According to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office, peanut production in the state is forecast at 1.75 billion pounds, compared with last year’s 2.33 billion pounds.

Planted and harvested acres are up from last month. Planted acres are at 505,000 and harvested acres at 500,000. Yields across Georgia’s Peanut Belt are expected to average 3,500 pounds per acre, 200 pounds more than last month and 100 pounds more than last year. If realized this would be a state record yield.

Growers were just beginning to dig peanuts by the first part of September. Spraying for insects and diseases continued throughout the month. As of Sept. 6, 68 percent of the peanut crop was rated good to excellent, 28 percent was rated fair, and only 4 percent was rated poor to very poor.

Georgia's 2009 cotton crop is forecast to average 897 pounds of lint per harvested acre, 56 pounds more than last month, and 62 pounds per acre more than last year. If realized this would be a state record yield. Planted acreage at 1,000,000 acres is 20,000 acres higher than the August estimate, and 60,000 acres more than 2008.

Acreage expected to be harvested this fall is estimated at 990,000 acres, up 20,000 acres from last month, and 70,000 acres more than last year. Production is estimated at 1.85 million bales, 16 percent more than last year’s 1.60 million bales. As of Sept. 6, 56 percent of the cotton crop was rated good to excellent, 34 percent was rated fair, and 10 percent was rated poor to very poor.

Tobacco yields for 2009 are expected to average 1,500 pounds per acre, 200 pounds less than last month, and 600 pounds less than last year. If this yield is realized, it will be the lowest since 1957.

Acreage harvested is expected to be 14,000 acres, 2,000 acres less than last year. This puts potential production at 21.0 million pounds for the year 2009, 37 percent less than in 2008. As of Sept. 6, 85 percent of the crop had been harvested, about a week behind normal.

Corn yield for 2009 is expected to average 143 bushels per harvested acre, 5 bushels below last month, but 3 bushels per acre more than last year. Georgia’s total corn production is expected to total 54.3 million bushels from 380,000 acres harvested for grain. Production is up 25 percent from last year.

Irrigation and timely rains have helped the crop. The corn for grain harvest is at 60 percent by Sept. 6, which is the same as the five year average.

Soybean yields in Georgia are forecast at 34 bushels per harvested acre, 2 bushels more than last month. If this yield is realized, it will tie the state record. Production is forecast at 16.3 million bushels, up from the 12.5 million bushels last year. Harvested acres are estimated at 480,000, the same as last month, but up 65,000 acres from last year’s 415,000 acres.

U.S. peanut production is forecast at 3.68 billion pounds, up 4 percent from the August forecast, but down 29 percent from last year. Based on administrative data, planted area is revised to 1.11 million acres, up 1 percent from the June estimate, but down 28 percent from the previous year.

Area for harvest is expected to total 1.08 million acres, up 1 percent from August, but down 28 percent from 2008.

Yields are expected to average 3,397 pounds per acre, up 96 pounds from August, but down 19 pounds from the 2008 record yield. Production in the Southeast states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina) is expected to total 2.81 billion pounds, up 6 percent from August, but down 25 percent from last year.

Planted area, at 845,000 acres, is up 2 percent from the June estimate but down 25 percent from 2008.

Area for harvest is forecast 825,000 acres, up 3 percent from August but down 25 percent from last year.

The average yield for the region is forecast at 3,401 pounds per acre, up 117 pounds from last month and 4 pounds above the 2008 average yield.

U.S. all tobacco production for 2009 is forecast at 805 million pounds, 3 percent above last month and slightly above 2008. Area harvested is forecast at 347,190 acres, up 1 percent from August but 2 percent below last year. Yields for 2009 are expected to average 2,319 pounds per acre, up 31 pounds from the previous forecast and 61 pounds greater than 2008.

Flue-cured tobacco production is expected to total 506 million pounds, 3 percent above the previous forecast and 1 percent above last year. Growers plan to harvest 219,500 acres in 2009, up 2 percent from the August forecast but 2 percent below last year.

Yields are expected to average 2,305 pounds per acre, 14 pounds above the previous forecast and up 66 pounds from 2008. Yields in North Carolina, the leading flue-cured tobacco state, are expected to average 2,400 pounds per acre, up 50 pounds from the August forecast. Yields decreased from last month in Georgia and South Carolina by 200 pounds and 150 pounds, respectively. Yields in Virginia remained unchanged from the previous forecast.