TOPICS IN THIS REPORT   Field Crop Acreage   June 1 Hogs and Pigs, 16 States and U.S.   Pig Crop, Farrowing Intentions

FLORIDA: The Sunshine State did not receive many April showers. Cotton planting was delayed due to dry soil and cool temperatures. However, significant rainfall in some Panhandle and northern Peninsula areas permitted producers to begin planting corn as well as preparing land for peanuts at a rapid pace. The lack of precipitation by mid-April caused a number of producers to delay some cotton and peanut planting until adequate soil moisture was available. Scattered showers boosted tobacco growth. Corn planting was slowed, yet active, despite the gusty winds that dried out the soils. By the end of the month, only a few acres of peanuts had been planted to avoid tomato wilt virus and some cotton had been “dusted in.”

By the beginning of May, many producers received the rainfall that they needed to replenish the soil moisture for their crops but dry weather soon returned. About 15 percent of peanut planting was finished by early May compared to only 8 percent the prior year. In Madison County, many tobacco growers finished transplanting. Wet weather started replenishing the soil moisture levels by mid-month, allowing corn, cotton, and peanut planting to proceed at an active pace. However, more rain was needed to help the crops get an effective start. Peanut planting progress jumped to 40 percent completion. Haymaking was active in many drier localities. Soil moisture levels declined dramatically in late May leading many producers to wait on rain before finishing peanut planting. Despite dry, hot conditions depleting soil moisture in most areas by month's end, most crops maintained good condition.

Scattered storms helped alleviate dry conditions in many localities during early June which boosted crop growth and development, yetprevented some haymaking. The increase in precipitation raised soil moisture in some areas, while continued drought lowered supplies in other regions posing a threat for wildfire. Cotton remained in good condition with only a few farmers replanting due to poor germination. By mid-June, overall peanut development was good with a quarter of the acreage pegged. The oldest cotton acreage was beginning to form squares. Producers prepared to dig green peanuts in late June with activity beginning in July. Tobacco had some foliar disease due to the abundant June and early July rainfall. Significant rains boosted peanut growth with 60 percent of the acreage pegged by early July versus 47 percent for both the previous year and five-year average.

Corn: Corn planted for all purposes totaled 70,000 acres and the acreage to be harvested for grain is estimated at 35,000 acres.

Cotton: Planted cotton acreage totaled 105,000 acres, up 12 percent from last year.

All Hay: Acreage of all types of hay, cut and to be cut, is placed at 250,000 acres, down 2 percent from last year. Cutting is active.

Peanuts: Planted acreage of peanuts is estimated at 130,000 acres, up 4 percent from last year. Of the planted acreage, 120,000 acres are expected to be harvested for dry nuts. The remaining 10,000 acres will be used for green peanuts.

Soybeans: Growers planted 15,000 acres of soybeans in 2004. Acreage to be harvested is estimated at 14,000 acres.

Sugarcane: Producers expect to harvest 420,000 acres for the 2004- 2005 season. This compares with 438,000 acres harvested during the 2003-2004 season.

Tobacco: Growers expect to pull 4,000 acres, down 400 acres from the 4,400 acres harvested in 2003.

Florida Crop Acreage
Crop	Planted for all purposes		Harvested or to be harvested 1/
	2003	2004	2003	2004 2/
	1,000 acres
All Corn	75.0	70.0	39.0	35.0
Soybeans	13.0	15.0	12.0	14.0
Peanuts	125.0	130.0	115.0	120.0
All Cotton	94.0	105.0	92.0	3/
All Hay	--	--	255.0	250.0
Sugarcane for Sugar and Seed	--	--	438.0	420.0
Tobacco	--	--	4.4	4.0
Winter Wheat	20.0	18.0	12.0	15.0
1/ Harvested for principal use of each crop, i.e., grain, beans, nuts, etc. 2/ Forecasted. 3/ Estimates to be released August 12, 2004.

Cotton: The U.S. planted area for all cotton in 2004 is estimated at 13.9 million acres, up 3 percent from 2003, but slightly below 2002. Upland cotton acreage totaled 13.7 million acres, up 3 percent from last year. By the end of May, 86 percent of the upland acreage had been planted, 8 percentage points ahead of last year
and 4 points ahead of the 5-year average. In the Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia), producers planted 3.03 million acres, virtually unchanged from 2003 and 13 percent below 2002. During early spring, Georgia and South Carolina planting progress was behind the normal pace due to moderate drought conditions. By mid-June, all States were ahead of their normal planting pace.

Peanuts: Area planted to peanuts in 2004 is estimated at 1.39 million acres, up 3 percent from 2003. Area for harvest is estimated at 1.35 million acres, also up 3 percent from last year. Southeast growers (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina) planted 940,000 acres, up 7 percent from 2003. The 2004 crop year experienced dry conditions leading into the planting season. Producers had to wait for rainfall or irrigated their peanut acreage before planting could commence. By June 20, peanut pegging in Alabama and Georgia lagged the 5-year average by 3 percentage points.

Corn: The 2004 corn planted area for all purposes is estimated at 81.0 million acres, up 3 percent from both 2002 and 2003. Growers expect to harvest 73.4 million acres for grain, up 3 percent from 2003. Farmers responding to the survey indicated that 98 percent of the corn acreage was planted at the time of the survey interview compared to an average of 97 percent for the past 10 years.

