September 22, 2009

4 Min Read

The latest California field crop update from the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Sacramento, Calif., field office:

• Cotton

California Upland cotton production is forecast at 218,000 bales, 41 percent below last year. Harvested acreage is expected at 70,000 acres, 40 percent below 2008. The yield is forecast slightly below 2008 at 1,495 pounds per acre.

California American Pima cotton production is forecast at 330,000 bales, 18 percent below the previous year. The 127,000 acres for harvest is down 16 percent from last year.

U.S. Upland cotton production is forecast at 13.1 million bales, up 6 percent from 2008. The yields are expected at 827 pounds per acre, up 24 pounds from 2008. The harvested acreage at 7.58 million acres increased 2 percent from the previous year.

U.S. American Pima cotton production is forecast at 367,000 bales, down 15 percent from 2008. The U.S. yield is forecast at 1,205 pounds per acre, down 21 pounds from last year.

• Rice

California's 2009 rice crop forecast at 45.6 million cwt. is 6 percent above last year. The 549,000 acres for harvest increased 6 percent from the previous year. The yield is forecast at 8,300 pounds per acre, slightly below last year.

The 2009 U.S. rice production is forecast at 219 million cwt., up 7 percent from last year. The area for harvest is expected to total 3.1 million acres, up 4 percent from 2008. The yield is forecast at 7,051 pounds per acre, 205 pounds above the 2008 average yield of 6,846 pounds per acre. If realized, this will be the second highest U.S. yield on record.

• Sugar beets

California sugar beet production is forecast at 984,000 tons, down 2 percent from 2008. Harvested acreage is estimated at 24,600 acres, 3 percent below last year. The yield is forecast at 40 tons per acre, 1 percent more than last year.

U.S. sugar beet production is forecast at 31.3 million tons, 17 percent above last year. Growers expect to harvest 1.16 million acres, 15 percent above last year. The expected yield is forecast at 27 tons per acre, up 0.3 ton from 2008. If realized, this will be a record high yield.

• Corn

California's 2009 corn for grain production forecast is 630,000 tons, 32 percent below 2008. Acreage for harvest at 125,000 acres was 26 percent below last year. The forecast yield at 5.04 tons per acre is 8 percent below a year earlier.

Nationally, corn for grain production is forecast at 363 million tons, 7 percent above last year. The area for harvest is expected to total 80 million acres. The average yield is forecast at 4.53 tons per acre. If realized, this will be the highest yield on record and production will be the second largest, behind 2007.

• Summer potatoes

California's 2009 summer potato production is expected to be 1.41 million cwt, 8 percent above last year’s production. Acreage for harvest is up 6 percent, and yields are expected to average 370 cwt. per acre, 3 percent more than last year.

Growers reported some problems with water availability and cool temperatures but the crop progressed normally and most reported good quality potatoes. Harvest was expected to continue through September.

The U.S. production of summer potatoes is forecast at 14.7 million cwt, up 1 percent from the July forecast and 7 percent above 2008. Harvested area is estimated at 42,500 acres, unchanged from the July forecast, but 6 percent below last year. Average yield is forecast at 346 cwt. per acre, up 5 cwt. from July and up 40 cwt. from 2008.

• Off farm rice stocks

Stocks of milled rice stored in California mills and warehouses on Aug. 1, 2009, totaled 1.75 million cwt. Nationally, milled rice stocks in all positions on Aug. 1 totaled 4.08 million cwt., 14 percent above the comparable figure for a year ago.

Rough rice stocks in California mills and off-farm warehouses totaled 5.99 million cwt. on Aug. 1. This was 4 percent above the 5.75 million cwt. of stocks on hand a year earlier. Nationally, rough rice stocks in all positions on Aug. 1 totaled 24.7 million cwt., up 1 percent from the total on Aug. 1, 2008.

• Prices received by California farmers

Prices received by California farmers in mid-August for all hay, alfalfa hay, and other hay were below August 2008. Mid-August prices for wheat, all potatoes, and summer potatoes were not published to avoid disclosure of individual buyers. There were insufficient sales to establish a mid-month price for barley, dry edible beans, and upland cotton lint.

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