Originally published September 18, 2024. The Southern Peanut Farmers Federation (SPFF), which includes the Georgia peanut sector, is pushing for a new Farm Bill.

The SPFF delegation alongside tens of other crop bodies met with Congressmen in Washington D.C., to agitate a new bill.

Their aim is to prevent further extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, a fortnight before the September 30, 2024 deadline.

300 groups have been pressuring Congress since September 9, 2024 for a new bill, including the Georgia Peanut Federation, an SPFF member. 

Why Georgia’s Voice Matters

The southern state has a powerful say in the peanut sector because it produces about 50% of the national total.

Furthermore, the Peach State’s official crop is actually the groundnut rather than peaches, which lends it some authority.

According to WSAV Savannah on September 17, 2024, 77 of the 159 counties in Georgia planted the crop in 2023.

More so,  29% of the state’s row cropland consists of groundnuts, a source of livelihood to over 4,000 growers. 

Solar Farms’ Invasion

But Georgians could be losing some of this clout as thousands of peanut acres have lately turned into solar farms.  This is happening on a large-scale in Brooks County on the southern border with Florida.

The local WABI TV station reported September 16 that the solar works are taking over cotton and groundnut fields. Though attracted to the sustainability of the projects, some farmers oppose the leasing on peanut farms.

The best they could hope for is the reduction of farm consolidation, depending on the next U.S. government. The Democrats, for instance, are citing to remove corporate consolidation of large swathes of land if elected.

For now, the best the Georgia peanut community can hope for is to push for a new Farm Bill. This is because it will offer the financing necessary other than depending on private investors.  To learn more about the state’s official crop, read on in the statistics section, next. 

Georgia Peanut Statistics

Georgia has been producing peanuts since just before the American Civil War of 1860-65. The crop came here via Virginia, which first grew the crop in the U.S., in the early 1800s. Georgia uses the bulk of its production to process edible oil and peanut butter while the rest makes roasted snacks. According to the Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB), the state plants 650,000 hectares of groundnuts annually, and each farm averages 200 acres. The University of Georgia records an acreage growth to 775,000 acres in 2023, basically 90,000 acres more than 2022’s. 

How much peanuts does Georgia produce per year? 

Georgia leads in national peanut production at 2.9 billion pounds ($1.32 million tonnes), as of 2022. The output represents half the national total of 5.57 billion pounds (2.53 million tonnes), as of 2022. This lead would extend to 1.56 million tonnes in 2023 or 53% of the federal total.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), none of the other leading states pose a threat to Georgia’s reign. For instance, Alabama finished second in 2022 with an output of 559 million pounds (254, 090 tonnes), or 19% of Georgia’s harvest. 

Which is the most common peanut variety in Georgia? 

Runner peanuts, which are produce peanut butter make up 99% of Georgia’s groundnut acreage. The state, together with Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Florida represent 80% of the federal runner peanut crop output.

What is the yield rate of peanuts in Georgia vis-á-vis the United States? 

UGA forecasts Georgia to yield 4,100 pounds per acre in 2024 versus the national 3,740-pound an acre average.