Climate-tolerant alternative in arable fields: peanuts could be one of the winners of climate change

The Ministry of Agriculture, the National Chamber of Agriculture, as well as research institutes and universities, are all investigating what new crops can be incorporated into the cropping structure under changed climatic conditions. Peanut is one of the most promising candidates.

Better adaptation, lower water requirements

According to experts, one of the biggest advantages of peanut is that, based on current experience, it tolerates drought periods better than many traditional field crops. Thanks to its moderate water requirements, deep-penetrating root system, waxy leaf surface and evaporation-reducing mechanisms, the plant efficiently manages the available moisture.

It shows particularly good cultivation on loose-structured, quickly warming, humus-rich sandy soils – for example in Kiskunság and Hajdúság. In these areas, drought poses a serious crop risk year after year for corn or sunflower, while peanuts can produce more stable yields.

Hungarian breeding and encouraging crop results

Peanut cultivation in Hungary is not entirely new; significant production already existed in the 1950s, but it was pushed into the background due to a lack of mechanization. However, climate change and new production technologies have put the plant back in the spotlight.

In 2022, three Hungarian-bred peanut varieties – Balla, Zoltán and Kata – received state recognition. In the Southern Great Plain, in Zákányszék, there is currently a farm trial cultivation on about 20 hectares, while research by the University of Debrecen has achieved an average yield of 3.3–3.6 tons per hectare, which is competitive even in international comparison.

For comparison: in the United States the average yield is 3.8–3.9 tons, in China 3.4–3.5 tons per hectare.

Multi-faceted utilization

The economic value of peanuts increases because they can be utilized in many ways. They can be roasted for food, cold-pressed as oil, as feed, and even sold in the form of briquettes made from the shell. The latter has a calorific value close to that of oak wood.

The oil extraction rate is outstanding: about 47 liters of oil can be pressed from 100 kilograms of cleaned seeds, which rivals olive oil in quality. The global demand for peanut butter – especially in the United States – also clearly demonstrates the product’s market potential.

There is no breakthrough without processing

One ​​of the biggest obstacles to cultivation is currently not agronomy, but processing. Hungary has not yet built a national purchasing and processing capacity, so producers must develop their own sales channels.

According to the professional consensus, a rapid ramp-up cannot be expected without integration. Peanut harvesting requires special machinery, the purchase of which is not economical for individual farms. Shared machinery use, small-scale processing and a coordinated market presence could be key to the plant’s domestic career.

Not a panacea, but it could be an important element

According to the policy and chamber position, peanuts will not replace traditional crops overnight, but they can be a valuable element of a diversified, climate-adaptive crop rotation. The agriculture of the future cannot be built on a single “miracle crop”, but on a multi-tiered structure producing higher added value.

On the trajectory set by climate change, peanuts are likely to be among the crops that more and more producers and market players will pay attention to in the coming years.