Moisture, Low Row-Crop Prices Prompt Possible Record Texas Peanut Production
KAY LEDBETTER
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
Summer rains and a competitive market that outpaced other commodities could result in record-breaking Texas peanut production, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists.
“Starting in May through the end of planting, we had good rainfall across much of Texas,” said Emi Kimura, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide peanut specialist, agronomist and associate professor in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Vernon. “Then the growing season in June and July saw more beneficial moisture – something that hasn’t happened the past few years.”
Pancho Abello, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agricultural economist and assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, said in addition to good growing conditions, prices for other commodities were lower, and peanuts offered higher profitability potential for some producers.
“Every other option in terms of commodities was not as competitive as peanuts, so we have seen more producers shifting acreage this year,” Abello said. “We are expecting a record-breaking production.”
Building a record-breaking year
Texas’ planted acreage for peanuts is up 45,000 acres this year over last year, for a total of 285,000 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sept. 12 crop production report. Texas ranks second to Georgia in peanut production, followed by Alabama, Florida and North Carolina. The bulk of Texas peanut production is in Gaines, Yoakum, Terry and Cochran counties.
The report predicts average production will be 3,100 pounds per acre this year, compared to 2,600 pounds per acre harvested in 2024. The projected production is 822 million pounds compared to the 572 million pounds harvested in 2024.
Texas’ acreage increased 4%. Overall, the U.S. saw a 5.5% increase in acres despite lower peanut prices. USDA is forecasting about $500 per ton, which is in line with what Texas farmers are reporting they contracted for this year, Abello said.
“Given the predicted yield with the increase of acreage, we are now expecting record-high production,” he said.
The record production is expected to push ending stocks about 34% higher than last year, which could mean lower prices next year, Abello said.
Challenges: Drought, weeds and diseases
Not all regions of Texas received rain. While this year is better than previous years in the Rolling Plains and West Texas, Kimura said the peanut-growing region in South Texas – specifically Frio and Atascosa counties – remains under drought conditions.
Those receiving good rain also had to battle higher weed pressure, Kimura said. Growers without a solid weed control program could experience quality and yield losses. Weeds can also cause reductions in peanut grade during harvest.
“That was a challenge this year, to stay ahead of the weed issue,” she said.
Disease pressure has been average this season – peanut growers have their own fungicide program to stay on top of the issue, although some leaf spot and pod rot were noted through the season, but nothing major, Kimura said.
No early freeze, please
Ultimately, harvested acreage and yields will depend on weather conditions through the final stage of the crop.
“If it keeps raining during the normal harvest period, it can cause problems,” Kimura said. “We don’t want to see an early freeze, also, of course.”
She said producers will start digging peanuts in West Texas and in the Rolling Plains in October. Producers in South Texas typically begin digging in November. After peanuts are dug, they are windrowed to dry for several days and then combined to harvest the pods. If it rains on the dug peanuts, the quality goes down.
“We need open windows of sunny days to dig and get the harvest in,” Kimura said. ∆
KAY LEDBETTER
TEXAS AGRI LIFE