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


                              PRESS RELEASE


On: September 1 Crop Report                      For Information Contact:
                                                            Terry Mathews
For Immediate Release: September 12, 2006                  1-800-256-4485


          Louisiana Cotton Yield Exceeding Early Expectations


Louisiana’s 2006 cotton crop is expected to yield 890 pounds per acre, the 
second highest yield on record for the state, said Nathan Crisp, Director 
of the Louisiana Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics
Service.  Although the early season got off to a slow start, the hot, dry 
weather has allowed farmers to get ahead of the normal harvesting schedule 
for most crops, Crisp added.

Louisiana’s cotton production is expected to total 1.15 million bales, 
down 4 percent from last month but up 5 percent from 2005.  Acreage of 
cotton expected for harvest was revised to 620,000 acres, down 30,000 
acres from the June 1 estimate.  The expected yield per acre, at 890 pounds,
is up 4 pounds from last month and up 12 pounds from 2005.  If realized, 
this will be the second largest yield in the state’s history.  Upland cotton 
production for the U.S. is forecast at 19.5 million bales, down 16 percent 
from last year.

The Louisiana sugarcane crop is estimated at 10.44 million net tons, down 2 
percent from the previous month but slightly above last year.  Yield is 
forecast at 24 net tons per acre, unchanged from the August 1 estimate but 
up 1.1 net tons from 2005.  Estimated production is down from last month as 
harvested acreage was revised for sugar and seed, from 445,000 acres to 
435,000 acres.  U.S. production of sugarcane for sugar and seed in 2006 is 
forecast 28.4 million net tons, 7 percent above last year.  

Louisiana rice production is forecast at 19.8 million cwt, down 4 percent 
from the August 1 estimate and down 36 percent from 2005.  Rice harvested 
acreage was revised to 345,000 acres, down 10,000 acres from the June 1 
estimate. This will be lowest harvested acres since 1914 when 320,000 acres 
were harvested. Yield per acre is forecast at 5,750 pounds, down 100 pounds 
from last month and 150 pounds below last year’s record yield. U.S. rice 
production is forecast at 193 million cwt, down 13 percent from last year.

Soybean production is expected to total 24.96 million bushels in Louisiana,
down 3 percent from the August 1 estimate and down 14 percent from a year 
ago.  An estimated 780,000 acres will be harvested, down 8 percent from 2005.  
Yield is forecast at 32 bushels per acre, down 1 bushel from last month and 
down 2 bushels from last year.  U.S. soybean production is forecast at 3.09 
billion bushels, up slightly from the 2005 crop.

Louisiana’s corn production is forecast at 37.99 million bushels, up 1 percent
from last month, but down 15 percent from 2005.  An estimated 290,000 acres 
will be harvested for grain, a 12 percent drop from a year ago.  Yield per 
acre, at 131 bushels, is up 1 bushel from last month but down 5 bushels 
from a year ago.  U.S. corn production is forecast at 11.1 billion bushels, 
up 1 percent from last month and fractionally above 2005.

Sorghum production is estimated at 7.49 million bushels in the state, compared
to 8.71 million bushels last year. Acreage to be harvested for grain is 
forecast at 78,000 acres, 10,000 acres fewer than last year’s 88,000 acres.
Yield is forecast at 96 bushels per acre, unchanged from the previous month 
but down 3 bushels from 2005. U.S. production of sorghum is forecast at 305 
million bushels, down 23 percent from 2005.