The October Crop Production report, to be released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Oct. 12, will include updated forecasts reflecting the effects of recent hurricanes on row crop yield and production in Louisiana and Mississippi.

NASS's monthly crop production forecasts are based on results from the Agricultural Yield Survey, through which a sample of farmers in all states report expected crop yields, and the Objective Yield Survey, through which NASS enumerators in major producing states measure actual crop conditions in sampled fields.

So that the statistics in the October report accurately reflect the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, NASS asked Louisiana and Mississippi farm operators selected for the October Agricultural Yield Survey to update their expected harvested acreage for corn, cotton, rice, sorghum, soybeans and sugarcane. Changes to the harvested area, if any, will be reflected in the Oct. 12 report.

NASS also reviewed the USDA Farm Service Agency's certified acreage information in early October. If necessary, updates to planted and harvested acreage for dry edible beans, canola, corn, sorghum, soybeans and sunflowers in all states will be published in the October Crop Production report.