USDA pegged U.S. rice plantings at 3.018 million acres for 2009, a slight increase over the 2.995 million acres planted in 2008. Rice acreage increased for Arkansas, California and Mississippi and decreased for Louisiana, Missouri and Texas.

Medium grain rice plantings increased from 579,000 acres to 731,000 acres, according to USDA’s June 30 Planted Acreage report.

USDA also reported a decrease in U.S. grain sorghum acres, which dropped from 8.3 million acres in 2008 to 6.9 million acres for 2009. In Arkansas and Mississippi, planted acreage dropped from 125,000 acres to 55,000 acres and from 85,000 acres to 20,000 acres, respectively.

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