PEANUT MARKETING NEWS – January 13, 2020 – Tyron Spearman, Editor (4)

CONAGRA CHANGES - Conagra Brands, Chicago, revealed in their Annual Report that it sold off a peanut butter
manufacturing facility and has exited the private label peanut butter business.
On Nov. 25, after the end of the second quarter, Conagra completed the sale of its peanut butter manufacturing
facility in Streator, Ill. The sale was part of a broader initiative to optimize the company's peanut butter business, which
also included the decision to exit the manufacture and sale of private label peanut butter.
Conagra estimated the annualized impact of the business closure from private label peanut butter to be a reduction
in net sales of approximately $50 million and with no material impact to its adjusted operating profit.
Melissa Baron, spokesperson for ConAgra, said, “The Sylvester Georgia plant is not closed. The facility is open, although we
are not producing peanut butter.” Baron said the plant “employs over 100 people on a typical day.” She said that approximately 40
percent of the employees are at the facility working. “They are doing non-production related work,” Baron said.
The plant in Sylvester is ConAgra’s only peanut-butter-producing plant and the sole producer of the Peter Pan brand of
peanut butter. It also produces the Great Value brand of peanut butter, although it is not the exclusive producer of that brand.
UNCERTAINTY IN 2020 –In a recent issue of the Market Bulletin, Don Koehler of the Georgia Peanut Commission said that peanut
farming was a “mixed bag” where some areas did better than others while the drought in June and September caused the most
significant impact on farmers.
Koehler said his biggest concern for next year is a troubling trend of farm bankruptcies in Georgia. Through September,
Georgia recorded 37 farm bankruptcy filings, per American Farm Bureau. Over the past 12 months, 580 filings across the country
were reported, up 24%. Koehler said, “The financial situation is not really good on the farm. We had hoped for a really better year
and that prices would improve, but that just did not happen. My biggest concern right now is for the farmers who won’t be able to get
financing going forward, and the fact that we will lose some farmers in the process.”
Koehler said federal relief payments will help but getting the international trade disputes settled will be the key to clearing a
lot of the uncertainty in agriculture. “The trade mitigation assistance will be some help because the loss of trade has hurt farmers,
“Koehler said. “The USDA has done a good job of quantifying that so we’ve just got to hope that that’s going to be enough to keep
some farmers in business.”
GEORGIA PEANUT FARM SHOW JANUARY 16 - During this year's show, Kelley Manufacturing Co. is providing the Grand
Door Prize package for 2020. The winner receives one season's use of a new peanut combine (choice of four-row, six-row with
standard tank including NEW 74 SERIES COMBINE, or combine with Unload-On-The-Go tank). At the end of the 2020 season, the
winner has the option of purchasing the combine from an authorized KMC dealer with $15,000 off the list price.
In lieu of the combine, the winner may choose the use of another KMC peanut harvest implement with a 10 percent discount
off of the list price for purchase. The winners must be a certified peanut farmer with an FSA farm number and present to win.
The Grower Prize is donated by Amadas Industries and includes a certificate good for the amount of $10,000 towards the
purchase of a new Amadas Self-Propelled Peanut Combine or $5,000 towards the purchase of a new Amadas four-row or six-row
Pull-Type Peanut Combine or $2,000 towards the purchase of a new Amadas six-row or eight-row digger or $1,000 towards the
purchase of a new Amadas peanut dump cart. Amadas is also offering a certificate good for a parts credit of $1,000 for Amadas parts
through a local authorized Amadas dealer. The winner must be a certified peanut farmer with an FSA farm number and be present to
win.
GPC door prizes: The Georgia Peanut Farm Show and exhibitors are providing a variety of door prizes this year
including gift cards, a fire pit with Georgia Peanuts logo, flat screen television, Yeti cooler and Georgia Peanut belts, 12 gauge
shotgun and registration and lodging for the 2020 Southern Peanut Growers Conference.

The Georgia Peanut Commission is holding a blood drive through OneBlood on Thursday, Jan. 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. January is Blood Donor Month so help save a life by donating during Farm Show. All donors receive a FREE gift and wellness
screening including cholesterol, iron and blood pressure check. Give the gift of life - donate blood! Donors can stop by the blood
mobile bus any time during the show,
Contact Hannah Jones at 229-386-3470 or hannah@gapeanuts.com if you need information.
ARGENTINA CROP UPDATE – Scattered showers are being reported, but some areas have been missed. Overall, officials said the
crop is looking good so far but more rain is needed as the plants start to grow. Estimates are that the area planted to peanuts is about
5% smaller than last year. JLA reports production could be estimated at 3,200 kg/ha (2,855 lb/ac) or a total of 1,081,600 MT or
1,192,260 tons.