USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports that the US All Cotton acreage intended to be planted this spring is 12.1million acres, down 20 percent from 2006. Upland acreage is expected at 11.9 million acres, a 21 percent drop from last year. With increased demand and higher prices of crops used for bio-fuels, producers switched from cotton to these commodities.
The Southeast region, which includes AL, FL, GA, the Carolinas, & VA, is down 24 percent with producers expecting to plant 2.55 million acres. Georgia, at 1.2 million acres, is down 18 percent. AL, at 450,000 acres, is down 22 percent. Florida planting intentions are down 13,000 acres from 2006 at 90,000 acres.
Corn acreage nationwide is expected to increase by 15 percent from 2006. If realized this would be the highest acreage since 1944. Soybean producers intend to plant 67.1 million acres in 2007, down 11 percent from last year. However, area planted to soybeans is expected to increase in the Southeast, with Georgia expecting the largest increase from last year at 95,000 acres. Peanut acreage overall is forecast to be four percent lower – down 3 percent in Alabama, down 8 percent in Florida, and 14 percent lower in Georgia.
Read the USDA Prospective Plantings report here.
Cotton Report (2:30 wma)
USDA NASS