La-Press-Release
Louisiana Agricultural Statistics Service
5825 Florida Blvd.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana  70806
Phone: (225) 922-1362

                               PRESS RELEASE

On March 1 Crop Report                              For Information Contact:
                                                               Terry Mathews
For Immediate Release: March 31, 2005                           800.256.4485

        LOUISIANA COTTON ACREAGE EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY 24 PERCENT

“Louisiana’s 2005 cotton planted acreage is expected to be up 24 percent
from last year, based on our March 1 intentions survey,” says Nathan Crisp,
Director of the Louisiana Agricultural Statistics Service.Crisp notes that
planting intentions for rice, sorghum and sweet potatoes are also up from
2004, and harvested acreage of hay is expected to increase.

“These intentions reflect the economic and weather conditions as of March
1,” Crisp cautions.“Actual acreage planted may increase or decrease based
on conditions for the rest of the planting season.”A June 1 survey will be
conducted, and planted acreage updates will be released from that survey on
June 30, 2005.

Cotton growers intend to plant 620,000 acres, up 120,000 acres, or 24
percent, from a year ago.

Soybean planted acreage is expected to decrease 23 percent from last year,
to 850,000 acres.Additional questions on Asian Soybean Rust were asked
during the March survey.Eight percent of Louisiana’s soybean producers
reported that Asian Soybean Rust was a decision making factor in their
soybean planting intentions for 2005; 75 percent of these producers
reported that their planting intentions decreased due to rust.

Rice planted acreage is expected to increase to 550,000 acres, 2 percent
more than last year.Long grain varieties are expected to account for
540,000 acres.Growers intend to plant 10,000 acres of medium grain
varieties, down 23 percent from 2004.

Corn planted acreage is expected to total 390,000 acres, down 7 percent
from a year ago.

Grain sorghum intentions indicate acreage will total 100,000, up 15,000
acres from a year ago.

Sweet potato planted acreage, at 17,000 acres, is up 6 percent from a year
ago.

Winter wheat seeded last fall is estimated at 130,000 acres, down 50,000
acres from 2004.

An estimated 400,000 acres of hay will be harvested, up 8 percent from last
year.

An estimate of sugarcane acreage for harvest will be available on June 30,
2005.
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                     MARCH 1, 2005-PLANTING INTENTIONS

                          LOUISIANA                     UNITED STATES
                     2004   2005   % CHANGE      2004        2005    % CHANGE 
CROP             ------ Thousand Acres ------   ------ Thousand Acres ------
Corn                  420   390        -7       80,930      81,413      +1
Upland Cotton         500   620       +24       13,409      13,540      +1
Rice                  538   550        +2        3,347       3,358      ---
Sorghum                85   100       +18        7,486       7,400      -1
Soybeans            1,100   850       -23       75,208      73,910      -2
Sweet Potatoes         16    17        +6           97.4        94.9    -3
All Wheat             180   130       -28       59,674      58,592      -2
Hay 1/                370   400        +8       61,916      62,940      +2

 1/Harvesting intentions