Where are peanuts grown in the United States?
Peanuts are grown commercially in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
However, 6 major peanut producing states grow nearly all of the U. S. peanut crop.
In 2019, Georgia (nearly 50 percent) grew the largest proportion of all peanuts followed by Florida (over 11 percent), Alabama (over 10 percent), Texas (over nine percent), North Carolina (over eight percent), and South Carolina (over four percent). Together, Mississippi, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana and Missouri produced over eight percent of the U.S. peanut crop.
There are about 7,000 peanut farmers in the major peanut producing regions.
Major peanut producing states are grouped into three regions. For 2014, the Southeast region (Georgia-Florida-Alabama-Mississippi) produced approximately 65 percent of all USA-grown peanuts. The Virginia-Carolina region (Virginia-North Carolina-South Carolina) accounted for nearly 13 percent of all USA-grown peanuts. The Southwest region (Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico-Arkansas) grew more than 17 percent. Louisiana and Missouri together produced less than one percent of total USA-grown peanuts.
Where are peanuts grown around the world?
Peanuts are grown in the warm climates of Asia, Africa, Australia, and North and South America. As of 2019, the United States planted about two percent of the world acreage of peanuts but grew over five percent of the world’s crop because of higher yields per acre. The bulk of the world’s peanut production comes mainly from, China, India, Nigeria, Sudan, Burma, Argentina and Senegal.
World peanut production totals about 45 million metric tons per year. The United States is the world’s fourth largest producer, after China, India and Nigeria. Worldwide peanut exports are about 3.6 million metric tons, with the U.S. ranking a close fourth behind Argentina, China and India.
U.S. Exports
The United States is one of the world’s leading peanut exporters, with annual exports averaging over 500,000 metric tons per year at values exceeding $675 million. Exports in 2019 were double that of exports as recently as 2012. Recent yield and efficiency gains by American peanut farmers have made their products cost-competitive in the world market.
The largest export market for U.S. peanuts in 2019 was Canada, which purchased peanuts valued at more than $179 million, followed by Mexico, which purchased peanuts valued at more than $142 million (according to the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service). The U.S. reputation for high-quality products and cost-competitiveness have facilitated exports to countries in the European Union, China, Japan and other countries around the world.
Sources:
http://www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/nuts/peanut-profile/
https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/tx31qh68h?locale=en
https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/oilseeds-world-markets-and-trade
https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/tx31qh68h/c247f928p/h415pt06n/oilseeds.pdf
http://msucares.com/news/print/agnews/an13/20130207_peanutmtg_phillips_scs.html
https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/j098zb09z/0k225n39n/jw827p632/acrg0619.pdf
https://www.nass.usda.gov/