US: Record number of peanuts could be harvested in Arkansas this year

About 14 years ago, farmers in the Arkansas Delta began planting peanuts. Producers had grown the legume in years past, but it had been decades since the crop had been produced on a mass scale in Northeast Arkansas. A record number of peanuts could be grown in the Natural State in 2024, according to projections. In 2023, Arkansas peanut growers set a state record for average yield with 5,800 pounds per acre, across more than 35,000 acres. With another 5,000 acres or so, the state would’ve likely seen a new record for overall peanut production as well. Northeast Arkansas is about as far north as most peanuts can be grown. The crop requires at least five months of warm weather and it needs sandy soil similar to cotton. Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma are among the top peanut producing states. Travis Faske, extension plant pathologist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said he could easily exceed 40,000 acres of peanuts in 2024, setting the stage for record ...