The peanut industry has been jolted by two hurricanes this season. Florence hit North and South Carolina as harvest was about to start with flooding that caused rivers to overflow and covering crops waiting to be harvested. With about 40 percent of the Southeast peanut crop dug and harvested, Hurricane Michael plowed into the Florida Panhandle with 155 mile per ... Read More »
The peanut market is about as stirred up as a large jar of mixed nuts. Nationally, Congress is wavering on passing the Farm Bill. Trump continues to talk of unfair trade agreements and farmers are expecting retaliatory tariffs on farm products. Planting season was first facing a drought. Then, it rained for three consecutive weeks delaying the planting of about ... Read More »
When we talk about peanut marketing, it’s supply versus demand that eventually rules. The government provides some stability and market protection for the grower; however, prices are influenced by the available peanut supply either in the loan or in the hands of the shellers. Shellers and buying points also have some protection with the market loan program, which furnishes a ... Read More »
It’s planting time and decisions on what to plant have been made by now. The decision was easy for some producers, especially contract growers, who plant for rotation and pray for a good crop. But for many, it’s the market price that dictates planted acres. Read More »
For a peanut farmer, it’s hard to get excited about 2018. Contract prices are down $100 per ton, or most of the possible profit, the generic base that allowed a base payment on peanut base and converted cotton base is gone, prices for about all inputs are up including seed and fertilizer, farm labor is almost impossible to find and ... Read More »
The 2018 peanut market for farmers was already weak because of a large carryover from 2017. The cotton amendment in the recent U.S. budget resolution has jolted the peanut market and changed the dynamics for 2018. Generic base, which after the last Farm Bill could have been planted in peanuts, is gone. Read More »
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has lowered the peanut crop estimate for 2017. The early prediction of 3,819,500 tons may have been possible until the hurricane and late drought caused the peanut crop to shut down. Scientists are still scratching their heads a bit at what caused the fairly significant yield reduction. The final crop estimate was still a record ... Read More »
Making plans for the 2018 peanut marketing year will be difficult. All markets are aware that we have a few too many peanuts. The U.S. peanut crop for 2017/18 was revised down 2 percent in the November Crop Production report to 7.64 billion pounds (3,819,500 tons) based on slightly lower yields. Georgia, Alabama and Florida account for most of this ... Read More »
Wow. What a peanut crop! It is difficult to be critical of over production knowing that the world needs your nutritious product to help solve hunger. One in every nine people goes to bed hungry each night. One cannot criticize Mother Nature for blessing the peanut nation with the ideal growing season, which produced a top quality crop. Records were ... Read More »
Peanuts are a shining star in the agricultural “tool box” as growers have been offered reasonable early contracts and the world is demanding more peanuts. Producers are usually optimistic when they smell fresh-plowed dirt and can look forward to a bountiful harvest at the end of the season, even when prices are not so good. However, peanut optimism is ... Read More »
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