FARMERS INTEND TO HARVEST MORE TOBACCO AND HAY, BUT PLANTING INTENTIONS DOWN FOR CORN, COTTON, SOYBEANS AND SMALL GRAINS

 

 Columbia, S.C., March 31, 2006:          The March  Prospective  Plantings Survey,  recently completed by the USDA NASS  South Carolina Field Office, indicated  that  SOUTH CAROLINA

farmers intend to harvest more tobacco and hay this year while corn, cotton, soybeans and small grain planting intentions  are down from 2005.

 

CORN growers currently expect to plant 280,000 acres in 2006.  This is down 7 percent (20,000 acres) from the acreage planted in 2005, and down 11 percent from 2004.

 

COTTON growers currently intend to plant 255,000 acres in 2006.  This is down 4 percent (11,000 acres) from 2005, but 19 percent above in 2004.

 

TOBACCO acreage for harvest in 2006 is expected to total 22,000 acres.  This is up 10 percent from 2005, but  19 percent below 2004.

 

Based on the March 1 survey, SOYBEAN  acreage is expected to decrease in 2006.   A total of 410,000 acres are expected to be planted - down 5 percent (20,000 acres) from 2005 and down 24 percent from 2004.

 

WHEAT acreage planted for the 2006 crop is set at 140,000 acres - down 18 percent (30,000 acres) from 2005 and down 26 percent from 2004.

 

SORGHUM acreage for this year is expected to total 7,000 acres, down 30 percent from 2005 and no change from 2004.

 

OATS, including both fall and spring plantings, are expected to total 30,000 acres - down 14 percent from 2005 and down 25 percent from 2004.

 

PEANUT acreage for 2006 is expected to total 50,000 acres, down 21 percent from 2005, but up 43 percent from 2004.

 

HAY acres for harvest this year are expected to total 300,000 acres - up 3 percent (10,000 acres) from 2005 but down 9 percent from 2004.

 

SWEETPOTATO  planted acreage is expected to be 1,000 acres.  This is unchanged from 2005 and 2004.

 

 

UNITED  STATES  2006  PLANTED  ACRES  AND  PERCENT  OF  2005  1/                    

 

Soybeans            

 

76.9

 

Mil. Ac.,

 

107 %

 

Barley

 

3.67

 

Mil. Ac.,

 

95 %

 

Corn

 

78.0

 

Mil. Ac.,

 

95 %

 

Sorghum

 

6.48

 

Mil. Ac.,

 

100 %

 

Cotton, Upland

 

14.3

 

Mil. Ac.,

 

103 %

 

Hay, All

 

61.5

 

Mil. Ac.,

 

100 %

 

Wheat, Winter

 

41.4

 

Mil. Ac.,

 

102 %

 

Peanuts

 

1.39

 

Mil. Ac.,

 

84 %

 

Oats, Planted

 

4.32

 

Mil. Ac.,

 

102 %

 

Tobacco, F.C.

 

201

 

Thou. Ac.

 

115 %

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweetpotatoes

 

94.2

 

Thou. Ac.

 

104 %

 

  1/  All Hay and Tobacco acreages for harvest.