Whereas the American Peanut Shellers Association (APSA) was established by commercial peanut shellers and crushers from Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, who began operations in early 1918 as the Southeastern Peanut Association (SPA); Whereas approximately one year later, on April 5, 1919, a group of commercial peanut farmers representing their home States convened in Atlanta to officially charter the Southeastern Peanut Association; Whereas, in 1965, the APSA cosponsored first USA Peanut Congress—the largest meeting of all segments of the peanut industry; Whereas on November 30, 1993, the Southeastern Peanut Association officially changed its name to the American Peanut Shellers Association to incorporate other shelling companies from other States; Whereas the current APSA headquarters in Albany, Georgia, was completed in 1986 and has been the official hub of this renowned association since its relocation from Americus, Georgia, in the early in 1960s; Whereas, for the past 100 years, Georgia peanut farmers through the APSA have been successful in improving the quality and safety and increasing the profitability of peanuts and peanut products by working to promote and increase consumption; Whereas, today, the APSA is the oldest organized group in the peanut industry boasting 10 active member shelling companies and 145 associate members who handle 90 percent of the peanuts grown in the United States; Whereas Georgia leads the Nation in production of peanuts with nearly 50 percent of the annual peanut crop; Whereas Georgia has 14,000 farms with peanuts and about 4,500 active farmers; Whereas approximately 200 businesses in Georgia are peanut related; Whereas two million bags of peanuts are distributed annually and the industry contributes more than 50,000 jobs and an estimated $2 billion to the economy of the State of Georgia