With all the discouraging news today, any nugget of positivity is welcome indeed. One piece of good news is the remarkable yield gains North Carolina peanut farmers have seen since the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association was formed in 1953.
At the NCPGA annual meeting Sept. 6 held following the peanut field day at the Peanut Belt Research Station in Lewiston-Woodville, NCPGA President Dan Ward, a Clarkton, N.C. peanut farmer and 2021 Farm Press Peanut Efficiency Award winner, noted that in 1954, when the original bylaws of the association were amended, the average North Carolina peanut yield was 1,425 pounds on 176,000 acres. In 2024, the average yield is forecast at 4,216 pounds on 127,840 acres. That’s a nearly threefold increase in average yield.
At the meeting, Ward pointed out that NCPGA bylaws were revised again in 1963, 1994 and 2005. Ward put the tremendous yield gains in perspective by highlighting the average peanut yield and acreage for each of the years NCPGA’s bylaws were revised.
As Ward noted, average yield in 1954 was 1,425 pounds on 176,000 acres. That increased to 2.060 pounds on 176,00 acres in 1963; 3,215 pounds on 151,000 acres in 1994; 3,000 pounds on 97,000 acres in 2005; to this year’s 4,216 pounds on 127,840.
Since the last bylaw revisions in 2005, North Carolina has seen an increase of 30,000 peanut acres and yields have increased 40%. “The bylaws that governed our actions needed to be reflective of North Carolina peanut production in 2024 and the growers we serve,” Ward said.
The focus of the revisions was to create clearly defined districts based on planted peanut acres and a routine timeframe for district updates. Ward says the goal is to better serve every North Carolina peanut farmer.
The North Carolina Peanut Growers effectively unified state peanut farmers since the association was formed in 1953. The group has financially supported research that has brought improved varieties, more efficient cultural practices, and better rotation strategies to the farm.
Progressive varieties and advancements in technology, as well better fungicides and crop protection products all played a huge role in the strong peanut yield gains over the past 70 years. But the greatest factor of success is the North Carolina peanut farmer.
Peanuts are tough and temperamental to grow. But North Carolina peanut farmers are up to the challenge. Each year, they have continually increased their yields under consistently challenging conditions.
This year has been more challenging than most. An unprecedented June drought, a tropical storm in July, a cooler than normal September that has impacted pod maturity, and ever-rising production costs out of sync with profitability all weigh heavily.
But the North Carolina peanut farmer carries on. All of us who enjoy the famous Virginia or ballpark peanut they diligently produce owe them a debt of gratitude.
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