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LA, MS cotton acres to be about half of last year
NEW ORLEANS (AP)--Louisiana farmers planted about half as many cotton acres as last year, and their fewest in over 30 years, as they seeded more land to corn and other higher-price crops, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says. That trend is being repeated across the South, with Florida the only state forecast to plant marginally more acres of cotton than in 2006. "We're thankful for the ability to move back and forth among crops, to go to what is the most profitable," Jess Barr, executive vice president of the Louisiana cotton Producers Association, said June 30. "While I'd like to see more cotton planted out there, producers have to stay in business--and make money, to stay in business." cotton prices on the futures markets have improved in recent weeks, buoyed in part by stronger-than-expected cotton sales and a recognition that acreage would be down, he said. But it's been tough to compete with corn, with demand for ethanol helping fuel stronger prices for that commodity. USDA estimates cotton acreage nationwide to hit an 18-year low, at 11.1 million acres, with the sharpest drops in the Southeast and Delta regions, the agency said. In Louisiana, for example, cotton acreage is expected to total 340,000 acres, down from 635,000 last year and 11 percent below farmers' intentions last spring, USDA said. In Mississippi, cotton acreage is projected to hit 680,000 acres, down from 1.2 million in 2006. Meanwhile, U.S. farmers planted more corn than they had expected to in March--an estimated 92.9 million acres, the most since 1944, USDA said. Louisiana farmers seeded 750,000 acres, 150 percent more than a year ago and their biggest corn crop since 1950. It's not just cotton losing ground to corn in Louisiana: farmers in the state also are expected to plant about one-third fewer soybean acres this year, USDA said. Barr said he's not worried about major long-term losses in cotton acreage, because the business is cyclical. "As we went into this planting season, corn was the most profitable. And as we move into next year, we may see cotton acreage up a bit, because prices are beginning to come up a bit, but soybeans and wheat also have good prices, and farmers will be looking to switch some acres there," he said. "As we work off some of the supplies and prices come up, hopefully we will see more switch (back) to more cotton," he said. Date: 7/12/07
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