After a farmer harvests his peanuts he hauls them to a local buying station. Once at the buying station, peanuts are sampled and graded by the Federal State Inspection Service to determine their value. The inspectors establish the meat content, size of pods, kernel size, moisture content, damaged kernels and foreign material. The results of the inspection determine the overall quality and value of each load. View this video to learn more about the grading process.
https://youtu.be/Rcu4MJDtETE
Dr. Tim Brenneman, University of Georgia plant pathologist, discussed his research at Southeastern Gin & Peanut on fungal diseases in peanuts. He has been conducting research at this location for the past six years. He says it has been interesting to conduct research on land that is new to peanuts with low disease pressure. Learn more about this research by viewing the video below.
The Georgia Peanut Tour visited Southeastern Gin and Peanut in Surrency, Ga. During the visit attendees learned more about the buying point and how peanuts are graded. Southeastern Gin and Peanut began serving cotton farmers in 1995 and started serving peanut farmers in 2003, in cooperation with Golden Peanut Company. Roger Branch with Southeastern Gin & Peanut explains more about the company in the video below.
The Georgia Peanut Tour stopped in Jeff Davis County at the farm of Will Ellis. Tim Varnedore, Jeff Davis County Extension Coordinator, met with the attendees regarding peanut prouduction in the area. He says the peanut crop looks very good in this stage of production. Jeff Davis farmers planted 6,865 acres of peanuts in the county this season and there is an estimated 10,290 tons estimated to be produced. Fifty-five to sixty percent of peanuts were planted on irrigated land in Jeff Davis County. Farmers have had problems in handling pigweeds and armyworms and the heavy early season rain fall have haltered production overall. Jeff Davis County also grows cotton (17,429 acres), soybeans (3,928 acres), corn (3,355 acres), and tobacco (301 acres).
Scott Angle, dean of the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences attended the tour again this year. Here is an update from him on the college and the importance of the Georgia Peanut Tour.
The Georgia Peanut Tour host city this year is Douglas, Ga. Agriculture is very important to the economy in Coffee County. Eddie McGriff, Coffee County Extension Coordinator, says the peanut crop in the county looks very good although it all depends on the weather since they have such a late crop. Out of the 15,400 acres of peanuts planted in 2009, there is an estimated production rate of 25,410 tons. Farmers in Coffee County have to face production issues such as excessive rains during planting, which resulted in a very late planted crop, controlling pigweeds, and low prices. 40% of peanuts planted in the county are irrigated. Coffee County also grows cotton, corn, soybeans, blueberries, and hay.