By Blake Jackson
Missouri farmers are now growing peanuts for some of the holiday treats you enjoy, such as peanut brittle and peanut clusters. In 2020, the USDA officially recognized Missouri as a primary peanut-producing state, a designation given to states that produce more than 10,000 tons of peanuts annually over a three-year period, according to Justin Calhoun, a soil and cropping systems specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
Calhoun is part of a team researching ways to enhance peanut production at the MU Fisher Delta Research, Extension, and Education Center in Portageville, where much of Missouri’s peanut farming takes place.
The southeastern region, known as the Bootheel, is particularly suited to peanut farming due to its sandy soils, which allow peanuts to thrive where other crops may struggle.
Peanuts are a low-input, profitable crop that also benefits the soil by adding nitrogen, making them a high-return investment. “Peanuts are a ‘high ROI’ crop with many benefits,” Calhoun explains.
Like soybeans, peanuts are legumes that form a beneficial relationship with rhizobacteria, which help fix nitrogen in the soil. In addition to improving soil health, peanuts help control pests and can increase yields for other crops such as cotton and corn when rotated properly.
Over the last five years, Missouri has become a significant player in peanut production. While the peanut industry has traditionally been dominated by southern states like Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas.
Missouri has seen its peanut acreage more than double in just three years, with 20,000 to 22,000 acres expected to be planted in 2024. Most of Missouri’s peanuts are used in candy bars and peanut butter, with Delta Peanut purchasing the majority of the crop, while a smaller portion is sold to Birdsong.
The most common peanut variety in Missouri is Ga-06G, a runner-type peanut primarily used for peanut butter. Some growers also cultivate high-oleic varieties like Ga-16HO and Ga-O9B, which are better for peanut oil production.
Spanish hybrid varieties, such as Span 17, are also grown for companies like Mars, which uses them in candy products like Snickers.
Harvesting peanuts in Missouri involves two steps. First, a digger machine uproots and flips the plants to dry. Then, a shaker machine separates the peanuts from the plants.
The growth of Missouri’s peanut industry is supported by ongoing research, including several projects funded by checkoff dollars. Calhoun says, “Over the last three years, we’ve been fairly successful in growing a pretty sizable peanut research and extension program.”
The 2024 White House Christmas ornament honors President Jimmy Carter, a renowned peanut farmer. Proceeds from the ornament’s sales will help provide peanut butter to food banks.
The ornament features peanuts and peanut flowers, celebrating Carter’s legacy and the peanut industry.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zoran-zeremski
Categories: Missouri, Crops