Peanut farmers in China are left with empty shells as extreme weather wreaks havoc on harvests in the world¡¯s most populous nation.
Nutless pods are a consequence of alternating drought and excessive rains during key planting and growth periods. That¡¯s bad news for China, the world¡¯s biggest grower, after farmers already shrunk the planting acreage. The empty shells are one factor that could result in peanut output tumbling as much as 30% this season, according to analysts.
¡°I¡¯ve never encountered anything like this in previous years,¡± said Song, a peanut trader in Shandong province, where a delayed harvest has just begun.
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