30 percent below March projections, while growers of soybeans and peanuts planted much more than initially forecasted. The U.S. Department of


Soybean, Peanut Acreage Exceeds Early Forecasts As Cotton Tumbles C


STARKVILLE, MISS.


otton and corn acreage in Missis- sippi are more than


Agriculture National Agri- cultural Statistics Service released a report at the end of June updating the


amount of crop acreage planted statewide. It com- pared those amounts to how much growers said they would plant when surveyed before planting season. Rice and hay acreage are unchanged from the USDA projection report published in March. Cotton acreage is esti-


mated at 520,000 acres, down 160,000 acres from March planting intentions.


Corn acreage is also down, with 550,000 acres planted instead of the ini- tially projected 710,000. Many acres initially set


aside for corn was planted in soybeans, with an esti- mated 2 million acres of that crop planted. That amount is 150,000 more acres than forecasts indi- cated four months ago and up 340,000 acres from last year.


“There were several fac-


tors that led to our soy- bean acreage increase,” said Trent Irby, soybean specialist with the Missis- sippi State University Ex- tension Service. “Weather issues that knocked out a fair number of intended corn acres and falling com- modity prices of other crops both contributed to more soybean acres in 2020.


“Also, the 2019 soybean


report reflected the signifi- cant acreage that was left unplanted due to flooding in the Mississippi Delta, so many of those acres were put back into soybeans in 2020,” he said. MSU Extension cotton


specialist Brian Pieralisi and agricultural economist Will Maples pointed to market issues as the lead- ing reason for growers


backing off from planting as much cotton. “I do not think this re-


duction can be blamed on environmental conditions because most of the state experienced above average planting conditions,” Pier- alisi said. “Cotton produc- tion is expensive, and that, coupled with bearish mar- ket conditions, resulted in fewer planted acres. As prices fell below 60 cents, producers had a more dif- ficult time penciling in a profit, especially if planting outside the optimum planting window in early May.” From an economic per-


spective, Maples suggested the impact of COVID-19 on the overall economy as another factor for reduced cotton acreage. He attrib- uted concerns of excess supply to the scaling back of corn planting. “These effects had a se-


You’ve already tried Snake Oil and Foo Foo Juice, why not give PiKSi Dust a try?


Rainfall soaks into peanut rows on July 2, 2020, in Monroe County, Mississippi.


Photo by MSU Extension Service/Kevin Hudson


vere negative impact on the cotton market,” he said. “The fundamentals are showing a high level of cotton stocks and de- creased demand with the shutdown of economies worldwide. These factors have kept cotton prices down and probably con- vinced many producers to change their decisions to plant cotton this year. “Nationally, the March


corn acreage numbers were near a record high and signaled a potentially record corn supply,” Maples


added. “The CONTINUED ON PAGE 19


641-919-5574 8• MidAmerica Farmer Grower www.mafg.net / July 17, 2020


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