La-Press-release Louisiana Field Office 5825 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806 Phone: (225) 922-1362 PRESS RELEASE On: October 1 Crop Report For Information Contact: Terry Mathews For Immediate Release: October 12, 2006 1-800-256-4485 Louisiana Cotton Expected To Set Yield Record "As cotton harvest has progressed, farmers have seen better yields than they expected," said Nathan Crisp, Director of the Louisiana Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. "Our October 1 cotton yield estimate represents a new state record," Crisp added. Despite the dry conditions and damage from last year’s hurricanes, most crop yields are fairly comparable to last year. Louisiana’s cotton production is expected to total 1.25 million bales, up 9 percent from last month and up 14 percent from 2005. Acreage expected for harvest is 620,000 acres. The expected yield per acre, at 968 pounds, is up 78 pounds from last month and up 90 pounds from 2005. If realized, this will be the highest yield in the state’s history, edging past the record set in 2003 by 1 pound. Upland cotton production for the U.S. is forecast at 19.9 million bales, down 15 percent from last year. The Louisiana sugarcane crop is estimated at 11.3 million net tons, up 8 percent from the previous month and up 9 percent from last year. Acreage expected for harvest (sugar and seed) is 435,000 acres. Yield is forecast at 26 net tons per acre, up 2 tons from the September 1 estimate and up 3.1 tons from 2005. U.S. production of sugarcane for sugar and seed in 2006 is forecast at 29.0 million net tons, 9 percent above last year. Louisiana rice production is forecast at 19.8 million cwt, unchanged from the September 1 estimate but down 36 percent from 2005. Rice acreage for harvest is forecast at 345,000 acres. This is the lowest harvested acreage since 1914 when 320,000 acres were harvested. Yield per acre is forecast at 5,750 pounds, unchanged from last month but down 150 pounds from last year. U.S. rice production is forecast at 192 million cwt, down 14 percent from last year. Soybean production is expected to total 26.56 million bushels in Louisiana, up 6 percent from the September 1 estimate but down 8 percent from a year ago. Acreage of soybeans expected for harvest was revised to 830,000 acres, up 50,000 acres from the June 1 estimate. Yield is forecast at 32 bushels per acre, unchanged from the previous month but down 2 bushels from 2005. U.S. soybean production is forecast at 3.19 billion bushels, up 4 percent from 2005. Louisiana’s corn production is forecast at 39.15 million bushels, up 3 percent from the previous month, but down 13 percent from 2005. An estimated 290,000 acres will be harvested for grain, down 40,000 acres from last year. Yield per acre, at 135 bushels, is up 4 bushels from last month but down 1 bushel from a year ago. U.S. corn production is forecast at 10.9 billion bushels, down 2 percent from 2005. Sorghum production is estimated at 8.45 million bushels in the state, compared to 8.71 million bushels last year. Sorghum harvested acreage was revised to 88,000 acres, up 10,000 acres from the June 1 estimate. 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 301 million bushels, down 24 percent from 2005. Louisiana production of all hay is estimated at 945,000 tons, up 8 percent from the August 1 estimate and up 17 percent from a year ago. Acreage for harvest is forecast at 350,000 acres, unchanged from 2005. Yield, at 2.7 tons per acre, is expected to be up 0.4 ton from last year. U.S. all hay production is forecast at 147 million tons, down 2 percent from 2005. Louisiana’s pecan production is forecasted at 19.0 million pounds, compared to 5.0 million pounds last year. U.S. all pecan production is forecast at 201 million pounds, down 28 percent from 2005.