Welcome to the 2016 Georgia Peanut Tour! This year marks a major milestone for the Georgia Peanut Tour; it’s the 30th anniversary and we are overjoyed you joined us for the occasion! Like all previous peanut tours, you will be immersed in one of Georgia’s most important agricultural crops from the field to the manufacturer. We sincerely appreciate each of you joining us on this exciting tour and hope, through the experience of the tour; you will understand and appreciate the heritage of peanut production in our state. Each of us engaged in the peanut industry – farmers, buyers, processors, researchers, Extension personnel, Georgia Peanut Commission representatives and everyone in between, are proud Georgia is the leading peanut producer in the United States, and we are all the more happy you could join us for the next three days as our special guests!
The 30th annual Georgia Peanut Tour will kick off on the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 13, with a “Hot Topics” symposium located at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture. Expert speakers will address the current status of Georgia’s peanut crop and also the importance of University research in sustaining peanut production in Georgia. Symposium speakers will discuss recent innovations and research in peanut production, breeding, pest management, engineering, storage and handling, and processing.
While on the Peanut Tour, you will be able to hear directly from farmers about the challenges they face and the solutions they adopt to produce a vibrant peanut crop. You will witness multiple facets of peanut production, post-harvest handling and processing. Further, you will hear from researchers and Extension faculty from the University of Georgia about their efforts to find innovative ways to aid farmers and improve peanut production. Most of this effort is funded through the Georgia Peanut Commission, which invests money from growers today for better production in the future.
Again, on behalf of the Georgia Peanut Tour committee, a team comprising members from the USDA-ARS Peanut Lab, the Georgia Peanut Commission and the University of Georgia, we warmly welcome you to the 30th annual Georgia Peanut Tour! We hope, over the next few days, you will learn about the complexity of the peanut industry in Georgia and the personal commitments from all involved in producing the world’s finest peanuts! We hope our events will allow for fellowship and enjoyment of Georgia’s renowned hospitality. We offer our sincere thanks to all the sponsors, who through their generosity, help make this tour possible.