's pecan industry experts and growers say high fuel and fertilizer costs this year made the season's pecan crop one of the most expensive to produce, even while the crop is smaller than in years past due to the tree's natural bearing cycle. Add to the equation the worry by pecan buyers and shellers that market and consumer demand could be affected by the shaky economy, and you could say this year might be a lot tougher than expected for pecan growers....