According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service-Arizona office, Arizona’s all cotton production as of Nov. 1 is forecast at 593,000 bales, unchanged from the Oct. 1 forecast but 5 percent lower than the final 2005 production. Acres for harvest at 215,000 are down 18,100 acres from 2005. All cotton yield at 1,324 pounds per acre is up 43 pounds from last year.

Arizona’s 208,000 acres of upland cotton for harvest are expected to produce 80,000 bales, unchanged from last month, but 35,000 bales less than last year. If realized, the crop will yield 1,338 pounds per acre, up 49 pounds from the previous season’s yield.

Arizona’s 7,000 acres of American-Pima cotton for harvest are expected to produce 13,000 bales, unchanged from last month but up 6,000 bales from 2005 production. This year’s crop is expected to yield 891 pounds per acre, up 71 pounds from last year.

U.S. all Cotton production is forecast at 21.3 million 480-pound bales, up 3 percent from last month but down 11 percent from last year's record high production. Yield is expected to average 798 pounds per acre, up 24 pounds from last month but down 33 pounds from last year.

The harvested area is expected to total 12.8 million acres, unchanged from last month but down 7 percent from 2005. Growers in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas are expecting better yields due to favorable weather conditions received in the later part of the growing season. Record high production is expected in Arkansas.

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