Video: Recent Rains Okay With Area Peanut Farmers

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MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Peanut farmers in North Mississippi say recent drought conditions actually helped their crop.

Over the past couple of days the area has seen anywhere from a half inch to three inches of rain.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service says farmers planted a record 42,000 acres of peanuts this year, a 45%  increase.

Statewide, average yields are expected. Prices range from $15.00 to $20.00  an acre. However, local peanut growers say timely rains in August and September helped them have a good yield this year.

“We started September 10th digging and we probably wrapped up, I say a week, week and a half ago with a whole harvest. We had right at 900 acres this time, most ever for us and we had a dry, dry fall and you know it helped us get the peanuts out.”

Peanut farmers in the Delta and central Mississippi poor crop because the last significant rain during the peak growing season was in June.