New Mexico pecan buyers must apply for license

To curb the destructive impact of the pecan weevil, buyers across New Mexico must apply for a state-issued license in order to purchase the nut from commercial or residential growers. 

The New Mexico Pecan Growers Association requested the state legislature add the additional oversight to protect crops from the pest, read a news release from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA). 

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Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed the Pecan Buyers Licensure Rule, establishing a means for buyers to apply for and receive the license. 

It went into effect on Nov. 1. 

The rule established fees, time frames and other requirements for licensed buyers of in-shell pecans. 

More:Pecan licensing gains support from New Mexico lawmakers

Buyers are required to log their sales, specifying the name, location and contact information for anyone selling the nut. 

Fixed buying locations will be assessed a $300 annual fee, and licensing for mobile sales will cost $275 per year. 

A $25 permit is required for each mobile-buying location.

Applications for a fixed location require a physical address of each buying location, along with the location where buying records are maintained and hours of operation. 

Mobile buying applications must include the vehicle's description and expect location of the sales. 

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This year, about 200 residential pecan trees in eastern New Mexico were found to be infested with the pest, read the release. 

State lawmakers passed the Pecan Weevil Interior Quarantine Rule during the last legislative session, establishing a quarantine in Eddy, Lea and Chaves counties. 

That rule meant that any pecans shipping out of the infected region into a non-infected area need to be properly logged, secured during travel or frozen to kill the bug. 

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The weevil grows underground, then comes to the surface to bore into the nut's shell, feeding on the nutmeat and destroying the product. 

It's been found across New Mexico, posing a threat to one of the state's biggest crops and a more-than-$100 million industry. 

Throughout 2017, multiple temporary quarantines were put into effect and repeatedly extended in hopes of eradicating the weevil. 

"Pecan weevil is considered the most significant insect pest of pecan producers," the release read. 

Read the full rule: 

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.