Almonds Almonds accounted for the greatest number of tree nut acres. While the number of almond farms declined 10 percent between 1987 and 1997, the number of acres grew 26 percent, with most of the growth occurring between 1992 and 1997. There are now 500,000 acres in production. Pecan, hazelnut and walnut acreage all rose, despite a decline in the number of farms. There are a total of 519,054 acres planted in pecans.
Pecan production is the most geographically dispersed of commercial tree nuts.
Texas and Georgia accounted for 56 percent of acreage in 1997. While acreage devoted to pecan production increased in both states, it increased more rapidly in Oklahoma and New Mexico, the states with the next largest pecan acreage. The average-sized pecan farm was 26 acres in 1997, with Georgia and Oklahoma farms averaging higher but Texas and New Mexico farms about average or slightly smaller. Arizona s acreage of 64 acres was the largest among all the state but acreage declined between 1987 and 1997. Hazelnuts A total of 32,721 acres is planted to hazelnuts.