By Memorial Day peanut planting was nearly 90% done as reported by the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. May 25^th was the crop insurance deadline for planting peanuts and receiving full coverage. Peanuts planted after this date receive reduced coverage of one percent per day late planted. Much like last year, dry weather pushed many Georgia farmers to get their peanut and cotton crops in the ground on time. Nationally, peanuts were 85% planted by Memorial Day which is ahead of the 5-year average of 78%. Trading in the peanut market has been slow for old crop and new crop as Argentina works to complete harvesting its 2001 crop. 

The House Agriculture Committee has held farm program hearings from March through May in which commodity groups were invited to present proposals for the next Farm Bill. Peanuts has not formally testified as the industry struggles with coming to a consensus on a united proposal. The Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture Programs has scheduled a public hearing for June 13 in Washington D.C. to review the peanut program. This hearing will likely provide an opportunity to propose peanut policy for the next Farm Bill. Also, the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, chaired by U.S. Representative Saxby Chambliss, will hold a Farm Bill Field Hearing in Macon on June 23 atWesleyan College in the Porter Building Auditorium. (Nathan Smith)

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