Prospective Plantings Report Shows Increased Plantings in South Carolina

 Charles Curtis Jr. and Todd D. Davis
Extension Ag Economists

 The Prospective Plantings Report was released yesterday by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.   This report is the first indication of acreage planting intentions for crops this year.   The data were gained by surveys conducted during the first 2 weeks of March, 2004.   Selected crops are listed in Table 1.

 

Table 1. United States
			Intended	Acreage	% Change
Crop	2002	2003	2004	Change	04/03
	x 1,000 Acres				%
Soybeans	73,963	73,440	75,411	1,971	3%
Cotton	13,714	13,304	14,175	871	7%
Peanuts	1,353	1,344	1,366	22	2%
Corn	78,894	78,736	79,004	268	0%
Wheat	60,318	61,700	59,462	-2,238	-4%
Tobacco	428	416	415	-2	0%
Total	228,670	228,940	229,833	892	0%

USDA-NASS National Summaries are below (italics):

Corn planted area for all purposes is estimated at 79.0 million acres, up fractionally from both 2002 and 2003.   Expected acreage is up from last year throughout much of the Corn Belt as growers are hoping to take advantage of higher corn prices.   However, most States in the Southeast and southern Great Plains are intending to decrease their corn plantings as producers are switching to soybeans and cotton due to more favorable prices relative to corn.

 Soybean growers intend to plant an estimated 75.4 million acres, up 3 percent from last year.   If realized, this will be the largest planted area on record and a rebound from the three year decline in acreage.  Growers in all States, except South Dakota and Wisconsin , intend to plant more than or at least as many acres of soybeans as last year.   Current high prices are encouraging many producers to plant more soybeans, with the largest acreage increases expected in North Dakota , Louisiana , Mississippi , and Minnesota .

 All wheat planted area is expected to total 59.5 million acres in 2004, down 4 percent from 2003.   Winter wheat planted area for the 2004 crop is 43.4 million acres, down 3 percent from 2003.   Of the total, about 30.9 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 8.3 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 4.2 million acres are White Winter.   The 2004 other spring wheat planted acreage is estimated at 13.3 million, down 4 percent from last year.   Of the total, about 12.7 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat.   Area planted to Durum wheat is intended to total 2.76 million acres, down 5 percent from a year ago.  

 All Cotton plantings for 2004 are expected to total 14.4 million acres, 7 percent above last year.   Upland acreage is expected to total 14.2 million acres, also a 7 percent increase.   All States are expecting more acreage than last year except for North Carolina and Mississippi .

American-Pima cotton growers intend to increase their plantings to 226,600 acres, up 27 percent from 2003.   The increase is primarily in California where producers are intending to plant 50,000 acres more than last year.

South Carolina

 Table 2 shows indicated changes for selected crops in South Carolina .   Of the selected commodities an additional 141,000 acres are expected to be planted this year.   This is reflective of last year’s generally good yield and current prices at much higher levels than in the immediate past.  

 

Table 2. South Carolina
			Intended	Acreage	% Change
Crop	2002	2003	2004	Change	04/03
	x 1,000 Acres				%
Soybeans	435	430	480	50	12%
Cotton	290	220	260	40	18%
Peanuts	10	19	33	14	74%
Corn	320	240	290	50	21%
Wheat	200	200	190	-10	-5%
Tobacco	31	30	27	-3	-10%
Total	1,286	1,139	1,280	141	12%

 

 Even though soybean acres are up strongly in the report, recent indications may point to this being less than the final number.   Many producers have been looking strongly at soybeans as an alternative to cotton.   Thus final cotton acres could be lower than indicated in the survey.

 

The SE Region (GA. NC & SC)

 Table 3, 4 and 5 indicate acres in our bordering states and the Southeast region.

 

Table 3. North Carolina
			Intended	Acreage	% Change
Crop	2002	2003	2004	Change	04/03
	x 1,000 Acres				%
Soybeans	1,370	1,450	1,500	50	3%
Cotton	940	810	790	-20	-2%
Peanuts	101	101	102	1	1%
Corn	780	740	760	20	3%
Wheat	600	530	630	100	19%
Tobacco	168	160	159	-1	-1%
Total	3,959	3,791	3,941	150	4%

 

Table 4. Georgia
			Intended	Acreage	% Change
Crop	2002	2003	2004	Change	04/03
	x 1,000 Acres				%
Soybeans	160	190	230	40	21%
Cotton	1,450	1,300	1,350	50	4%
Peanuts	510	545	565	20	4%
Corn	340	340	330	-10	-3%
Wheat	330	380	330	-50	-13%
Tobacco	27	27	24	-3	-11%
Total	2,817	2,782	2,829	47	2%

 

 

Table 5. SE Region (GA, NC & SC)
			Intended	Acreage	% Change
Crop	2002	2003	2004	Change	04/03
	x 1,000 Acres				%
Soybeans	1,965	2,070	2,210	140	7%
Cotton	2,680	2,330	2,400	70	3%
Peanuts	621	665	700	35	5%
Corn	1,440	1,320	1,380	60	5%
Wheat	1,130	1,110	1,150	40	4%
Tobacco	225	217	210	-7	-3%
Total	8,061	7,712	8,050	338	4%