Early rainfall in November has given Burnett peanut growers the boost that they needed, securing a positive start to the 2020/2021 peanut growing season.

Parts of the South Burnett received over 100 millimetres of rainfall in November.

“Nothing gives us more satisfaction than growing a great crop of peanuts – here on my peanut farm in the Burnett region, we’re off to a great start this season,” said Ben Rackemann, Queensland peanut grower.

Due to challenging growing conditions exacerbated by drought, locally grown peanuts are currently in short supply.

“Aussies eat more peanuts than our local industry can supply and so we’re always working with our local growers to produce more peanuts,” said Adam McNamara, Executive General Manager, Bega Foods.

“Bega and Queensland’s peanut growers are in the midst of the most important time of the peanut season – the planting of next year’s peanut crop.”

“Bega is working with peanut growers to secure a strong start to the 2020/2021 peanut growing season, to ultimately increase the amount of locally grown peanuts that can be supplied to Aussie consumers.”

Bega, owner of the Peanut Company of Australia, says it has its sights set on growing the size of the Aussie peanut industry.

To achieve its ambitions, Bega is working closely with Queensland-based peanut farmers in key peanut growing regions, Bundaberg, Kingaroy, Brisbane Valley and North Queensland.

Bega and its Queensland-based peanut growers are currently halfway through planting next season’s crop and so far have planted 100 per cent more peanuts compared to what was planted by the end of the 2019 planting period

While rainfall in Queensland has tapered off slightly, the industry is hopeful that favourable weather conditions will return, allowing peanut growers to finish the busy planting period on a positive note ahead of the New Year.