Forecast shows peanut, cotton and soybean production up from 2013, corn down
Published 10:30 am Wednesday, December 3, 2014
RICHMOND
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced the state’s crop production report, based on conditions as of Nov. 1. The data comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Virginia’s corn yield is estimated to be 142 bushels per acre, unchanged from the previous forecast and down 12 bushels per acre from 2013. Corn producers in the Commonwealth are expected to harvest 350,000 acres, down 10,000 acres from last year. Production is forecast to be 49.7 million bushels, down 10 percent from last year.
The Commonwealth’s peanut yield is forecast to be 4,000 pounds per acre, down 200 pounds per acre from the previous forecast. Production is estimated to be 76.0 million pounds, up 20 percent from last year. Producers are expected to harvest 19,000 acres in 2014.
Cotton yield is forecast to be 1,200 pounds per acre, up 84 pounds per acre from the previous forecast and up 259 pounds per acre from last year. Production is expected to total 215,000 bales. Cotton growers in the Commonwealth expect to harvest 86,000 acres in 2014.
Virginia’s soybean producers expect to average 41 bushels per acre, unchanged from the previous forecast but up 2.5 bushels per acre from last year’s yield. Soybean production is expected to total 26.2 million bushels from 640,000 acres.