News

Cotton crop up on year, rice down

The USDA says higher acreage canceled out lower average yields for the 2019 upland cotton crop, leading to an increase in production. Production was 19.38 million bales, an increase of 1.814 million on the year, with a 16% rise in harvested area for all types of cotton to 11.805 million acres, while the average yield for upland was 803 pounds per acre, down 44 pounds from 2018. Year to date ginnings are 17.033 million bales, with no comparison to a year ago because the federal government was shut down in early 2019. Domestic ending stocks for cotton were a little tighter than in December at 5.4 million bales.

2019’s U.S. rice crop was smaller than 2018 because of lower acreage and yield totals. The USDA says the crop totaled 184.675 million hundredweight, down 39.158 million on the year, with the yield dropping 221 pounds per acre to 7,471 and planted and harvested area both significantly lower. Rough rice stocks in all positions on December 1st were 123.475 million hundredweight, 19.925 million more than on March 1st, while the rice ending stocks projection was down on the month at 28.6 million hundredweight.

The USDA’s 2019/20 marketing year for cotton and rice started August 1st.

Year to year comparisons for Brownfield states:

Arkansas: Cotton: 1.4 million bales, compared to 1.133 million in 2018; average yield of 1,102 pounds per acre, compared to 1,133 a year ago; harvested area of 610,000 acres, compared to 480,000 last year; Ginnings: 1,356,950 bales; Rice: 84.257 million hundredweight, compared to 106.947 million in 2018; average yield of 7,480 pounds per acre, compared to 7,520 a year ago; harvested area of 1.126 million acres, compared to 1.422 million last year

Missouri: Cotton: 1.02 million bales, compared to 921,000 in 2018; average yield of 1,330 pounds per acre, compared to 1,373 a year ago; harvested area of 368,000 acres, compared to 322,000 last year; Ginnings: 1,473,650 bales; Rice: 12.747 million hundredweight, compared to 17.090 million in 2018; average yield of 7,370 pounds per acre, compared to 7,770 a year ago; harvested area of 173,000 acres, compared to 220,000 last year

Tennessee: Cotton: 960,000 bales, compared to 770,000 in 2018; average yield of 1,138 pounds per acre, compared to 1,041 a year ago; harvested area of 405,000 acres, compared to 355,000 last year; Ginnings: 923,650 bales