USDA announces Peanut Board appointments – OK growers snubbed

Washington, D.C. – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced the appointment of three producers and three industry representatives to serve on the Peanut Standards Board. Oklahoma growers were not included in the appointments.

The 18-member board was first authorized under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. One-third of the board members are appointed each year.

“Recommendations developed by the Peanut Standards Board have played an important part in the production and marketing of peanuts in the United States,” said Perdue. “I look forward to working with the newly seated members to continue to help their industry thrive.”

However despite Oklahoma’s continued presence in the top-ten of peanut producers nationally, the state will not have a voice on the new board. Instead the Southwest Region representatives (an area defined as covering Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico and Texas) will hail from Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

The United States grows 10% of the world’s annual peanut production of which Georgia contributes approximately half. The Southwest Region provides some 20% of the non-Georgia total.

Oklahoma is a leading grower of Spanish peanuts, one of the crop’s four main varietals.

USDA, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the State’s Peanut Commission all declined requests for comment.

(Image courtesy Farm Flavor)