Video: Mississippi Farmers Nuts Over Harvest

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — Mississippi farmers are nuts over this year’s peanut harvest. R. H. Brown has more from an MSU peanut specialist who gives reason why such a good crop this year, so far.

Scattered across acres of one Oktibbeha County field are grade “a” peanuts, ready to be removed from out of the field.

“General tone across the state, everybody is feeling really good. We’ve had optimum conditions really all season in most of the state. Get up in the northeastern part of the state we got a little dry, a little hot later on,” said Jason Sarver, MSU Peanut Specialist.

That slowed farmers a bit but to the delight of farmers, Mother Nature has cooperated.

“We want conditions like we are having right now. We want sun, we want low humidity, we want wind because a peanut has to dry in the field before it can be harvested. So really what we’ve had lately is really ideal,” said Sarver.

After digging, peanuts must remain in the field to dry out for about 5 day. The state’s average yield has been 36 hundred pounds per acre from 2009 to 2013. Yields are above average this season.

“If we do anything less than a 4,000 pound per acre average, I’ll be surprised. Heard some really really high numbers down in South Mississippi. We’ve gotten some good numbers out of the Delta. And in Northeast Mississippi as well,” said Sarver.

Birdsong Peanuts in Monroe County is where peanuts are warehoused, they have already seen productive activity there.

Other farm commodities are not looking as hot this season, shelling out a new interest in the minds of farmers this year, for planting peanuts next growing season.

Categories: Local News

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