Virginia Crop Production Report: Soybean, cotton and peanut production expected to be up from 2013.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced the state’s crop production report, based on conditions as of October 1. The data comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Soybean yields are expected to be 41 bushels per acre, which is 2.5 bushels per acre more than last year. Production is estimated at 26.24 million bushels, up 14 percent from 2013. Harvested acres are at 640,000, up 40,000 acres from last year.

Cotton producers currently expect to harvest 86,000 acres with an average yield of 1,116 pounds per acre which is 175 pounds per acre more than last year’s crop. Production is expected to total 200,000 bales, up 32 percent from last year.

Virginia’s corn yields are forecast to average 142 bushels per acre, down 12 bushels per acre from last year. If realized, production would be 49.7 million bushels, down 10 percent from 2013. Producers expect to harvest 350,000 acres of corn for grain this year.

Alfalfa hay production is expected to be down 14 percent from last year to 278,000 tons. Alfalfa yield is expected to average 3.70 tons per acre compared with 3.60 tons per acre in 2013. The forecasted yield for other hay is 2.40 tons per acre unchanged from last year. Other hay production is forecast at 2.88 million tons, up 4 percent from 2013.

The forecasted peanut yield of 4,200 pounds per acre is up 250 pounds per acre from 2013. Production is forecast at 79.8 million pounds, up 26 percent from last year.

Burley tobacco producers expect an average yield of 2,150 pounds per acre from 2,500 acres. Production is forecast at 5.38 million pounds, up 815,000 pounds from last year. Flue-cured tobacco yield is forecast at 2,500 pounds per acre, up 300 pounds from 2013. Production is estimated to be 55.0 million pounds, up 7.7 million pounds from last year. Fire-cured tobacco yield is forecast at 2,250 pounds per acre, up 100 pounds from 2013. If realized, production would total 743 thousand pounds, down 1 percent from last year due to less acres harvested.