NASHVILLE, TN – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the August Crop Production report this week, showing Tennessee’s cotton production continuing to rebound. This month’s report is the first of the season to forecast row crop production.

“Tennessee’s cotton crop acreage continues its steady rise from record lows over the past few seasons, and tobacco yields are expected to rise from last season’s weather-plagued crop,” said Debra Kenerson, Tennessee State Statistician.

Tennessee cotton production is projected to be 680,000 bales, up 18 percent from last year. Cotton yields are forecast to average 1,036 pounds per acre, down 68 pounds per acre from the previous year. Producers expect to harvest 315,000 acres, up 65,000 acres from 2016. U.S. cotton production was forecast at 20.5 million bales, up 20 percent from 2016. Yields are forecast to average 892 pounds per acre, up 25 pounds from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 11.1 million acres, up 16 percent from the previous year.

Tennessee burley tobacco production was forecast at 23.8 million pounds, up 47 percent from 2016. Yield was projected at 1,700 pounds per acre, up 350 pounds from the 2016 crop. Harvested acreage was estimated at 14,000 acres, up 2,000 acres from last year's crop. For the burley producing states, production was forecast at 160 million pounds, up 14 percent from last year. Burley growers plan to harvest 80,500 acres, up one percent from 2016. Yields were expected to average 1,984 pounds per acre, up 237 pounds from last year.

Production of Tennessee dark fire-cured tobacco was forecast at 22.5 million pounds, up 31 percent from the previous year. Tennessee dark air-cured tobacco production was forecast at 3.25 million pounds, up 39 percent from last year.


Other Crop Production Forecasts

Corn production in Tennessee was forecast at 129.5 million bushels, up three percent from the previous crop. Yield was estimated at 166 bushels per acre, up 15 bushels from the 2016 level. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 780,000 acres, down 50,000 acres from 2016. The U.S. corn production was forecast at 14.2 billion bushels, down seven percent from 2016. Based on conditions as of Aug. 1, yields are expected to average 169.5 bushels per acre, down 5.1 bushels from 2016. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 83.5 million acres, unchanged from the June forecast, but down four percent from 2016.

Soybean production for Tennessee was forecast at 77.4 million bushels, an increase of six percent from 2016. Yield was estimated at 45 bushels per acre, unchanged bushels from a year ago. Acreage for harvest as beans was estimated at 1.72 million acres, up 90,000 acres from the previous year. U.S. soybean production was forecast at 4.38 billion bushels, up two percent from last year. Based on Aug. 1, conditions, yields are expected to average 49.4 bushels per acre, down 2.7 bushels from last year. Area for harvest is forecast at 88.7 million acres, unchanged from June, but up seven percent from 2016.

Tennessee farmers expect to harvest 20.5 million bushels of winter wheat during 2017. The expected crop for 2017 would be down 16 percent from the previous year. Growers expect a yield of 72 bushels per acre, down one bushel from 2016 and unchanged from July. Farmers expect to harvest 285,000 acres for grain. Winter wheat production for the Nation was forecast at 1.29 billion bushels, down 23 percent from 2016. The United States yield is forecast at 50 bushels per acre, up 0.3 bushels from last month and down 5.3 bushels from last year. The expected area to be harvested for grain or seed totals 25.8 million acres, down 15 percent from last year.

Tennessee other hay production was forecasted at 4.07 million tons, up five percent from last year.

“Thank you to all the farmers and ranchers who take the time to complete our surveys, which enable us to make the best estimates possible,” Kenerson continued. “Your support is invaluable to us.”

NASS gathered data for the August Agricultural Yield Survey earlier this month. The monthly yield surveys begin in May with the focus on small grains through July and shifts to row crops beginning in August.

All reports are available on the NASS website: www.nass.usda.gov.


Source: USDA