For decades, Rodney Dawson’s family has operated a 1,200-acre farm in Middle Georgia’s Pulaski County. He, like his late father and grandfather, grows peanuts for a living.
In 41 years toiling the soil, he’s never experienced a plant and harvest season such as the one set to end in a few weeks. Not enough rain fell. When it did rain, it occurred in pockets, three-tenths of an inch here, four-tenths of an inch there. Toxins infected a high number of crops. Forecasters say this year’s peanut harvest will be the state’s smallest in 20 years.
“We have had some bad years,” Dawson said, “but this year overall will be the worst year in our area. I’ve never seen a dry spring like that in planting time. We just won’t have enough peanuts on the market.”
And because of the drought and other factors, consumers will shell out more for goobers and related products. Especially peanut butter. Ohio-based J.M. Smucker Co., manufacturer of Jif, a leading national brand, has already announced plans to raise the price of its spread 30 percent next month. So we’ll inevitably pay more for various brands of a low-cost, high-protein spread, a staple of family cupboards, food pantries and school lunches. Or switch solely to jelly.
Online at hotcoupon world.com, mothers spread the word of the peanut-butter price hike. Some postings implored shoppers to stock up on the spread, if they hadn’t already.
“Good thing I’ve got 10-plus jars,” wrote clippyclippy.
And this from 434Teresa: “The thing is, once they see that they can get $4.15 a jar it will never go down. If anything, it will go up more. I have about 12 jars ...”
All this over nut butter. At first, it seems a bit over the top. Then you pair the price hike with the rising costs of goods in general, stubborn unemployment and the overall economic frailty that engulfs us and that makes Main Street skeptical of Wall Street. It’s not so innocuous, or so nutty, after all. We’re already stretched.
On Monday, National Public Radio reported that peanut-butter consumption has jumped 10 percent since 2008. The reason: the economy. People eat more peanut butter during recessions, when they can’t afford as much meat.
Dawson, the farmer, received an email about the Smucker company’s plans a few weeks ago.
“The market is tight, and the price of peanuts has gone up some,” he said. “It’s just unfortunate.”
On Dawson Farms, harvesting has already begun, and it appears the yield per acre will be about 4,500 pounds. Thank irrigation, something the family implemented in the 1980s. Without it, Dawson estimated he’d expect a yield of 500 to 800 pounds per acre.
“That’s nothing,” he told me. “It’s expensive to run the irrigation system, but the quality of the peanuts reassures you that you will recoup your investment. Everybody wants to plant for the edible market. The payoff is a lot higher.”
About the Author
