COTTON AND PEANUTS UP FROM LAST YEAR IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Columbia, S.C., June 30, 2005: The June Acreage Survey, recently completed by the USDA NASS South Carolina Field Office, indicated that SOUTH CAROLINA farmers were planting more acreage to cotton and peanuts, but less to corn, soybeans tobacco, and wheat.

CORN growers planted a total of 310,000 acres of corn this spring. This is down 2 percent from 2004, but up 29 percent from 2003. Growers expect to harvest 280,000 acres for grain, 5 percent below last year, but up 30 percent from 2003.

TOBACCO acreage in 2005 is placed at 23,000 acres. This is down 15 percent (4,000 acres) from 2004 and down 23 percent from 2003.

COTTON growers planted a total of 250,000 acres this spring. This is up 16 percent from 2004 and up 14 percent from 2003.

SOYBEAN growers are in the final stages of planting a total of 440,000 acres this year. This is down 19 percent (100,000 acres) from 2004 but up 2 percent (10,000 acres) from 2003.

WHEAT planted acres for this year are set at 180,000 acres - down 5 percent (10,000 acres) from last year and down 10 percent from 2003.

OATS, including both fall and spring plantings, totaled 35,000 acres - down 12 percent 2004 and 2003.

SORGHUM acreage planted for all purposes this year is expected to total 10,000 acres - up 43 percent from 2004 and 2003.

PEANUT acreage, at 65,000, is up 86 percent (30,000 acres) from 2004 and up 242 percent (46,000 acres) from 2003.

SWEET POTATO growers are planning to set 1,000 acres this year, unchanged from 2004 but down 29 percent from 2003.

HAY acres for harvest this year are expected to total 330,000 acres - unchanged from 2004 but down 3 percent from 2003.

UNITED STATES 2005 PLANTED ACRES AND PERCENT OF PREVIOUS YEAR

For Additional Information call: Robert A Graham, Director

                                                    Jim H. Johnson, Agricultural Statistician