Sugarcane: Area for harvest as sugar and seed during the 2004 crop year is estimated at 971,000 acres, 2 percent below last year. Acreage increased in Hawaii but declined in all other States.

Hay: Producers expect to harvest 61.6 million acres of all hay in 2004, three percent below 2003. Harvested area of alfalfa andalfalfa mixtures are forecast at 22.2 million acres, down 6 percent from last year. All other hay harvested area is expected to total 39.4 million acres, down 1 percent.

Tobacco: All tobacco area for harvest in 2004 is estimated at 413,550 acres, up 1 percent from the 2003 crop but virtually unchanged from the March intentions. Harvested area for flue- cured and all cigar types is down from last year. However, harvested area of fire-cured, light air-cured, and dark air-cured is up from a year ago. Flue-cured tobacco, at 231,000 acres, is 1 percent below a year ago but virtually unchanged from the March intentions. Flue-cured acreage accounts for 56 percent of this year's total tobacco acreage. Acreage in North Carolina, the leading flue-cured State, is down 1 percent from last year. Harvested acreage declined in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida by 10 percent, 11 percent, and 9 percent, respectively. In Virginia, acreage is up 28 percent over last season. Tobacco producers in Virginia increased acreage to compensate for the low carryover into the 2004 season caused by last year's low production.

Winter Wheat: The 2004 winter wheat planted area, at 43.5 million acres, is 3 percent below last year, but up fractionally from the previous estimate. Expected area harvested for grain is 34.8 million acres, down nearly 1 percent from the June 1 forecast and 5 percent below the 2003 total.

Soybeans: The 2004 soybean planted area is estimated at 74.8 million acres, up 2 percent from last year. If realized, this will be the largest planted area on record and a rebound from the three year decline in acreage. Area planted increased or was unchanged from last year in all States except Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin. Area for harvest is forecast at 73.7 million acres, up 2 percent from 2003.

UNITED STATES CROP ACREAGE
Crop	Planted for all purposes		Harvested or to be harvested1/
	2003	2004	2003	2004 2/
	1,000 acres
Corn	78,736.0	80,968.0	71,139.0	73,362.0
Sorghum	9,420.0	8,099.0	7,798.0	6,916.0
Oats	4,601.0	4,220.0	2,224.0	1,938.0
All wheat	61,700.0	59,869.0	52,839.0	50,706.0
Winter wheat	44,945.0	43,450.0	36,541.0	34,825.0
Soybeans	73,404.0	74,809.0	72,321.0	73,655.0
Peanuts	1,344.0	1,386.0	1,312.0	1,351.0
All cotton	13,479.6	13,947.0	12,003.4	3/
All hay	--	--	63,342.0	61,589.0
All tobacco	--	--	411.2	413.6
Sugar beets	1,365.4	1,340.5	1,347.9	1,310.4
Sugarcane for sugar and seed	--	--	994.4	971.1
1/ Harvested for principal use of each crop, i.e., grain, beans, nuts, etc. 2/ Forecasted. 3/ Estimates to be released August 12, 2004

  U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2004, was 60.1 million head. This was 1 percent above both June 1, 2003, and March 1, 2004.

  Breeding inventory, at 5.91 million head, was down 2 percent from June 1, 2003, and down slightly from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 54.2 million head, was 1 percent above both last year and last quarter.

  The March-May 2004 U.S. pig crop, at 25.5 million head, was down less than one-half of one percent from 2003, and down 2 percent from 2002. The sows farrowed during this quarter totaled 2.86 million head, 1 percent below last year. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 48 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was 8.93 for the March-May 2004 period, compared to 8.88 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.70 for operations with 1-99 hogs to 9.00 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

  U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.87 million sows farrow during the June-August 2004 quarter, 1 percent below the actual farrowing during the same period in both 2003 and 2002. Intended farrowing for September-November 2004, at 2.84 million sows, are down slightly from the same period in 2003, but up slightly from the same period in 2002.

  The total number of hogs under contract, owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractors, accounted for 38 percent of the total U.S. hog inventory, up from 35 percent last year.

Hogs and Pigs: U.S. inventory number, sows farrowing and pig crop, 2003 and 2004.
	2003	2004	2004 as % of 2003
	1,000 head
June 1 Inventory
All hogs and pigs	59,602	60,083	101
Kept for breeding	6,006	5,913	98
Market	53,596	54,169	100
Market hogs and pigs
by weight groups:
Under 60 pounds	20,433	20,308	101
60-119 pounds	12,972	13,251	102
120-179 pounds	10,828	11,077	102
180 pounds	9,363	9,535	102
Sows farrowing:
December1/-February	2,769	2,814	102
March-May	2,885	2,857	99
December1/-May	5,655	5,671	100
June-August2/	2,906	2,867	99
September-November	2,841	2,837	100
June-November2/	5,746	5,703	99
Pig crop:
December1/-February	24,399	24,895	102
March-May	25,627	25,520	100
December1/-May	50,027	50,414	101
June-August	25,869
September-November	25,359
June-November	51,227
1/ December preceding year. 2/ Intentions for 2004.