Last year across the peanut belt, a surprise, the government shut down.
That sent shockwaves across the peanut industry as the government shutdown caused no loans to be paid to the farmers, but it took a miracle to open the Federal State Inspection Service and allow peanuts to be graded and set aside and to be paid for later. Farmers kept digging and delivering peanuts to the grading stations, but the government had no funds available because of the government’s shutdown.
There was another government shutdown this past year, about October the 1st, heavy rains. The rain caused the farmers to have to stop digging, and we were about 25 percent complete at that point, and farmers could not grade, so the grading stations were shut down. So, we got a government shutdown last year, but this year it’s mainly because of wet conditions. Now when they’re watching the storm out of the Gulf, hopefully they can dodge that area and peanuts can be inverted and dried and brought to the buying point, and the loans are available at this time, and as soon as they can get the peanuts dried and ready for the warehouse.
They need to be down about 10 percent moisture to move into the warehouses before the end of the season, but we’re about 25 percent complete, and peanuts are arriving at buying point soon.
Audio Reporting by Tyron Spearman for Southeast AgNet.