Terrell County Ag Update

David Wagner, Terrell County Extension Agent, provided information regarding agriculture production in Terrell County. According to Wagner, agriculture is the largest industry in the state of Georgia and the number one industry in Terrell County. The economy of Terrell County rides on the back of agriculture, from the banker to the tire salesman, everyone is concerned with how the crops are doing. Peanuts have always been the centerpiece of Terrell County agriculture. The county’s infrastructure is centered around peanuts with the USDA National Peanut Lab located in Dawson. Also, Golden Peanut Company has a large presence in Terrell County both with buying peanuts and having a peanut crushing facility in Dawson. The Hooks-Hanner Environmental Resource Center is located in Terrell County studying agricultural water use.

Peanuts, cotton, corn and wheat comprised most of the 62,000 acres planted to row crops in Terrell County this year. Peanut acreage went up with over 16,000 acres planted in the county this year. Almost 60% of the peanuts are irrigated, so 40% of the peanut crop suffered due to drought. The dry weather brought spider mites which defoliated many dryland fields early causing loss of pods and poor grades. The county had some rain this year and much more rain than last year, but many times during the growing season, Terrell would get several days of cloudy weather and high humidity with no rain. This only contributed to more plant disease and increased the cost of production with growers having to use more expensive fungicides to maintain plant health.

All things considered, the peanut crop looks pretty good at this time. If the crop can be harvested with no major losses due to weather or plant disease, Wagner is hopeful that over 26,000 tons of peanuts will be produced in Terrell County this year.

View the 2012 Georgia Peanut Tour Photo Album