Smaller Peanut Area

WASHINGTON - Jun 30/16 - SNS -- Peanut growers planted an estimated 1.56 million acres in 2016, down 4% from the previous year, according to the USDA's seeded area estimates for 2016.

Area for harvest is forecast at 1.53 million acres, down 2% from the previous year. The decrease in planted area is largely driven by price concerns due to the large supply of peanuts.

Over the last two years, growers increased peanut acres in many States due to relatively low prices of other crops creating a large supply going into the 2016 crop year.

In Georgia, the largest peanut-producing State, planted area is down 3% from 2015. If realized, planted acres in Texas will be the highest since 2008 and South Carolina will be a record high.

Estimates began in 2016 for Arkansas.

Peanut Area Planted and Harvested - States and United States: 2015 and 2016
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :         Area planted          :        Area harvested
      State     :---------------------------------------------------------------
                :     2015      :     2016      :     2015      :    2016 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                          1,000 acres
                :
Alabama ........:      200.0           175.0           197.0           173.0
Arkansas 2/ ....:       (NA)            20.0            (NA)            19.0
Florida ........:      190.0           145.0           180.0           136.0
Georgia ........:      785.0           760.0           777.0           750.0
Mississippi ....:       44.0            40.0            42.0            39.0
New Mexico .....:        5.0             5.0             5.0             5.0
North Carolina .:       90.0            80.0            88.0            79.0
Oklahoma .......:       10.0            13.0             9.0            12.0
South Carolina .:      112.0           115.0            82.0           111.0
Texas ..........:      170.0           190.0           168.0           187.0
Virginia .......:       19.0            20.0            19.0            20.0
                :
United States ..:    1,625.0         1,563.0         1,567.0         1,531.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(NA) Not available.
1/   Forecasted.
2/   Estimates began in 2016.