Late September 2026 KAMIS prices for domestic Korean peanuts, regional gaps, retail prices, the import structure, and how to decide when to sell new-crop peanuts.
Once peanuts are lifted and laid out to dry, every grower asks the same question: what will a 30 kg sack fetch this year. Farmers who remember last autumn may find this year’s number a little disappointing. Compared with the multi-year average, though, it is not a bad year at all.
Bottom line: on September 30, 2026, the KAMIS average wholesale price for domestic top-grade peanuts was KRW 514,200 per 30 kg. That is 12.3% below a year ago and 4.3% above the normal-year average. Right now, drying quality and where you sell matter more than the headline price.
Try it yourself: the produce market sales calculator compares what you keep in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon at today’s prices.
1. What is the wholesale price right now.
KAMIS tracks peanuts as domestic, top grade, 30 kg, at the wholesale intermediary level. These were the numbers on September 30.
| Point in time | Domestic top grade, 30 kg | Change |
|---|---|---|
| September 30 average | KRW 514,200 | baseline |
| One week earlier (Sep 23) | KRW 514,200 | flat |
| One month earlier | KRW 516,600 | down 0.5% |
| One year earlier | KRW 586,480 | down 12.3% |
| Normal-year average | KRW 492,786 | up 4.3% |
That works out to about KRW 17,140 per kg. The price barely moved for a month. New-crop peanuts have not fully reached the wholesale markets yet, so this is best read as a holding pattern.
Against last year the price is roughly KRW 70,000 lower, largely because last year was unusually high. Against the normal-year average it is slightly higher. Both “cheaper than last year” and “about a normal year” are true.
IMUN.FARM shows daily KAMIS peanut prices by city at /en/prices/peanut/. These are wholesale intermediary prices, so check your buyer’s price right before a sale.
2. Regions differ by more than KRW 130,000.
Same day, same grade, same 30 kg unit, and the city-level prices still spread widely.
| City | September 30 | One year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Gwangju | KRW 585,000 | KRW 582,000 |
| Daegu | KRW 540,000 | KRW 675,000 |
| Busan | KRW 510,000 | KRW 531,000 |
| Seoul | KRW 486,000 | KRW 544,400 |
| Daejeon | KRW 450,000 | KRW 600,000 |
The gap between Gwangju and Daejeon is KRW 135,000 per sack, or KRW 1.35 million across ten sacks. Gwangju has held last year’s level, while Daegu and Daejeon have dropped sharply.
These are prices wholesale intermediaries charge small retailers. A farmer selling to a local collector receives less after margin and freight. Before hauling to a distant market for a better quote, add transport and handling costs.
3. Retail is KRW 3,643 per 100 g.
The average retail price for domestic top-grade peanuts on September 30 was KRW 3,643 per 100 g, or KRW 36,430 per kg. That is 13.9% above the normal-year average and nearly flat against last year’s KRW 3,668.
The spread between outlets is striking. On the same day, Gyeongdong Market in Seoul sold at KRW 1,860 per 100 g, while some large retailers were at KRW 4,900 to 5,400. The same domestic peanuts varied almost threefold.
For direct sellers, the room lies between about KRW 17,000 per kg wholesale and about KRW 36,000 per kg at retail. After shipping, small packaging, and return risk, the real margin is narrower than it looks.
4. Imported peanuts barely show up in the price tables.
For sesame and perilla seed, KAMIS shows domestic and imported wholesale prices side by side. Peanuts are different. KAMIS has no imported-peanut wholesale data after December 2011, and its last survey for domestic mid-grade peanuts was on December 30, 2025. In practice, the only daily wholesale number is domestic top grade.
Imports still matter. According to 2023 reporting, the peanut tariff-rate quota was 10,907.3 tonnes, and more than 90% of imports came from China. Within the quota, raw peanuts face a 24% tariff; above it, 230.5%. As a result, imports serve processing and bulk demand, while domestic peanuts rely on origin-conscious consumers and direct sales.
Domestic growers need not worry about being “more expensive than imports”, since they are not really in the same market. But origin alone does not earn a premium. Even kernels, no musty smell, and a clear origin story are what hold the domestic price.
5. How does this year’s crop look.
In Gochang, which grows about 12% of Korea’s peanut acreage, drought reportedly reduced yields below normal this year. On September 29, the county held a field demonstration of mechanical harvesting and new high-oleic varieties developed by the National Institute of Crop Science: Haeol, Taeol, and K-ol 2.
Smaller harvests usually support prices. However, today’s wholesale number comes before the full new-crop volume arrives. Watch how prices move once shipments peak from mid-October, and avoid judging the national market from one region.
6. Price in-shell and shelled peanuts separately.
The most common confusion is mixing in-shell and shelled peanuts. At the same weight they are worth different amounts.
Shelling removes weight. A common rule of thumb is that in-shell peanuts yield around 65% to 70% kernels, and it can be lower depending on variety and size. Shelled prices per kg are naturally higher, and shelling cost and sorting loss come on top.
Always match three things before comparing quotes.
- In-shell or shelled
- Raw or roasted
- Fully dried weight or not-yet-dried weight
If these differ, comparing two 30 kg prices tells you nothing.
7. Sell now, or dry and wait.
Peanuts do not collapse in a day or two like spinach. But stored damp, they grow mold, and once a musty smell sets in, the price conversation is over. So the selling decision starts with drying, not price.
| Situation | Decision | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Not fully dry, rain forecast | Sell sooner | Mold risk outweighs any price gain |
| Well dried, storage available | Consider staged sales | You can watch prices after the October peak |
| Regular direct customers | Increase small-pack direct sales | Uses the wholesale-retail gap |
| Collector’s offer is already good | Lock in part of the crop | Do not bet everything at once |
| Uneven kernel size | Sort and sell by grade | Mixed lots drag down the good kernels |
Splitting sales is a sound approach. Lock in half now, then sell the rest after drying and sorting, once you have seen mid-to-late October prices. Whichever way the market goes, you will not regret it much.
8. Farmer checklist.
- Use the KAMIS domestic top-grade 30 kg price as the baseline, and check regions separately.
- Never compare in-shell with shelled, or raw with roasted.
- Do not price on undried weight.
- Set aside any sack with a musty smell or discoloration.
- Include shipping, packaging, and return risk in direct-sale prices.
- Recheck prices once origin shipments peak from mid-October.
- Follow the reference trend at /en/prices/peanut/.
For other autumn crops, see 2026 perilla seed prices and 2026 sesame prices.
9. Conclusion.
New-crop peanut prices in 2026 are below last year but above the normal-year average. The KAMIS domestic top-grade average of KRW 514,200 per 30 kg on September 30 has held steady for a month. Regional prices differ by more than KRW 130,000, and retail prices vary almost threefold by outlet.
This year, what a grower actually receives depends more on drying, sorting, and sales channel than on the market average. Farmers who dry well, sort by kernel size, and mix wholesale with direct sales will take home more from the same market.
References
- aT KAMIS, wholesale prices by item: special crops / peanut / domestic top grade, 30 kg, as of September 30, 2026.
- aT KAMIS, retail prices by item: special crops / peanut / domestic top grade, 100 g, as of September 30, 2026.
- The Pen News, report on Gochang peanut new varieties and mechanical harvesting, September 30, 2026.
- Asia Economy, report on peanut tariff-rate quota and tariffs, May 4, 2023.
- IMUN.FARM
/en/prices/peanut/peanut price page (daily KAMIS wholesale prices). - Actual transaction prices vary by in-shell or shelled form, drying, kernel size, foreign matter, and buyer terms.