Peanut Farmer's Hit Hard Time Again

The Department of Agriculture released this year's crop report, which shows another troubling time for peanut farmers. The farms were starting to get back on track after the decrease in the sale of peanut butter last January. Peanut products were recalled in January, and even though peanut butter was not affected, the numbers showed consumers were still uneasy buying the product. Sales started to increase, especially in August for back to school shopping, which showed America putting their trust back in peanut products.

After the farmers survived the last dry spell in purchasing peanut based foods, they are now facing another slow period. The intense rain and flooding in the Southeast has delayed harvest at the major peanut farms because of the wet fields. This set back, further described in this article, is more bad luck for the families who base their living off harvesting peanuts. Even though this might not be the best year for these farmers, the peanut industry has come a long way since the recall this January.