When people think about agriculture in Panama, the first things that usually come to mind are bananas, coffee, sugarcane, rice, plantains, cacao and tropical fruits. Peanuts, or maní as they are called in Spanish, rarely receive the same attention. Yet peanuts can indeed be grown in Panama, and the country's warm climate provides many of the conditions the crop needs.
One of the most interesting things about peanuts is that they look like an ordinary leafy plant growing above the ground, while the real crop develops underneath the soil. After flowering, the plant essentially pushes developing peanut pods into the earth, where they mature. For anyone accustomed to seeing peanuts in bags at a supermarket, seeing them pulled from the ground is surprisingly fascinating.
Where are peanuts grown in Panama?
Peanut production in Panama appears to be relatively small compared with major agricultural crops, and it is not one of the country's dominant commercial crops. However, there is documented peanut cultivation in Chiriquí.
In February 2023, Panama's Ministry of Government reported on peanut harvesting at the Los Algarrobos Women's Center in Chiriquí. Two peanut plots were harvested there after participants received agricultural training from the University of Panama's Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the Ministry of Agricultural Development, known as MIDA.
The project is particularly interesting because it demonstrates that peanuts can be successfully incorporated into small agricultural plots and community gardens in Panama rather than being restricted to large commercial farms.
Chiriquí is especially well suited to experimentation with crops because of its enormous variation in elevation, rainfall, soils and microclimates. The province ranges from hot lowlands to considerably cooler mountain environments, creating an unusually diverse agricultural landscape.
Panama's climate is naturally friendly to peanuts
Peanuts are essentially a warm weather crop, which makes much of Panama an obvious candidate for growing them.
They need warmth, sunlight and reasonably well drained soil. They particularly dislike having their developing pods sitting in waterlogged ground. This is one reason that soil preparation and drainage are important in tropical Panama, where heavy rainfall can arrive in enormous quantities during the wet season.
The peanut plant also appreciates plenty of sunlight. In the Chiriquí example reported by the government, agricultural officials specifically explained that peanuts should be planted where they receive direct sunlight.
That makes open agricultural land considerably more suitable than the shaded environment found inside much of Panama's rainforest.
The strange way a peanut grows
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about peanuts is that they don't grow like most people imagine.
A peanut plant begins life from a seed, with the familiar green plant developing above the soil. It eventually produces small yellow flowers. After pollination, something remarkable happens.
The fertilized flower develops a structure known as a peg, which grows downward from the plant. The peg eventually penetrates the soil. Once underground, the peanut pod develops around the seed.
So the farmer isn't simply digging up roots.
They are harvesting a collection of peanut pods that have been deliberately produced underground by the plant.
When the crop is mature, the entire plant can be pulled from the ground, revealing dozens of peanut pods attached beneath it. The plants then need to be dried properly before the peanuts are stored or processed.
This unusual growth habit is one reason peanuts are technically legumes rather than nuts.
What parts of Panama could grow them?
There isn't a simple list of "peanut provinces" comparable to the major rice or maize producing regions because peanut cultivation in Panama is much smaller and less extensively documented.
Nevertheless, the country's agricultural geography provides several areas where the crop can make sense, particularly warm areas with suitable, well drained soils and sufficient sunshine.
Chiriquí is one documented example. Other agricultural regions with warm conditions could potentially support peanut cultivation as well, although that doesn't necessarily mean significant commercial peanut production currently occurs there.
This distinction is important: being agriculturally suitable for peanuts doesn't mean that a province has a large peanut industry.
Panama's agricultural statistics are dominated by crops such as rice, maize, roots and tubers, vegetables and other commercial products. MIDA's agricultural documentation illustrates just how much larger these industries are compared with smaller specialty crops.
Small farms and garden production
Peanuts can be particularly interesting for small farmers and household gardens because they don't require the enormous infrastructure associated with some commercial crops.
A small plot can produce a surprisingly satisfying harvest. The crop also fits into the broader idea of diversified agriculture, where farmers grow several different crops rather than depending entirely on one product.
