Peanut Industry Meeting and Awards Presented

The 27th annual USA Peanut Congress, co-hosted by the American Peanut Council and the American Peanut Shellers Association, was held June 12-15, 2023, in Amelia Island, Florida. During the four-day conference, leaders from all sectors of the peanut industry discussed export markets, sustainability, research and the upcoming peanut crop.

The event started with APC business sessions on June 13, including committee meetings on Sustainability, Export, Aflatoxin, Packaging & Handling, Membership, Peanut Butter for the Hungry, as well as the semi-annual APC board of directors meeting.

The following two days included general sessions around such topics as sustainability and consumer activation, peanut research, 2023 crop update, nutrient dense life and international pesticides, heavy metals and MRL policies. There was also a panel discussion on reaching the Gen Z demographic.

The American Peanut Council presented awards to individuals who have made an impact through the years in service to the peanut industry and in their research focus. The organization presented its prestigious Hall of Fame award and four Lifetime Achievement awards.

APC Hall of Fame

Bob Parker received the Hall of Fame award. His career in the peanut industry spans nearly five decades and is marked by exceptional leadership and service in various roles, most recently as President and CEO of the National Peanut Board. He has worked tirelessly to improve the economic condition of U.S. peanut farmers and their families through strategic promotion of the peanut industry and groundbreaking research in peanut allergy.

"It comes as no surprise Bob Parker is receiving the highest honor the American Peanut Council bestows," says APC chairman-elect Donald Chase. "The significant strides he has made throughout his peanut career will have lasting impacts for years to come."

APC Lifetime Achievement Award

The APC’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement awards were presented to:

• U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R- Georgia

• George Lovatt, peanut broker, Lovatt and Rushing

• Victor Nwosu, former plant scientist, Mars Wrigley

• Terry Shamblin, former president & CEO, America Peanut Growers Group.

"All of these individuals have provided significant contributions to the U.S. peanut industry, whether through policymaking, market insight, research, or grower-owned shelling," Chase says. "The peanut industry owes them a debt of gratitude."

Sen. Chambliss - A champion of farmers throughout his congressional career, Sen. Chambliss was a key player in the passage of multiple farm bills and led the fight for the separate peanut payment limit, among other legislative battles that affected peanut growers.

George Lovatt – Lovatt first joined the APC board of directors in 1982. He served in every officer position, including as chair in 1990. He also successfully served as head of the Statistical Task Force for APC to bring accuracy to peanut data collected and distributed by USDA.

Victor Nwosu - Nwosu has worked tirelessly to secure viable peanut varieties and research that would ensure peanut sustainability in the U.S. and throughout the world. He also spearheaded a global scientific community of researchers to deliver the first mapping of the peanut genome.

Terry Shamblin – Under Shamblin’s direction, the America Peanut Growers Group, a shelling facility owned exclusively by peanut growers in southwest Georgia and north Florida, shelled its first crop in 2003 and would become the model grower-owned sheller.

APC Peanut Research and Education Award

Shyam Tallury, curator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's germplasm collection in Griffin, Georgia, was presented with APC's top scientific honor, the Peanut Research and Education Award. He received the award for the significant impacts he has made with maintaining the peanut germplasm collection which benefits peanut breeding across the U.S. The Peanut Research and Education Award is sponsored by Bayer CropScience.

"Anyone who has followed the recent developments in peanut genomics and breeding over the last few years knows the importance of our collection of peanut genetic diversity," says Jack Davis, chair of the Peanut Research Foundation. "USDA maintains a collection of diverse germplasm from around the world including our extremely valuable collection of wild species which harbor many of the desirable genes which will lead to the new improved varieties of the future."

Tallury received his doctorate from North Carolina State University under the direction of Tom Stalker.

After serving as peanut breeder at Clemson University, he took on the responsibility of curator of the USDA germplasm collection in 2015. At that time, the collection was in a state of disarray. Seed in the collection must be regenerated every so many years and many accessions were in dire need of regeneration. Many of the accessions were unnecessary duplicates complicating the curation process.

"Dr. Tallury has done a fantastic job of getting the collection on a regeneration schedule, cleaning up duplicates and making the collection more usable by the genomic scientists and breeders that depend on it," Davis says. "He has developed an excellent relationship with those using the collection and those users trust that they get what they expect when they request germplasm."

Congratulations to these deserving award winners.

In Memoriam of Adams and wright

The peanut industry mourns the loss of two industry pioneers in manufacturing and research.

James Carlie Adams II, chairman of AMADAS Industries Inc., passed away June 21, 2023, at home in Suffolk, Virginia.

Adams attended North Carolina State University and studied mechanical engineering. After college, Adams served in the Army National Guard, and joined his uncle Oliver K. Hobbs to found HobbsAdams Engineering Co. in Suffolk, Virginia. Before the business became known internationally for its peanut harvesting equipment, Adams traveled the Southeast showing the first model Hobbs peanut digger - towed by his Corvette Stingray. Adams went on to travel the globe to develop markets in South America, Africa, and Australia. Hobbs-Adams would grow to become AMADAS Industries and continues to be a world leader in advanced equipment for peanut farmers.

David Wright passed away July 14, 2023, at his home farm in Quincy, Florida. He worked for the University of Florida's North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy for 45 years, retiring in 2022. He graduated with a doctoral degree in agronomy from Virginia Tech.

Wright led a very active life professionally and on the farm. Professionally, he is regarded by his colleagues and students as a renowned agricultural scientist, esteemed mentor and good friend. He's widely known for venturing into uncharted territories, pioneering and innovating in conservation technology, precision agriculture and livestock management.

He was often ahead of the times in developing long lasting solutions that farmers are still successfully implementing and researchers are continuing to build upon.