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NASS Releases Results Of March Farm Survey

Planting Intentions

According to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office, the results from its March 2008, Agricultural Survey indicate Georgia farmers are planning to decrease their corn and sorghum acres while significantly increasing peanut, soybean and wheat acres.  Indications are that acreage for cotton will increase slightly from last year, tobacco will decrease from last year, and oats will remain the same. “Final planting decisions will depend on weather conditions, financing, commodity prices and even reactions to this report,” said State Director Doug Kleweno.   Overall, temperatures for the winter months have been near normal.  Rainfall has also been slightly below normal in the northern part of the State, while the southern part of the State has been near normal to above normal.

Cotton acreage in 2008 is expected to be 1,050,000 acres, up slightly from last years 1,030,000 acres.  Growers expressed the view that cotton is sill one of the better crop alternatives.  Currently, prices are good and cotton is in demand.

Peanut producers in Georgia plan to increase their plantings significantly by about 23 percent in 2008.  If these early projections prove accurate, peanut acreage will total about 650,000 acres, 120,000 acres above last year.  Good prices and smaller inventories have caused an upward shift in acres.  Growers have been preparing the land for their crop as weather permits.

Corn planting for 2008 is expected to total 370,000 acres, according to growers’ plans in early March.  This would be a rather significant decrease of 140,000 acres from last year.  Growers are responding to the significant increases in production costs.   By the end of March, about a third of the crop had been planted.

Soybeanacreage for 2008 is expected to increase to 410,000 acres, 125,000 acres or 44 percent above 2008.  Higher prices have growers shifting more acres to soybeans; planting will start around the first part of May.

Tobacco growers are planning to decrease their 2008 acreage to 16,000, a 14 percent decrease from last year.  The crop remains profitable to growers and transplanting is now underway.

Sorghum planting for 2008 is expected to total 55,000 acres, 10,000 acres less than last year.  Growers continue to look for drought tolerant crops.

Wheat seeding for 2008 totaled 480,000 acres, up a significant 120,000 acres from 2007.  This acreage is the same as the intentions survey in December of 2007 and would be the highest since 1991.  Planting conditions were good in the fall and early winter months; the increase in acreage is growers reacting to higher prices.

Oats planted totaled 70,000 acres for 2008, the same as in 2007.  Oat acreage still remains strong as growers look for alternatives to the higher costs of other small grains.

Hay acreage expected to be harvested for 2008 is forecast at 600,000 acres, 70,000 acres less than last year.