Peanuts More Water Efficient Than Ever

With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.

When it comes to marketing peanuts - whether it's to consumers, buyers, international markets - sustainability has become more and more of a focus for those making those purchasing decisions. Lauren Highfill Williams is the Director of Communications at the National Peanut Board. She explained to me recently that when it comes to water usage and sustainability, peanuts have been knocking it out of the park...

"So we have some newly released data calculations that show that it takes just 3.2 gallons of water to produce one ounce of peanuts. So, if you compare that to a few tree nuts like walnuts, almonds, pistachios...it takes about 23 to 28 gallons of water to produce one ounce of those."

And she says that while peanuts are naturally pretty water efficient, you also have to tip your hat to the growers...

"Our growers have made a lot of investment into production research, particularly into advanced technologies and things like that on the farm to increase those efficiencies for farmers and make a difference in particular with water usage. And the National Peanut Board has contributed more than $38 million to production research including a significant amount of that to improving water efficiency."

Lauren Highfill Williams of the National Peanut Board.