PEANUT MARKETING NEWS – September 17, 2020 – Tyron Spearman, Editor (128)

RAINS TO DELAY SE HARVEST – Peanut farmers along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, the Florida panhandle and Georgia are braced for
a deluge of rain and strong winds from a slow-moving hurricane forecasters predict may dump more than a foot of rain. Although
peanuts aren’t as susceptible to wind and heavy rain as cotton, the storm can wreak havoc on crops close to harvest.
Most Southeast farmers are supposed to start digging peanuts this week, but they are holding off until after the storm and things
dry out. Some have applied additional crop protection products to fight fungi that can damage the vines. Jeremy Sessions, who
farms 700 acres near Driskell in Grand Bay said the amount of rain predicted is worrisome, but he said most of that drains off
quickly once the storm passes “Even if it rains 12 inches, we could probably be digging peanuts within a few days on some of our
sandy land,” he said. The storm is also moving slowly across Georgia into South Carolina and North Carolina.
PEANUT SUPPLY & DISAPPEARANCE– Source: Crop Production and Peanut Stocks and Processing, NASS, USDA, Census Bureau and
U.S. Department of Commerce –September 15, 2020. (OIL CROPS OUTLOOK) – Million pounds,
Acres (1,000) Yield Supply Disappearance
Yr. Beg Planted Harvest Lbs/ac Begin Imports Prod. Total Dom. Crush Seed & Exports TOTAL Ending
Aug. 1 Stocks Food Residual Stocks
2018/19 1,426 1,374 4,001 2,717 117 5,496 8,330 3,099 648 962 1,200 5,909 2,421
2019/20 1,428 1,392 3,949 2,421 115 5,496 8,032 3,212 774 319 1,608 5,913 2,118
2020/21 1,665 1,623 4,185 2,118 115 6,793 9,026 3,288 849 1027 1.600 6,764 2262
Divide by 2,000 to get exact farmer stock numbers. 2018/19 is Estimated, 2019/20 & 2020/21 are forecast
USDA NUMBERS - New production figures on peanuts is now estimated up 24 percent from 2019. Harvested acres increased from
1,392,000 acres to 1,623,000 acres, a 17% increase. An examination of the acres of peanut by type, one analyst reports 691,040
acres of irrigated runner type and 681,941 acres of non-irrigated runners. Virginia type acres total 207,309 acres, Spanish shows
34,824 acres and Valencias were 31,169 acres.
Area harvested is expected to total 1.62 million acres, up 10 percent from the previous forecast and up 17 percent from
2019. Based on conditions as of September 1, the average yield is forecast at 4,185 pounds per acre, down 33 pounds per acre from
the previous forecast but up 236 pounds per acre from 2019.
Disappearance for Domestic food is 1,644,000 tons, up 2.4%. This past year showed an increase of 3.3% after a major
candy usage correction. Exports are estimated to remain the same as past year, about 800,000 tons. Recent 12-month shipments
were up 41% over the previous year to 663,000 MT.
The Ending stocks or carry forward is now up to 1,131,000 tons. That will likely keep farmer stock contracts low for next
season. The Seed and Residual number seems inflated and may require a correction. The peanut program balance is a
positive…supply is 6,793 million pounds and the disappearance is 6,764 million pounds.
RESEARCH PROJECTS - Th e Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) board of directors has approved $739,693 in research project
funding for the 2020-21 research budget year. The Georgia Cotton Commission, Georgia Peanut Commission and the University of
Georgia Extension Cotton and Peanut Teams, co-sponsored a virtual research field day on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. All research
videos from the field day are available on the Georgia Peanut Commission and Georgia Cotton Commission websites.
ALABAMA UNVEILS LITTLE PEANUT FARMER - The office of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association had a peanut
statute in front of the office since 2002. Enter a new fresh look, a little peanut farmer, made of plastic. There’s more, this farmer
has character dressed in his farmer hat, his sweet grown Alabama overalls, and holding a vine of peanuts and a jar of peanut butter.
Jacob Davis, Executive Director of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association says the association is responsible for efforts in
research, education, advocacy and promotion of peanuts ... and peanut products on behalf of producers, statewide.
ATLANTA HAWKS’ TRAE YOUNG PROMOTIONG PB - The Georgia Peanut Commission and the Trae Young Family
Foundation partnered to donate 7,200 jars of Peanut Proud peanut butter to metro Atlanta school food pantries recently. Peanut
butter, one of the most-requested items among food banks, is one of Young’s favorite snacks he enjoys regularly to stay nourished
and ready to play for the Atlanta Hawks. In his recently completed second season, Young was named an Eastern Conference All-
Star and finished fourth in the NBA in scoring (29.6 points per game) and second in assists (9.3 assists per game).
The donation took place in cooperation with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Peanut Proud. The Atlanta
Community Food Bank provides food and grocery products to more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies with hunger relief
programs throughout 29 counties in metro Atlanta and north Georgia.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR –
- January 19, 2021 - Georgia Peanut Farm Show, UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center – Tifton, GA
- February 4, 2021 - Alabama/Florida Peanut Trade Show -National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds - Dothan, AL