NC Corn, Cotton, Soybean And Tobacco Production up

Source from:  cherokeesentinel.com 10/20/2006

Wet weather and below normal temperatures dominated during the month of September resulting in soil moisture levels being rated mostly adequate or surplus. Some crop conditions were slightly affected by the impact of the cool, wet weather. By month's end, harvest progress for apples, hay, and sweet potatoes were progressing inline with the five year averages. However corn, peanuts, and tobacco were slightly behind the average. Flue-cured tobacco production is forecast at 330 million pounds, 20% above the 274 million pounds produced in 2005. Acres for harvest are estimated at 150,000, up 27,000 acres from last year. Yield per acre is forecast at 2,200 pounds, down 27 pounds from last year. Burley tobacco production is forecast at 7.6 million pounds, up 54% from last year. Yield is forecast at 1,900 pounds per acre, 250 pounds more than last year's crop. Area for harvest is forecast at 4,000 acres, 1,000 acres more than was harvested in 2005. Cotton production is forecast to total 1.5 million bales, unchanged from last month's forecast and up 4% from last year's production of 1.437 million bales. The yield forecast at 832 lbs per acre went unchanged from September's forecast. Harvested acres are expected to total 865,000 compared with 810,000 acres harvested in 2005. Corn for grain yield is forecast at an all-time high of 135 bushels per acre. Production is forecast to total 97.2 million bushels; 16% more than last year and the most since 1992. Based on updated administrative information, acres for harvest were revised upward to 720,000 up 20,000 from last year. Corn planted acres revised to 780,000 compared with 750,000 last year. Soybean yield is forecast to average 31 bushels per acre, up one bushel per acre from last month and up from last year's 27 bushels. Production is forecast to total 41.9 million bushels; up 6% from last year. Planted acres were revised down by 50,000 to 1.38 million with 1.35 million acres expected to be harvested for beans. Peanut production is forecast at 280.5 million pounds, unchanged from last month and down 3% from last year's production. Harvested area is projected at 85,000 acres. Yield per acre is forecast at 3,300 pounds, unchanged from last month and up 300 pounds per acre from last year. Apple production expectations increased 1.2% above Augusts' forecast of 172 to 175 million pounds. Favorable weather and low incidences of disease are the main contributors. Other hay yields are forecast at 2.3 tons per acre, down slightly from Augusts' forecast of 2.4 tons per acre. Production is expected to total 1.748 million tons, 7% above the 2005 tonnage. U.S. flue-cured tobacco production is forecast at 453.8 million pounds, up 19% from 2005. U.S. burley tobacco production is forecast at 217.4 million pounds, up 7% from 2005. U.S. corn for grain production is projected at 10.9 billion bushels down 2% from last year. U.S. cotton production is forecast at 20.7 million bales, down 14% from 2005. U.S. soybean production is 3.19 billion bushels, up 4% from last year. U.S. peanut production is forecast at 3.27 billion pounds, 33% below the previous year. Enditem