By Alabama Public Radio
Undated, AL – The U-S peanut crop is expected to be the smallest since 1915. There are several reasons. Dallas Hartzog, a peanut agronomist at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center in Headland, says inflation is playing a role. The large peanut supplies from 2004 and 2005 depressed this year's contract offers. That prompted farmers to reduce their peanut acreage. An ongoing drought is lowering the soil moisture, and fuel, fertilizer and pesticide prices have gone way up. There may be some good news, though. Experts say peanuts could rebound if there's enough rainfall in August and early September.