2016 U.S. PEANUT ACREAGE UPDATE

The Farm Service Agency of USDA has released the 2016 of peanuts as reported by farmers with adjustments. This should be the final acreage by state. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates the acreage in 2015 increased 2 percent to 1,587,000 acres. The Farm Service Agency has reports from local FSA offices indicating that peanut acreage increased by 3.1 percent, up to 1,652,970 acres.

Other states are growing peanuts, although the peanuts are a long distance from the shelling plants. The new players include Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska and Tennessee. Also reported was Indiana (2 acres) and Minnesota (1 acre).

The largest increase in peanut acreage was Texas, up 46 percent. Arkansas was also up 41.5 acres indicating interest in growing peanuts. Officials indicate that the acreage in Texas was generic cotton acres, planted in peanuts and may not be harvested. NASS continues to list the 9 major producing states and list smaller acreages as others.

The difference in reported acreage of 1,652,970 acres and NASS estimate is about 65,970 acres. With a two-ton average, that’s a significant difference of 131,000 tons. The yield estimate from NASS is 3,934 pounds per acre. That means 1,652,970 acres should produce a crop of 3,251,392 tons.  If NASS acres (1,587,000) is applied to the 3,934 pounds per acre, that’s a crop of 3,121,629 tons. As of November 19, FSIS has graded 2,520,063 tons, 80.1 percent of the NASS estimate (77.5% of the FSA reported acres).

Source: PEANUT MARKETING NEWS – November 21, 2016 – Tyron Spearman, Editor (148)