SPFF News & Resources

Republican Congressman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma still thinks it’s possible to get a farm bill before the end of 2024.

“I don’t want to wait personally for January to do the farm bill… I want to do the farm bill as soon as possible,” the senior member of the House Agriculture Committee told the Southern Peanut Growers Conference on Friday morning. “Let’s get it done now. Let’s get it done. The best we can. And with a new policy in place. We can tweak on things during the appropriations process next year.”

Listen to his remarks and answers to questions from growers and the media.

Rep. Lucas remarks 31:36
Rep. Lucas interview 5:03
Rep. Lucas press 6:00

2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

The former Governor of Georgia and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture came before the Southern Peanut Growers Conference Thursday in his newest role as University System of Georgia Chancellor.

Sonny Perdue was named UGA Chancellor in 2022, a role which provides leadership in higher education, extension, and research priorities within the state university system, so he wanted to hear what peanut growers think is important. “I need to hear from folks on the ground what’s going on out there from a Georgia perspective,” said Perdue. “As Chancellor, the land grant mission and extension model is one where we’re able to disseminate knowledge out to the field and I think that’s been one of the strengths of our agricultural productivity over the years.”

Perdue said he often gets asked about Donald Trump and what he was like as president. “I didn’t understand fully how somebody that grew up in Queens could have such a genuine affection for people of the land like Donald Trump had,” said Perdue. “What I finally concluded was, in the American farmer and rancher he saw the embodiment of the American spirit.”

Would he be willing to serve as agriculture secretary again if Donald Trump returns to the White House. “I flippantly tell people right now, if the opportunity occurred, I’d rather be married,” he joked.

Listen:
Chancellor Perdue listening session 33:57

Chancellor Perdue press conf 4:42

2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

At the end of 2023, Bob Parker retired as President and CEO of the National Peanut Board after serving in that capacity for a decade. For his tenure and leadership, he was presented with the annual Valor Award by Valent at the 2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference.

“I tell people if you cut my arm, instead of blood, peanut butter would come out of my veins,” said Parker as he accepted the award.

Parker has been heavily involved in the peanut industry for decades and has served as chairman of the American Peanut Council, American Peanut Shellers Association, the Peanut Institute and the Peanut Administrative Committee. He has served on the Boards of the Peanut Foundation and Peanut Standards Board.

He also served as the luncheon speaker at the conference on Thursday and gave his perspective on how far the industry has come and how far it could still yet go in the future. “When I started with the peanut board in 2012, the previous five years, the U.S. average production of peanuts was two million tons,” said Parker. “The last five years I was with the peanut board, the average production of peanuts in the U.S. was three million tons… I think within ten years we’re going to see four million ton production, I think it’s coming.”

The question, he says, is “What are you going to do with another million tons of peanuts?”

Listen below:
Valor award presentation 1:56

Bob Parker remarks 20:28

2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

Many of his Republican colleagues are in Milwaukee this week for the convention, but Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia put peanut growers and his family ahead of attending his party’s big party.

“It’s not that I don’t want to be there, it’s that I have a six year old and a ten year old and I had four other things scheduled in the district,” said Rep. Scott.

Scott, who is Vice Chair of the House Agriculture Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, addressed the conference about the current state of the delayed farm bill. “It’s harder now to get anything done in Washington D.C.,” said Scott. “We’ve got to get a farm bill and that farm bill has got to take care of American production agriculture.”

Several of Scott’s priorities to ensure a strong farm safety net were included in the House version of the farm bill, which passed out of committee in May, and he considers it the best bill for production agriculture. While there is a possibility a bill could pass before the end of the year, he expects it will be put off until 2025 when he is optimistic things might be better.

“I certainly hope that President Trump becomes the president of the United States and he selects someone like Sonny Perdue to be the secretary of agriculture who actually cares about production agriculture,” said Scott.

Rep. Scott addressed the conference Thursday morning and answered reporter questions.

Rep. Scott remarks (12:44)

Rep. Scott press (5:18)

2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

Peanut growers and industry representatives from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi are in Savannah, Georgia this week Rollin’ on the River for the 2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference.

Leaders of the state organizations, pictured here, gave us an update on the condition of their crops this year and what they are expecting as far as a farm bill after the 2018 law was extended last year and looks to be delayed again this year.

Listen to comments from each state director below.

Libby Johnson, Alabama Peanut Producers Association (2:00)
Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers Association (4:32)
Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut Commission (6:26)
Malcolm Broome, Mississippi Peanut Growers Association (4:05)

Here is a link to the photo album, which will be updated throughout the conference.
2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) recently voted to request that Congress require a mandatory base acre update in the upcoming farm bill reauthorization, a proposal which is causing a lot of concern both in Washington DC and around the countryside.

“This was new, certainly surprising to us and a lot of other commodities,” said Bob Redding, during his annual update on peanut policy at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference. “This creates a whole different discussion in the farm bill and it will be very divisive.”

Redding says Dr. Stanley Fletcher, ABAC Center for Rural Prosperity, worked up the numbers on how a mandatory base acre update determined by recent history would impact the peanut industry. “Alabama on peanuts will lose almost have of their base, Georgia roughly 30 percent, Florida and Mississippi also lose,” said Redding.

“Peanuts will lose about 40 percent of their base,” said Dr. Fletcher, and farmers may have to make a decision when it comes to strategy for the farm bill. “What’s more important to you, maintaining your base or getting that reference point higher?” he asked.

Bob Redding remarks”] (20:01)

Dr. Stanley Fletcher remarks”] (26:44)

Dr. Simer Virk, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension precision agriculture specialist, has been working on precision agriculture applications in peanuts for the past five years and he told the Southern Peanut Growers Conference that he sees a lot of promise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance peanut production.

“Artificial intelligence in agriculture is already picking up,” said Dr. Virk. “Sensing and detecting weeds in real time and spraying, we’re already seeing that application out there, and we’re going to see more and more of it.”

Dr. Virk was just named Ag Tech Educator/Researcher of the Year at the Tech Hub LIVE conference. His current research is evaluating performance of application technology on sprayers and VRT on fertilizer application equipment to improve application accuracy and placement of pesticides and nutrients.

Listen to an interview with Dr. Virk here:
Simer Virk, University of Georgia (4:09)

2023 Southern Peanut Growers Conference photo album