sd-crop-livestock

NEWS RELEASE
United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
South Dakota Field Office, Sioux Falls, SD

Media contact:  South Dakota Office, 605/323-6500
Email:  nass-sd@nass.usda.gov


PRODUCTION LOWER FOR CORN AND SORGHUM

SIOUX FALLS, January 12, 2006 – Final 2005 corn & sorghum production estimates show lower yields and production than estimated in November, according to the year-end estimates compiled and released by the South Dakota Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.  

Corn for grain production totalled 470.05 million bushels, down 3 percent from the November forecast and down 13 percent from 2004.  Yield, at 119 bushels per acre, is down 4 bushels from November and down 11 bushels from last year.  The 2005 corn production is the second highest behind last year’s record crop.  Producers harvested 3.950 million acres of grain for 2005, down 5 percent from 2004.  

Soybean production in 2005 totaled 138.6 million bushels, unchanged from the November forecast and 1 percent below last year’s production.  The average yield was 36 bushels per acre, up 2 bushels from last year.  Harvested acres, at 3.85 million, were down 7 percent from 2004.  Planted acres were down 6 percent from 2004, at 3.9 million.

All hay production is estimated at 7.56 million tons, up 10 percent from 2004.  The average yield as 1.89 tons per acre, up from 1.76 in 2004.  Acres harvested were up 100,000 from 2004 to 4.0 million.  Alfalfa hay production, at 5.16 million tons, was up 9 percent from 2004 and represented 68 percent of the total.  It had an average yield of 2.15 tons per acre, compared to 2.1 tons per acre in 2004.  Harvested acres were up 150,000 acres from last year, to 2.40 million.  All other hay production totalled 2.4 million tons, up 12 percent from last year, and had an average yield of 1.5 tons per acre.  Harvested acres, at 1.60 million, were down 50,000 from last year.  New seedings of alfalfa in 2005 totaled 180,000 acres in South Dakota, down 10 percent from 2004.  Newly seeded acres are normally harvested for dry hay for the first time the following year.

Sorghum for grain production in 2005 totaled 4.42 million bushels, down 37 percent from the November forecast and 30 percent from 2004.  Average yield, at 52 bushels per acre, was 10 bushels above last year.  Harvested acres, at 85,000 were down 43 percent from 2004.  Planted acres, at 180,000 were down 28 percent from last year.

All sunflower production in 2005 totaled 876.95 million pounds, 45 percent above last year.  Average yield, at 1,655 pounds per acre, was up 193 pounds from last year.  Planted and harvested acres totalled 550,000 and 530,000, respectively.  Oil sunflower production, at 793.65 million pounds, represented 91 percent of the total.  It had a yield of 1,650 pounds per acre with 481,000 acres harvested.   Non-oil sunflower production totalled 83.3 million pounds and had a yield of 1,700 pounds per acre from 49,000 acres harvested.

Proso millet grain production in 2005 totaled 3.8 million bushels, unchanged from 2004.  Average yield of 33 bushels per acre was 4 bushels above a year earlier.  Harvested acres, at 115,000, were down 12 percent.  Acres planted, at 140,000 was down 22 percent from 2004.

FIRST FORAGE PROGRAM ESTIMATES FOR SOUTH DAKOTA

All forage production from alfalfa and other hay acres was set at 7.77 million tons in 2005.   Dry hay production in South Dakota of 7.56 million tons represents 97 percent of the total forage produced.  The other 3 percent (or .2 million ton) was haylage and greenchop.

Access this complete report at:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/field/pcp-bban/cropan06.pdf