Peanut Market News- September 7, 2017

U.S. Peanut Industry Donates Over 100,000 Jars of Peanut Butter to Hurricane Harvey Relief

Blakely, Georgia (September 1, 2017) – The U.S. Peanut Industry is uniting to donate more than 100,000 jars of peanut butter to the survivors of Hurricane Harvey’s massive and historic flooding.  The donation effort is being coordinated through Peanut Proud, a non-profit organization of the U.S. Peanut Industry, and the Texas Peanut Producers Board (TPPB). The retail value of the donation is estimated at $290,000.  “Today has been amazing. Every peanut area has reached out and said they were gathering funds to send to Peanut Proud for the hurricane and flood victims,” said Shelly Nutt, Executive Director of the TPPB

Initial deliveries will be made by Southern Ag Carriers to the Houston and San Antonio Food Banks in the next few weeks, with more to follow.  “This horrific flood will leave damage for weeks and even months to come. We want to be in it and ready for the long haul,” said Nutt.

The shipments will include peanut butter manufactured by Algood Food Company, Kroger Company, Severn Peanut Company, John B. SanFilippo & Son and Golden Boy Foods.  The Texas Peanut Producers Board, Georgia Peanut Commission, Virginia Peanut Growers Association, Virginia-Carolinas Peanut Promotions, National Peanut Board, National Peanut Buying Points Association, 2017 class of the Peanut Leadership Academy, Birdsong Peanuts and Premium Peanut were gracious in their donations to help with disaster relief in Texas.

Peanut butter has seven grams of protein per serving, is shelf stable, requires no refrigeration or special preparation and is enjoyable for all age groups, making it a natural choice for those who suddenly find themselves suffering from food insecurity.

Local food banks will be supporting those in Texas, and will need to replenish their supplies.  If you would like host your own peanut butter drive, visit Peanut Butter for the Hungry at PB4H.org to access the Peanut Butter Drive Success Kit which provides all the tools you need to mount a successful drive. CONTACT:  Christina Taylor (703) 838-9500

NO CHANGE ON DAMAGE

May, 2017, the Peanut Standards Board proposed a rule change that revised the minimum quality standards for domestic and imported peanuts.  The Board advised the Secretary of Agriculture to increase the allowance for damaged kernels in farmer stock peanuts when determining segregation.  The change increased the allowance under Segregation 1from not more than 2.49 percent to not more than 3.49 percent. Seg. 2 would reflect the change. Comments were accepted til June 26.

No statement has been issued as to why the change was not implemented for the 2017 peanut crop.  Grower leadership decided not to fight the battle, since the Farm Bill issues were being debated.  Another theory was that the Secretary of Agriculture was approved late. Farmers are disappointed that the change was not in the guidelines this season, but hopefully the burrow bug and other soil insects will not be abundant this season and increase the Segregation 2 peanuts.    

TAKING THE LEAD ON PEANUT ALLERGY

The National Peanut Board has partnered with the School Nutrition Association to develop free, online Food Allergy Resource Center offering solutions for effective management of food allergens.  The Resource Center offers information on the top 8 food allergens. It also answers frequently asked questions and provides evidence-based best practices from the Centers of Disease Control on managing food allergens.  The site even provides an “Ask the Allergy Expert” to hook the person up with a qualified responder, such as a doctor or school law expert. The NPB even has instructional videos for school nutrition specialists atwww.PeanutAllergyFacts.org.

USDA COMMENTS ON PEANUT ESTIMATE

High Acreage and Yields will Swell Peanut Production USDA forecasts the U.S. peanut crop for 2017/18 to an all-time high 7.4 billion pounds.

Peanut acreage is already at a 26-year high. The national average yield is forecast at 4,190 pounds per acre, which would rank second only to the 2012/13 record. As of August 6, 79 percent of the country’s peanut acreage was rated in good-to-excellent condition, compared to 66 percent a year earlier. The improvement is largely due to more favorable conditions in Georgia, where a record yield is forecast to produce the State’s largest crop ever. Conditions in other Southeastern States are equally good

Provided the looming bumper crop can be harvested without trouble this fall, it would support further gains in market demand. Domestic use of peanuts is forecast rising nearly 6 percent in 2017/18. Peanut exports could also strengthen to 1.5 billion pounds from 1.35 billion in 2016/17. Despite another bright outlook for U.S. exports and domestic use, a growing surplus may be unavoidable. Season-ending peanut stocks are forecast to surge to nearly 2.6 billion pounds in 2017/18(1,300,000 tons), versus 1.58 billion pounds in 2016/17.

2017 PEANUT CROP

Peanuts: Production is forecast at a record high 7.43 billion pounds (3,714,000 tons), up 31 percent from 2016. Area harvested is expected to total 1.77 million acres, unchanged from the June forecast but up 15 percent from 2016.

Based on conditions as of August 1, the average yield for the United States is forecast at 4,190 pounds per acre, up 515 pounds per acre from 2016. If realized, this would represent the second highest yield on record for the United States. Record high yields are forecast for Georgia and Mississippi. As of July 30, seventy-two percent of the United States peanut acreage was rated in good to excellent condition, compared with 66 percent at the same time last year. Eighty-seven percent of the acreage was pegging at that time, slightly behind last year but slightly ahead of the five-year average.

REP. AUSTIN SCOTT TALKS FARM BILL

Rep. Austin Scott told the peanut industry leaders that he is optimistic about the 2018 Farm Bill.  He said that Chairman Mike Conaway could not be a better leader at this time. He is from a cotton and peanut area in Texas and he will work hard to get a cotton solution and that will be good for peanuts.  His goal, which is on track, is to have the hearings completed on the Farm Bill ready by the end of September and have the bill completed and signed before the Thanksgiving recess. Scott said that farmers need time to plan and plant next year.  He said Washington politics reminded him of a quote from his grandfather, “Do you want to make a point or make a difference?”

PEANUT EXPORT NEWS

The Foreign Agricultural Service reports that India has slashed peanut exports 350,000 tons to 800,000 tons due to lower crop prospects.  China is reporting peanut exports down 100,000 tons to 400,000 tons.

Argentina reports 49,000 hectares of peanuts being lost due to flooding.  Agronomists report last week that there is still some harvest going on. One report said the harvest is still performed in the central and south regions where there are about 20 to 25% of peanut not harvested yet. What is more, there are also remaining those fields or lots in which the operating conditions remain complicated. That is why, the progress continue being slow, and of course, significant losses of yield are observed and registered due to the condition of the peanuts dug – we have to think that there are peanuts that have already 5 months of having been dug and a task that was carried out under conditions of saturated moisture soil. Officials report kernels production is positioned at 727,100 Tons.

via Peanut Farm Market News, a peanut hotline service of The Spearman Agency, Tyron Spearman, editor