Peanuts production, processing, products

• Other Authors: Woodroof, Jasper Guy 1900-
• Format: Book
• Language: Egyptian; English
• Published: Westport, Conn. AVI Pub. Co. 1983; ©1983
• Edition: 3rd edition
• Subjects: Peanut industry; Peanuts
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.

 The peanut plant is one of the most useful in the world. It is an annual soil-enriching, nitrogen-fixing legume, adapted to a diversity of soils and temperature zones around the world in both hemispheres. Peanuts were found first in Brazil or Peru as early as 950 BC (Higgins 1951), and were carried to Africa by early explorers and missionaries. They were brought from Africa to North America by slave traders in the early colonial days, and used as food for slaves on ships. INTRODUCTION World production of peanuts for several years has been slightly less than 17 million MT, of which the United States accounts for about 1.69 million MT, or about 10% of the world total.' Other leading world producers include India (5.5 million MT) and the Republic of China (2.55 million MT). Total world production only increased by approxi- mately 1 million MT during the 20-year period before 1980, and the United States accounted for approximately 0.6 million MT of this in- crease. It is estimated that U.S. production accounts for 50-60% of the world's edible market.