YEAREND: 2023 Arkansas peanut yield could top 2017 record
Dec. 15, 2023
By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Arkansas growers saw increased yield, quick harvest in 2023
- Yield could surpass 2017 record
- Positive outlook for 2024 peanut acres
(398 words)
(Newsrooms: Download photos of peanut harvest, photo of Faske.)
LITTLE ROCK — Despite a battle with early southern blight, Arkansas peanut growers are on track for the highest yield the state has seen in the past 10 years.
While June and late August brought hot, dry weather, May provided perfect conditions for peanuts, said Travis Faske, extension plant pathologist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“Probably 80 percent of our peanuts were planted within the first couple weeks of May,” he said “We had great temperatures, and after planting we had good, frequent rain. That rain allowed our herbicides to get activated, leading to relatively clean fields.”
But luck turned in July when rains caused an earlier-than-usual debut for southern blight, the most common disease in Arkansas peanuts.
“Northeast Arkansas had some good rains in July, which prevented farmers from being able to apply fungicides to protect the crop,” Faske said. “So, in early August southern blight was more of an issue than previous years. But this did not limit the good yields that we saw.”
And yields were certainly good. Faske expects this year’s peanut crop to surpass the 2017 record of 5,288 pounds per acre.
“For the past three years we’ve hovered around 4,800 to 5,000 pounds per acre. This year we are likely to be well over 5,300 pounds per acre, making it the best yield on record for the past 10 years,” Faske said. “I think we will surpass the last leading statewide average set back in 2017.”
Higher than average yield wasn’t the only good news for Arkansas peanut growers. Dry conditions allowed for a quick harvest, similar to 2022.
“As far as getting the peanuts out, from start to finish this was one of the fastest harvests we’ve seen in a long time, aside from last year.” Faske said. “In 2022 and 2023, almost all fields were done by Halloween, whereas typically harvest can extend to mid-November.”
With high yield and high demand, Faske believes there will be a push to add peanut acres in Arkansas in 2024.
Last year, Arkansas growers produced 166.4 million pounds of peanuts on 32,000 acres. The value of Arkansas’ peanut crop is more than $42 million. Runner peanuts – the type used in peanut butter – account for almost 100 percent of the state’s peanut crop. These varieties consistently have high yields and remain in high demand. Learn more about Arkansas peanut production at uaex.uada.edu.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact:
Sarah Cato
scato@uada.edu
870-815-9035