Georgia farmers are devoting more land to peanuts this year due to lower prices for commodities which typically compete with peanuts for acreage. Though temperatures have been warm this year, adequate moisture, bolstered by irrigation, could lead to higher volumes than last year.“Acreage was down last year,” noted Marcus Evans, director of field services and industry information for the Georgia Peanut Commission. He predicted that this year's total peanut acreage for the state could reach 710,000 acres, which would be a large improvement over last year's acreage. The reason for the increase this year has a lot to do with the state's other commodities.
“Acreage was down last year because cotton and corn prices were high,” explained Alex Hardy of Hardy Farms in Hawkinsville, Georgia. As a result, farmers opted to plant those commodities instead of peanuts, but with lower prices for corn and cotton this year, growers are returning to peanuts. With higher acreage, larger supplies are bound to follow.
“We're heading into a surplus this year with more acres,” said Hardy. More peanuts this year means that prices will be lower than last year when low quantities made for attractive prices for growers. “No one knows exactly what to expect, but growers won't get what they got last year when supplies were more scarce.”
Hardy anticipates yields for the state to be slightly below average. But he noted that although he doesn't expect the state's growers to have the best year, he is confident this year's haul won't be bad.
“We're lucky we don't have a crop disaster like other states have with some crops,” he said. “Some lands which have been dry have been getting rain now, so we won't have a bad crop.” But things can change quickly with the weather, especially for peanuts in Georgia.
“Things can change very quickly, it's sort of like feast or famine,” said Evans. He noted that the sandy loam soil in which a significant portion of the state's peanuts are grown can make for an unpredictable season. “The soil can get wet and dry out quickly, so a lot of the season really just depends on the weather.” But for now, he expects a good crop.
“Things look fairly good,” he said. “We've had scattered showers, a few more than last year, so things look good so far. But you just can never be sure.”