This week, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) and Congressman Barry Moore (AL-01) re-registered the Congressional Peanut Caucus and will serve as the caucus’s bipartisan Democratic and Republican co-chairs, respectively.

The Peanut Caucus works to ensure that policy issues related to peanut production, management, and marketing are considered in agricultural legislation. The Caucus also serves as a means by which its members can become familiar with peanut-related issues and express support for peanut growers, shellers, and manufacturers.

“As we continue to work on the next Farm Bill, it is crucial that the Congressional Peanut Caucus provides a strong voice and demonstrates the important role that the peanut industry plays in our country,” said Congressman Bishop.

“Alabama peanut producers farm more than 160,000 acres across our state. I am proud to join Rep. Bishop in leading the Peanut Caucus to ensure Alabama producers, along with the thousands of peanut producers across our country, have a seat at the table as we craft a new Farm Bill,” said Congressman Barry Moore.

As part of the upcoming Farm Bill, the Caucus will work to ensure that policy issues related to peanut production, management, and marketing are considered.

With the re-registration of the Caucus for this Congress, the co-chairs are confirming the membership status of past Caucus members and encouraging new members of Congress to join the Caucus.

The United States is the world’s fourth largest producer and third largest exporter of peanuts, with U.S. peanut production valued at $1.6 billion a year.

According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, over 4900 farms in the U.S. grow 6.5 billion pounds of peanuts on 1.8 million acres. Currently, peanut production is concentrated in three major geographic areas of the United States: the Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina); the Southwest (New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Louisiana); and Virginia and North Carolina.