Many Southeast farmers dealt with cool, wet weather to start the 2021 planting season. But according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS), both cotton and peanut planting were close to the 5-year averages this past week.
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says rain in other areas of the cotton belt hampered planting.
But when it comes to peanut planting, Rippey says there was not much progress across the nation this past week.
In Alabama, 17% of the cotton crop has been planted, which compares to 18% last year, and 20% is the 5-year average. Fifteen percent of the peanut crop has been planted, which compares to 14 % last year, and the 5-year average is 14%.
In Florida, 9% of the cotton crop has been planted, which compares to 8% last year, and 10% is the 5-year average. Twenty-eight percent of the peanut crop has been planted, which compares to 26% last year and the 5-year average of 27%.
In Georgia, 13% of the cotton crop has been planted, which compares to 12% last year, while 14% is the 5-year average. Nine percent of the peanut crop has been planted, which compares to 12% last year and the 5-year average of 16%.