Midville, GA |
Despite a rocky start to the growing season, Georgia’s cotton and peanut crops are showing promise as the state’s farmers gear up for harvest. At this year’s Midville Field Day, growers gathered to get the latest updates from experts across the University of Georgia’s Extension system—including insight into crop conditions, production challenges, and what lies ahead for 2025.
According to Camp Hand, UGA Extension Cotton Specialist, recent rainfall across the state was a timely blessing for cotton fields that were beginning to show signs of stress.
“Today’s August sixth. The last two days, we’ve gotten rain across the state, which was much needed,” said Hand. “We were kind of getting to a point where it was getting a little iffy in terms of what the crop was doing. It was getting really dry out there.”
Hand said the precipitation will help dryland crops bounce back and assist with irrigation recovery, putting growers in a stronger position heading into late summer.
“Of course, there’s going to be a little bit of fruit shed and things like that associated with overcast weather,” he added. “But overall, I think we’ve still got really good potential in our crop.”
However, good crop potential doesn’t always translate into good profits. With cotton prices currently sitting under seventy cents per pound, many Georgia farmers have backed away from planting it—opting instead for peanuts. But Hand warns that a shift away from cotton could disrupt the delicate infrastructure balance the state’s ag economy depends on.
“The reduction in cotton acres affects infrastructure. It affects gins, it affects warehouses, it affects people that have equipment,” Hand said. “The reason Georgia agriculture has been so successful—especially with our major row crops—is because cotton and peanuts just work. We can’t have one without the other.”
Fortunately, this year’s peanut crop appears to be holding strong. Scott Monfort, UGA Extension Peanut Agronomist, said producers enjoyed a relatively smooth planting season, with favorable soil moisture and temperatures through much of April and May.
“The crop is looking very well across most of the state,” said Monfort. “We had a little dry spell in May that caused some delays, but overall, we got the majority of our crop planted on time.”
Still, Georgia’s peanuts weren’t entirely spared from Mother Nature’s extremes. A heat wave that rolled through late July into early August placed significant stress on irrigated crops during peak bloom—a critical growth stage that demands consistent moisture.
“We were in ninety-five-plus degree temps with no rainfall, and in some of these pivots, you just can’t keep up at that point,” Monfort explained. “We did go through a stress period, but I think it was early enough that I don’t think it’s going to hurt us.”
Both Hand and Monfort stressed that resilience and adaptability remain the keys to success as producers navigate rising costs, shifting acreage, and unpredictable weather.
By: John Holcomb