The Los Algarrobos project in Chiriquí is a good example. Peanuts were grown alongside vegetables and other food crops, including mustard, spinach, green onions, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cassava and maize.
That sort of mixed cultivation makes a lot of sense in Panama, where small farms and gardens can take advantage of different crops throughout the year.
Peanuts and Panama's wet season
The biggest challenge isn't necessarily getting a peanut plant to grow in Panama.
It is managing water.
Panama is one of the wettest countries in Central America, and some areas receive extraordinary amounts of rainfall. Peanuts develop underground, meaning excessive moisture around the pods can create problems.
Good drainage therefore becomes extremely important.
Farmers also have to consider the timing of planting. A crop planted at the wrong moment could encounter excessive rain during the critical period when the peanuts are developing underground.
This is one reason agricultural conditions can vary enormously from one part of Panama to another. A farm in a relatively dry Pacific-side region may have very different conditions from a farm exposed to the extremely wet Caribbean climate.
Not the same thing as "maní forrajero"
There is an interesting linguistic and agricultural trap when researching peanuts in Panama.
The Spanish word maní generally refers to the peanut, Arachis hypogaea, that people eat. But Panama also has extensive agricultural research concerning maní forrajero, or forage peanut, which is a different plant, Arachis pintoi.
Forage peanut isn't primarily grown for harvesting peanuts as a snack. It is a creeping legume used as forage and ground cover.
MIDA has conducted extensive agroecological zoning for Arachis pintoi in Panama. Its research identified large areas with potential suitability for forage peanut, including substantial areas in Chiriquí and other provinces.
So when someone sees references to "maní" in Panamanian agricultural documents, it is important to check whether the document is discussing edible peanuts or forage peanut.
Could Panama produce much more?
Potentially, yes, although whether it makes economic sense is another question.
Panama already has the climate and agricultural knowledge necessary to grow many tropical and subtropical crops. The country also has access to large markets through its transportation infrastructure and the Canal.
But farmers don't simply choose a crop because it grows well.
They have to consider the price they can receive, availability of seed, labour, machinery, pests, disease, storage, processing and competition from imported products.
Peanuts are a good example of a crop that can grow successfully without necessarily becoming a major national industry.
For comparison, Panama's agricultural statistics show enormous production in crops such as rice, maize and root crops. MIDA's recent agricultural reports demonstrate the scale of these industries and the number of producers involved.
Peanuts remain much more of a niche crop.
From a peanut plant to peanut butter
Once harvested, peanuts have a remarkably long culinary journey ahead of them.
They can be roasted and eaten directly, ground into peanut butter, incorporated into sweets and sauces, pressed for oil, or used in a variety of dishes.
In Panama, where peanuts are readily recognizable as a food ingredient, locally grown peanuts could theoretically become an interesting specialty agricultural product.
Imagine buying a jar of peanut butter made from peanuts grown in Chiriquí, or finding locally roasted Panamanian peanuts at a farmers' market. For a country known internationally for coffee, cacao and tropical fruit, locally branded peanuts could offer another small but interesting agricultural story.
The hidden crop beneath Panama's soil
Perhaps the most entertaining thing about peanuts in Panama is that they are almost invisible while they are growing.
Walk through a peanut field and you won't see anything particularly spectacular. There are green plants sitting in the tropical sunshine.
The interesting part is happening underneath your feet.
While the leaves capture sunlight above the ground, the plant is quietly developing its crop below the surface. Eventually, a farmer pulls the plant from the earth and suddenly reveals the peanuts that have been growing there all along.
That makes peanuts a surprisingly appropriate crop for Panama: tropical, adaptable, relatively underappreciated and hiding an unexpected secret beneath the surface.
And while Panama will probably never be famous around the world as a major peanut producing nation, the crop is certainly capable of growing here. Documented cultivation in Chiriquí proves that peanuts are more than just an imported snack sitting on a supermarket shelf, they can be grown in Panamanian soil, harvested by Panamanian farmers and potentially become a fascinating little part of the country's diverse agricultural landscape.