Drought stunts row-crop production

| Friday, November 17, 2006

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Production for alfalfa, sunflowers, corn, soybeans, sorghum and dry edible beans in South Dakota this year is forecast to be down from 2005, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Drought appears to be the primary cause for the production drops, according to Karla Koudelka, a statistician for NASS.

The Oct. 1 forecast for alfalfa hay is 3.84 million tons, with a yield of 1.6 tons per acre from 2.4 million acres harvested. Production is slightly above the severe drought year of 2002 but 26 percent down from 2005 production, according to a news release from the NASS office in Sioux Falls. Other hay, with a forecasted production of 1.65 million tons, has a yield of 1.1 tons per acre from 1.5 million acres harvested.

All sunflower production is forecast at 480 million pounds, down 45 percent from last year. Estimated yield, at 2,000 pounds per acre, is down 655 pounds, or 40 percent, from last year. The 480,000 harvested acres are down 9 percent from last year.

Corn production is forecast at 378 million bushels, down 20 percent from last year’s level. Yield is forecast at 105 bushels per acre, down 14 bushels from last year. Acres to be harvested are forecast at 3.6 million, down 9 percent from last year.

Soybean production is forecast at 128.7 million bushels, 4 percent below last year. Yield, at 33 bushels per acre, is down 2 bushels from 2005. Acres for harvest are forecast at 3.9 million, up 1 percent from last year.

Sorghum production is forecast at 4 million bushels, down 10 percent from last year. Yield, at 40 bushels per acre, is 12 bushels below last year. Harvested acres, forecast at 100,000, are up 18 percent from last year.

Dry edible bean production is forecast at 27.2 million pounds, down 10 percent from last year.