ESTABLISHED 1968 PUTT WETHERBEE PRESIDENT Nut Tree Pecan Company
Who We Are Frank Wetherbee Founder, pioneer & pecan grower since 1960 Tom Stevenson Western grower and Albany grower since 1990’s Father of Southeast hedging J.W. Christiansen Joined Nut Tree Co-Op in 1982 and grower since 1974 Georgia Pecan Commodity Commission board member Lamar Jenkins Joined 2011, Nurseryman extraordinaire V.P. Southeastern Growers Association
Frank Wetherbee
Frank & Patty
Tom Stevenson & Pepper
J. W. Christensen
Laverne Glass 43 Years
Hank Price 25 years
What We Do Custom Cleaning Modern, high capacity plant & warehouses Auction Marketing Custom bagging 50,000 + pounds per hour 50 pound bags Direct Exporting Buying Multiple market monitoring Nursery Hedging Orchard management
What Nut Tree Can Do For You Clean & Market Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas Export Multiple service options Bag USDA inspection/ Full Service Buy Exchange information Provide Nursery Trees Hedge Every situation is different. Call Us (229) x104
Very Diverse Market Perspective Growers Over 2,500 acres of improved, irrigated varieties High input producers circa $ 1,500 per acre Industry service providers Cleaners, marketers Best prices for us & growers Nursery Exporters Schermer Pecan brand Fund Raising line since 1946 / 1977
Well Block Orchard
Nursery
Cleaning & Drying
Bagging
Exporting
Hedging
Schermer Pecans
Market Outlook 2012 Large off year crop Large “Carry In” 180M pounds ???? Later Chinese New Year Very high prices last two years Volatile markets / Low opening Gift Packers and Fundraisers challenge Breakeven last two years Need for smoother sustainable market conditions Domestic and world challenges / Opportunities Bad economy, unrest, growing world middle class
What’s Happening Now Lot’s of Chinese interest in good deals Downward Market pressure holding Expect good demand for large Pecans Blend competition from Mexico and South Africa Freezer inventory moving to China Almond supply is very high but prices good Points to world promotion and increasing middle class I expect prices to elevate slightly and stabilize at sustainable level for all East west divide continues to develop
Getting The Most Crop Value Stay informed Give good information Be realistic DON’T PANIC DON’T SPECULATE Provide good samples Larger Lots Dry Nuts Uniformity extremely important to in-shell exports
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