Crop Conditions

I know it has been a while since I have been on but sometimes you just don't have much to say.

Today I have something to say. Frank McGill who was the peanut expert in Georgia for decades and is still respected once told me it was foolish to predict a peanut crop on the 4th of July. Now we plant a bit later and so the same may be true even for the 4th of August. A lot can still happen between now and harvest.

June and July were among the hottest on record and currently Albany, Georgia which is in the heart of the peanut belt of Georgia is running a ten inch rainfall deficit. It seems that rains have been very irregular and for some reason the place which gets rain today also gets it tomorrow. It is a bit feast and famine.

One thing I can say for certain if this weather does not change the peanut crop and crops in general are going to be hurt pretty bad.

Last week on my travels through south Georgia I saw cotton which was about 8 inches tall blooming out the top (not a good situation), I saw cotton which was wilted, I saw soybeans which had drawn up from the heat and drought. I also saw several fields of peanuts which were not yet lapping and the worst, the plants were only about 8 inches wide in the row.

I am not sure non-farm folks could understand my next statement but I am actually praying for a tropical storm with lots of rain and no wind. The folks who are harvesting corn may not agree with me on this but we need a good soaking rain and for temperatures to moderate a bit, especially the nighttime temps which also hurt peanut yield and lead to lessened quality as well due to the potential for A flaavus contamination.

And for irrigated producers it just means cost is going up.

Well, just keep the faith and keep the prayers coming.