ALBANY, Ga. — Georgia farmers are bringing in a smaller, rougher crop this fall. Drought, uneven weather and disease have pushed yields down across much of the state, and high input costs mean many growers expect to lose money on every acre they planted.
Peanuts, one of the state’s signature crops, show the squeeze. Georgia growers put roughly 670,000 acres into peanuts this year, compared with about 930,000 a year earlier, according to University of Georgia agricultural scientists. Growers cited cotton prices, weather and general uncertainty when deciding how much to plant.
The season was hard from the start. A dry winter and spring gave way to scattered rain that left some fields in good shape and others parched. Wet weather later forced delays and replanting in spots, so a big share of the crop did not go in the ground until late May or June, and growers then fought drought stress, insects and leaf spot disease through the summer. Fields without irrigation suffered most.
Not every field is a loss. UGA Extension’s peanut agronomist reported at the state peanut tour that about 59% of the crop rated good to excellent, and some irrigated fields were turning out 5,500 to 6,500 pounds per acre. Still, the 2026 crop is expected to come in somewhat below recent averages.
The money side is worse. Farmers growing peanuts, cotton and corn are projected to lose around $368 for every acre this year once drought losses and the high cost of fertilizer and fuel are counted. Peanut buyers say grades and yields are down across the board.
Growers are absorbing most of the hit for now. UGA specialists said shoppers could eventually see higher prices, though the timing is uncertain.
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