ATHENS, GA – As the 2021 crop production season begins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season.

“Each year, the agriculture industry awaits USDA’s Prospective Plantings report, which
provides the first survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ planting intentions for the year,” explained NASS Southern Regional Director Anthony Prillaman. “The March Agricultural Survey provides the factual data that underpins these projections, making it one of the most important surveys we conduct each year.”

NASS will mail the survey questionnaire in late February, asking producers to provide
information about the crops they intend to plant in 2021, how many acres they intend to plant, and the amounts of grain and oilseed they have stored on their farms. NASS encourages producers to respond online or by mail. Those producers who do not respond by the deadline may be contacted for a telephone interview.

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential, as
required by federal law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.

Survey results will be published in the Prospective Plantings and quarterly Grain Stocks
report to be released on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. These and all NASS reports are
available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications. For more information, call the NASS Southern Regional Office at (800) 253-4419.

NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.

Peanut farmers from across Alabama gathered in Dothan for the 2021 Annual Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA) meeting on Thursday, February 4.

During the meeting the delegates elected open director positions for the APPA board. Baldwin County had two director seats open. Mark Kaiser and Joel Sirmon were both re-elected to those positions. Carl Sanders was re-elected to hold Coffee County’s one seat. Also re-elected was Ed White and Thomas Adams to hold the two seats for Henry County.

Delegates received a Washington Update from Bob Redding, The Redding Firm and a Market Update from Dr. Marshall Lamb, Research Leader at the National Peanut Lab in Dawson, Georgia.

In addition, the APPA board members voted to re-elect their current officers. Carl Sanders of Coffee County has been President of the APPA board for 21 years and will continue to serve in his position. Mark Kaiser of Baldwin County will serve his 5th year as Vice President. Treasurer, Jerry Byrd of Dale County, will serve his 21st year.

The association is voluntarily funded by peanut growers and its programs are directed by a board of 15 growers. Directors are elected by grower delegates from each of the major peanut producing counties. The number of delegates from each county is determined by the number of planted peanut acres in that particular county. The APPA Annual Meeting was sponsored by the National Peanut Board.

Times are challenging on the farm these days. Farmers run and finance large and diverse businesses, manage capital, handle labor issues and navigate regulations. An operator is constantly busy working in their business. The Executive Farm Management Program (EFMP) is designed to help farmers work on their business. This year the National Peanut Board is proud to partner on the EFMP to support peanut farmers’ participation in this educational activity.

NPB will provide a $150 tuition grant for up to 100 U.S. peanut farmers who participate in the 2021 EFMP, held virtually, Feb. 10-12, 2021. Farmers can find out more details and sign up for the program at go.ncsu.edu/efm.

Traditionally, EFMP is delivered in three in-person sessions totaling 12 days in January and February. However, due to the pandemic, the EFMP for 2021 has been modified to a virtual bootcamp that will cover the basics of the foundational management topics of strategy, financial management and human resource management.

“Peanut farms are more complex and diverse than other row crop farms. Some peanut farms even venture into value-added peanut products,” said EFMP Director Blake Brown. “Regardless, they must stay at the cutting edge of management; particularly if they want to successfully pass the operation to the next generation. The EFM bootcamp will sharpen peanut farmers’ existing management skills and provide new skills in an innovative and very intuitive framework that peanut farmers can put to work right away.”

This virtual bootcamp will be delivered in three half days, Wednesday, Feb. 10 to Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. “We hope to help farmers with some very important, core management skills and prepare a really strong group of farmers for a full program in 2022,” said Brown. The program is open to U.S. peanut farmers from all growing areas, backgrounds and business situations.

“NPB’s support of peanut farmers’ participation in this program aligns with our mission to improve the economic condition of peanut growers and their families,” said NPB Director of Communications. “We anticipate that the $150 tuition grant will encourage growers to make this investment in the future profitability and success of their operations.”

The bootcamp program will be preceded by four webinars, delivered at 9:00am ET each Tuesday, Jan. 12-Feb. 2, 2021. The webinars cover critical management topics: Transforming Your Business, Managing Cash, Family Succession Issues, and Tackling Sticky Conversations.

More information and how to apply can be found at go.ncsu.edu/efm.

The National Peanut Board represents USA peanut farmers and their families. Through research and marketing initiatives the Board is finding new ways to enhance production and increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition and culinary versatility of USA-grown peanuts. For more information about the board, visit www.nationalpeanutboard.org.

