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Virginia’s cotton forecast up 90 percent from 2016

Posted at 4:20 PM, Sep 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-18 12:19:22-04

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has announced that production reports show large increases in projected yields for cotton and peanuts.

The announcement came after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) September Crop Production, showed increases in a variety of ways for the state.

“Scattered rains in August provided enough moisture to improve yield prospects,” said Herman Ellison, Virginia state statistician with NASS. “Cotton, peanut and soybean yield forecasts all increased from last month.”

NASS gathered data for the September Agricultural Yield Survey earlier this month.

The monthly yield surveys begin in May with the focus on small grains through July and shifts to row crops beginning in August through the remainder of the growing season.

“Thank you to all the farmers for taking time to complete the September Agricultural Yield Survey,” Ellison said. “We appreciate your efforts during the busy growing season.”

According to NASS and Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, crop totals for soybeans and flue-cured tobacco also saw production growth.

Below are a variety of projected yield for Virginia crops:

Virginia cotton production is projected to be 190,000 bales, up 23 percent from the August forecast and up 90 percent from 2016. Cotton yields are forecast to average 1,099 pounds per acre, up 94 pounds from last month and up 432 pounds per acre from the previous year. Producers expect to harvest 83,000 acres, up 9,000 acres from the August forecast and up 11,000 acres from 2016. Cotton bolls opening is 19 percent as of Sept. 3, up slightly from last week and last year at 10 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

Peanut farmers in Virginia anticipate harvesting 116 million pounds for 2017, up 49 percent from last year. Acres expected to be harvested total 27,000 acres, up 6,000 from last year. Producers expect a yield of 4,300 pounds per acre, up 600 pounds from 2016.

Soybean production for Virginia is forecast at 23 million bushels, up five percent from the August forecast and up seven percent from 2016. Yield was estimated at 39 bushels per acre, up two bushels from last month and up three bushels from a year ago. Acreage for harvest as beans was estimated at 590,000 acres, down 10,000 acres from the previous year. Soybeans dropping leaves was at five percent as of Sept. 3.

Corn production in Virginia is forecast at 46.2 million bushels, unchanged from the August forecast and down eight percent from the previous crop. Yield was estimated at 140 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month and down eight bushels from the 2016 level. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 330,000 acres, down 10,000 acres from 2016. Corn harvested for grain is now underway with 21 percent harvested as of Sept. 3, up from five percent harvested last week.

Virginia flue-cured tobacco production is forecast at 49.5 million pounds, up five percent from the August forecast and up two percent from 2016. Yield was projected at 2,250 pounds per acre, unchanged from last month and up 50 pounds from the 2016 crop. Harvested acreage was estimated at 22,000 acres, unchanged from last year’s crop. By Sept. 3, 51 percent of Virginia’s flue-cured tobacco crop has been harvested, up slightly from 46 percent last week and 45 percent last year.