During the 2026 Georgia Peanut Tour, Dr. Scott Monfort, University of Georgia Extension Peanut Agronomist, provided an update on this year’s peanut crop and the challenges growers have faced throughout the growing season.
Georgia planted approximately 670,000 acres of peanuts in 2026, down from about 930,000 acres in 2025. Monfort explained that acreage decisions were influenced by cotton prices, weather conditions, and uncertainty leading to planting. The season began with a dry winter and spring, followed by sporadic rainfall that created significant differences between fields across the state.
Wet conditions later caused planting delays and replanting in some areas, pushing a large portion of the crop into late May and June. The delayed planting created additional concerns as growers worked to provide the crop with enough time and heat units to reach maturity.
As the season progressed, growers continued to manage drought stress, insect pressure, and leaf spot disease. Dryland fields were particularly affected by inconsistent rainfall, while irrigation helped maintain crop conditions in other areas. Despite the challenges, Monfort reported that approximately 59% of the crop was considered good to excellent, with some irrigated fields producing yields between 5,500 and 6,500 pounds per acre.
Harvest is now underway, and growers are carefully monitoring peanut maturity to determine the right time to dig. While the 2026 crop is expected to be somewhat below recent averages, Monfort noted that Georgia is still producing a substantial crop with the potential for good overall quality.