Topsy-turvy weather this year has given the lowly peanut an unwelcome moment of distinction: It’s the only major crop in the U.S. that’s suffering from drought wherever it’s grown.
That’s one takeaway from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which lists peanuts — grown mainly in Georgia and other parts of the Southeast — as 100 percent in drought conditions. It’s edging out other parched crops like cotton and wheat that are hurting in various parts of the country as dry conditions prevail coast to coast.
Only the Great Lakes and western California appear to be totally skirting drought conditions.
Drought isn’t the only concern for growers. Some places are dealing with freak events like late freezes that zapped wheat in Nebraska and clobbered vineyards in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, putting this year’s grape harvest in jeopardy.
