RICHMOND, Va. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released the September Crop Production report showing large increases in projected yields for cotton and peanuts.
“Scattered rains in August provided enough moisture to improve yield prospects,” said Herman Ellison, Virginia state statistician. “Cotton, peanut and soybean yield forecasts all increased from last month. It appears that the crop season overall will be about average, but some crops will do quite well and others will disappoint.”
Virginia cotton production is projected to be 190,000 bales, up 23 percent from the August forecast and up 90 percent from 2016. Cotton yields are forecast to average 1,099 pounds per acre, up 94 pounds from last month and up 432 pounds per acre from the previous year. Producers expect to harvest 83,000 acres, up 9,000 acres from the August forecast and up 11,000 acres from 2016. Cotton bolls opening is 19 percent as of Sept. 3, up slightly from the previous week and last year at 10 percent and 17 percent, respectively. U.S. cotton production was forecast at 21.8 million bales, up 6 percent from the August forecast and up 27 percent from 2016. Yields are forecast to average 908 pounds per acre, up 16 pounds from last month and up 41 pounds from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 11.5 million acres, up 4 percent from the August forecast and up 21 percent from the previous year.
Peanut farmers in Virginia anticipate harvesting 116 million pounds for 2017, up 49 percent from last year. Acres expected to be harvested total 27,000 acres, up 6,000 from last year. Producers expect a yield of 4,300 pounds per acre, up 600 pounds from 2016.
Corn production in Virginia is forecast at 46.2 million bushels, unchanged from the August forecast and down 8 percent from the previous crop. Yield was estimated at 140 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month and down eight bushels from the 2016 level. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 330,000 acres, down 10,000 acres from 2016. Corn harvested for grain is now underway with 21 percent harvested as of Sept. 3, up from 5 percent harvest the previous week. The U.S. corn production is forecast at 14.2 billion bushels, up slightly from the August forecast and down 6 percent from last year’s record production. Based on conditions as of Sept. 1, yields are expected to average 169.9 bushels per acre, up 0.4 bushels from last month and down 4.7 bushels from 2016. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 83.5 million acres, unchanged from the August forecast but down 4 percent from 2016.
Soybean production for Virginia is forecast at 23 million bushels, up 5 percent from the August forecast and up 7 percent from 2016. Yield was estimated at 39 bushels per acre, up two bushels from last month and up three bushels from a year ago. Acreage for harvest as beans was estimated at 590,000 acres, down 10,000 acres from the previous year. Soybeans dropping leaves was at 5 percent as of Sept. 3. U.S. soybean production is forecast at 4.43 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the August forecast, but up 3 percent from 2016. Based on Sept. 1, conditions, yields are expected to average 49.9 bushels per acre, up 0.5 bushels from last month, but down 2.2 bushels from last year. Area for harvest is forecast at 88.7 million acres, unchanged from the August forecast, but up 7 percent from 2016.
Virginia flue-cured tobacco production is forecast at 49.5 million pounds, up 5 percent from the August forecast and up 2 percent from 2016. Yield was projected at 2,250 pounds per acre, unchanged from last month and up 50 pounds from the 2016 crop. Harvested acreage was estimated at 22,000 acres, unchanged from last year’s crop. By Sept. 3, 51 percent of Virginia’s flue-cured tobacco crop has been harvested, up slightly from 46 percent last week and 45 percent last year. For the flue-cured producing states production is forecast at 473 million pounds, up 4 percent from the August forecast and up 10 percent from last year. Flue-cured growers plan to harvest 209,500 acres, down 2 percent from 2016. Yields were expected to average 2,260 pounds per acre, up 239 pounds from last year.
Production of Virginia dark fire-cured tobacco is forecast at 760,000 pounds, up 46 percent from the previous year. Burley tobacco production is forecast at 2.37 million pounds, down 6 percent from last year.
“Thank you to all the farmers for taking time to complete the September Agricultural Yield Survey,” Ellison said. “We appreciate their efforts during the busy growing season.”
NASS gathered data for the September Agricultural Yield Survey earlier this month. The monthly yield surveys begin in May with the focus on small grains through July and shifts to row crops beginning in August through the remainder of the growing season.
All reports are available on the NASS website: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Calendar/reports_by_date.php.
For more information about Virginia surveys and reports, call the NASS Virginia Field Office at 800-772-0670, or visit https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Virginia/.
— USDA