Delta Farm Press Logo

Mid-South planting intentions mostly mirror U.S.

Ron Smith, Editor

March 31, 2020

3 Min Read
dfp-ronsmith-planters.JPG
Ron Smith

Mid-South 2020 planting intentions closely mirror U.S. figures for corn, soybeans and cotton but show higher overall numbers for rice and slightly less acreage for peanuts.

Nationally, the latest prospective planting report shows corn planted acreage up 8%, soybeans up 10%, cotton down less than 1%, all rice up 12% and peanuts up 7 percent.

Breaking down the Delta numbers by state and crop, Arkansas estimates 2020 corn planted acreage at 800,000 up 4% from last year's 770,000. Louisiana, corn estimate, at 680,000 acres, is up 19% from 2019's 570,000 acres. Mississippi, at 710,000 acres is 8% higher than 660,000 last year. Missouri estimate is 3.6 million acres, up 13% from 3.2 million last year. And Tennessee, at 1.04 million is 7% higher than 970,000 last year. Nationally, USDA estimates corn acreage will increase by 8%, 96.99 million acres, up from 89.7 million.

Soybeans

Arkansas soybean estimate puts 2020 acreage at 2.9 million, up 9% from 2.65 million in 2019. Other estimates include Louisiana, 980,000 acres, up 10 percent from 890,000; Mississippi, 1.85 million acres, up 11 percent from 1.66 million; Missouri, at 5.8 million, is 14% more than 5.1 million; and Tennessee's 2020 estimate of 1.5 million is 7 percent higher than last year's 1.4 million acres.

Related:Low interest rates offer opportunities to farmers

Nationally, soybean farmers expect to plant 83.51 million acres, a 10% increase from 76.1 million acres.

Cotton

With the exception of Missouri, Mid-South cotton acreage will decline. Missouri estimates indicate a 5% increase at 400,000 acres, up from 380,000 last year. Arkansas will decrease cotton planting by 5 percent, 590,000 acres compared to 620,000 in 2019.

Louisiana cotton acres will decline by 18%, 230,000 compared to 280,000 last year. Mississippi acreage projections, 660,000, is down from 710,000 last year, a 7% drop. Tennessee cotton acreage drops 12% to 360,000 acres, down from 410,000.

Nationally, USDA estimates cotton acreage about equal to last year, 13.703 million from 13.737 million last year.

Rice

The Mid-South is poised to increase all rice planted acreage significantly: a 21% percent increase in Arkansas, 1% in Louisiana, 28% in Mississippi; and 6% in Missouri. Nationally, all rice estimated plantings is 2.87 million acres, up 12%.

Arkansas long grain rice acres will increase 25 percent, 1.19 million acres from 950,000 last year. Louisiana will plant 390,000 acres in long grain rice, a 5% bump over 370,000 last year. Mississippi estimate, 150,000 acres, is 30% higher than last year's 115,000. Missouri increases 6% to 190,000 compared to 180,00 last year.

Medium grain rice shows a slight decrease from 2019. Arkansas holds steady at 205,000 acres; Louisiana drops from 55,000 medium grain rice acres to 40,000, a 27% decline. Missouri, at an estimated 9,000 acres, is up 29% from last year's 7,000.

Arkansas will produce only 1,000 acres of short grain rice, same as last year.

Combined, all rice production for Mid-South states shows Arkansas at 1.396 million acres; Louisiana, 430,000; Mississippi, 150,000; and Missouri 199,000.

Peanuts

The Mid-South will plant 55,000 acres of peanuts, according to USDA estimates, 35,000 in Arkansas and 20,000 in Mississippi. Arkansas acreage is up 3% from last year's 34,000. Mississippi acreage is unchanged from 2019.

 

 

 

 

About the Author(s)

Ron Smith

Editor, Farm Progress

Ron Smith has spent more than 30 years covering Sunbelt agriculture. Ron began his career in agricultural journalism as an Experiment Station and Extension editor at Clemson University, where he earned a Masters Degree in English in 1975. He served as associate editor for Southeast Farm Press from 1978 through 1989. In 1990, Smith helped launch Southern Turf Management Magazine and served as editor. He also helped launch two other regional Turf and Landscape publications and launched and edited Florida Grove and Vegetable Management for the Farm Press Group. Within two years of launch, the turf magazines were well-respected, award-winning publications. Ron has received numerous awards for writing and photography in both agriculture and landscape journalism. He is past president of The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association and was chosen as the first media representative to the University of Georgia College of Agriculture Advisory Board. He was named Communicator of the Year for the Metropolitan Atlanta Agricultural Communicators Association. Smith also worked in public relations, specializing in media relations for agricultural companies. Ron lives with his wife Pat in Denton, Texas. They have two grown children, Stacey and Nick, and two grandsons, Aaron and Hunter.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like