The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced the results of the crop production report from the November Agricultural Survey conducted at the beginning of the month. The survey was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
“Yield forecasts are disappointing compared with a month ago,” said Herman Ellison, Virginia state statistician with NASS. “Prospects for corn, soybeans and cotton all declined based on Nov. 1, conditions. Despite the drop in corn yield from October, production statewide is projected to remain above 2015. Harvest progressed well and is wrapping up.”
Corn production in Virginia is forecast at 52 million bushels, down three percent from the October forecast and up eight percent from the previous crop. Yield was estimated at 153 bushels per acre, down 5 bushels from last month and down 8 bushels from the 2015 level. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 340,000 acres, up 40,000 acres from 2015. The U.S. corn production is forecast at 15.2 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the October forecast and up 12 percent from 2015.
“Soybean yield expectations last month appeared optimistic,” Ellison said. “However, the dry conditions at the end of the season had more impact than originally thought.”
Soybean production for Virginia is forecast at 22.2 million bushels, down 5 percent from the October forecast and up 4 percent from 2015. Yield was estimated at 37 bushels per acre, down 2 bushels from last month and up 2.5 bushels from a year ago. U.S. soybean production is forecast at 4.36 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the October forecast and up 11 percent from last year.
“Cotton yields are forecast above 2015, but lower than October,” Ellison said. “As farmers began picking, 40 percent was harvested by Oct. 30, yields were lighter than expected. Additionally, a majority of the peanut crop had been harvested by Nov. 1, and yield expectations remain unchanged from October.”
Virginia cotton production is projected to be 130,000 bales, down 7 percent from the October forecast and down 9 percent from last year. Cotton yields are forecast to average 867 pounds per acre, down 66 pounds from last month, but up 50 pounds per acre from the previous year. Producers expect to harvest 72,000 acres, unchanged from the October forecast and down 12,000 acres from 2015. U.S. cotton production was forecast at 16.2 million 480-pound bales, up 1 percent from the October forecast and up 25 percent from 2015.
Peanut farmers in Virginia anticipate harvesting 72 million pounds for 2016, up 4 percent from last year. Acres expected to be harvested total 20,000 acres, up 1,000 from last year. Producers expect a yield of 3,600 pounds per acre, down 50 pounds from 2015. U.S. peanut production is forecast to be 6.24 billion, up 4 percent from last year.
“This is the last crop production report for the 2016 harvest season,” Ellison said. “We’ll conduct one more survey, the December Agriculture Survey that queries 2016 acres planted, acres harvested and yield per acre. The data will be published in the Annual Crop Production Report Jan. 12, 2017.”
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