National Agricultural Statistics Service released their latest estimates for Texas Upland Cotton today. Production for the combined Districts 1-N and 1-S has been lowered to 3.38 million bales.

The NASS projection for production in the two districts that approximate to PCG's 41 county area has steadily declined with each report since August.

Four months ago a crop of 3.67 million bales was forecast. By October the number was down to 3.57 million bales with a further drop last month to 3.41 million bales.

From the report:

"Texas Upland cotton production for 2008 is expected to total 5.1 million bales, down 38 percent from 2007 and unchanged from forecast last month, according to figures released by the Texas Field Office. Objective yield measurements in Texas for December show boll weights to be the second heaviest in the last 10 years. Statewide harvested acreage is estimated at 3.35 million acres, 29 percent less than last year. Yield is expected to average 731 pounds per acre compared with 843 pounds last year, and unchanged from the November forecast."

"Production on the Southern High Plains is estimated to total 2.28 million bales, down 47 percent from last year's production. Average yield, at 776 pounds per acre, is 43 pounds less than a year ago."

"The Northern High Plains crop, estimated at 1.1 million bales, is 4 percent less than last year. In the Low Plains, production is estimated at 660 million bales, 49 percent less than last year."

The full release can be accessed at: http://www.plainscotton.org/rkh/NASS_121108_txcotton.pdf.