Ten years ago, the Georgia Peanut Tour welcomed its first visitor from the Southern African nation of Malawi, where peanuts are part of the local cuisine but are mostly grown in small gardens or bought in informal markets. Over the next decade, visitors from Malawi attended the tour every year, traveling halfway around the world to see how farmers, shellers, researchers and others work together to get a large crop of peanuts to consumers every year.
Much like south Georgia, agriculture drives the economy in Malawi, and farming is a way of life for much of the population. As demand for tobacco dropped over recent years, Malawi’s farmers turned to peanuts — or groundnuts, as they are called in Africa — as a new cash crop.
That transition made the Georgia Peanut Tour a valuable resource for agricultural leaders in Malawi looking to organize peanut production, improve extension systems and scale up shelling and storage.
In April, Malawi debuted its 2024 Groundnut Tour, attracting visitors from across the continent to learn how the industry has developed in the country.
Thanks to all the partners who made the event great: Growth Poles, Pyxus, DARS and Horizon Farms, among others.