The Executive Farm Management program is an exciting program offered by NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and its partners; NC State Cooperative Extension Service, Clemson Cooperative Extension, ECU College of Business and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension

The Alabama – Florida Peanut Trade Show scheduled for Feb. 4, 2021 in Dothan has been postponed until February 2022.

The Alabama Peanut Producers Association and Florida Peanut Producers Association made the decision after the Alabama COVID-19 Safer at Home order was extended until Jan. 22, 2021. Should the mandate be extended past Jan. 22, the trade show staff would not be able to regulate social distancing and mask guidelines for attendees to enjoy the trade show safely.

While it is a disappointment to postpone the show, both associations are in agreement that the health of our growers and exhibitors is most important at this time.

National Peanut Board celebrates 20^th anniversary with all-time high of 7.6 pounds per capita consumption

Founded in the year 2000, the check off for America’s peanut farmers and their families celebrates 20 years of growth with an unprecedented level of per capita peanut consumption. Calculated based on USDA and U.S. Census data, per capita peanut consumption has risen to an all-time high of 7.6 pounds in 2020.

America’s love for peanuts is stronger than ever. “Consumers seek out foods that bring them comfort, convenience and good nutrition,” said Bob Parker, NPB President & CEO. “Americans have a unique love and positive relationship with peanut butter and peanuts and we’re seeing that demonstrated not only in consumption numbers, but also in the volume and intensity of positive conversations on social and traditional media.”

This success is achieved through collaboration and efforts across the entire industry. Farmers, buying points, shellers and manufacturers strive to supply quality products to consumers and many industry organizations work together to contribute to these accomplishments. The entire peanut family has cause for celebration.

While the pandemic played a role in sales and usage in the last five months of the marketing year, peanut consumption was well on its way to an increase before the global health crisis. “Beginning in March, we saw significant increases in peanut butter and peanut snack sales, usage and consumption due to the pandemic purchasing behaviors and increased demand from food banks,” said Parker. “Even though peanut candy and in-shells experienced declines during the first months of the pandemic due to closures and restrictions, they ended the year with increases.”

Consumer marketing is a core program area to drive consumption. NPB focuses on reaching the Millennial generation who can have the largest impact on peanut consumption. Over the past year, NPB’s Spreading Good campaign has successfully tapped into what Millennial and younger consumers value: purpose, practicality and love. Campaign activities triggered donations of thousands of pounds of peanuts and peanut butter to food banks and donations to charities, along with achieving millions of engagements. In 2018, in an NPB research survey, Millennials chose peanuts as their favorite nut for the first time.

Although less than one percent of the population is estimated to have a peanut allergy, NPB has invested heavily in this area to find solutions for peanut allergy. Since 2001, NPB has allocated more than $32 million to food allergy research, education and outreach. With the release of the 2017 guidelines from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease that recommends introducing peanut foods as early as 4-6 months to help prevent potential peanut allergies, NPB launched multiple award-winning consumer education campaigns and is continuing to advocate for awareness and adherence to the guidelines with pediatricians and other influential health professionals. Peanut baby foods—a category that didn’t exist five years ago—are burgeoning with large food brands entering the space, including Gerber’s recent launch of a peanut puffs line, Happy Family Organics baby food with peanut, and Earth’s Best peanut puffs.

Donnie White, a North Carolina peanut farmer and 2005 chairman of the National Peanut Board, said, “our primary objective [since the beginning] has been to increase consumption. While research is a key component of NPB’s core mission, my focus was on promotion because if you can’t sell peanuts, there’s no need to grow them.  NPB has done an excellent job the past 20 years by being unified in our mission and by working with other peanut industry associations.”

“NPB has been steadfast in our mission for two decades,” said Peter Froese, NPB Chairman and Texas board member. “These latest consumption numbers underscore the success of our efforts in marketing and finding solutions for peanut allergy, and drive us to continue working hard to deliver results for America’s peanut farmers and their families.”

For more information about the National Peanut Board, visit www.nationalpeanutboard.org.

The National Peanut Board represents USA peanut farmers and their families. Through research and marketing initiatives the Board is finding new ways to enhance production and increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition and culinary versatility of USA-grown peanuts. For more information about the board, visitwww.nationalpeanutboard.org. For more information about the early introduction of peanut foods to prevent peanut allergy, visit www.preventpeanutallergies.org.