Sample Press Release for State of Louisiana- Publication

Press Release
In Cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture
Louisiana Field Office · 5825 Florida Blvd · Baton Rouge, LA 70806 · (225) 922-1362 · www.nass.usda.gov/la

2011 Louisiana Crop Acreage & Production - January

For Information Contact:
Terry Mathews
800.256.4485

For Immediate Release: January 12, 2012

Louisiana’s 2011 Rice Crop Sets Record Yield
“Good weather conditions for the growing and harvest seasons helped rice to set a statewide record in 2011,” said Nathan
Crisp, Director of the Louisiana Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Office. “In addition, cotton
production increased from last year due to a higher number of acres harvested. All other crops saw a slight decline in yield
from 2010 due to heavy rains and flooding early in the growing season and hot, dry conditions in some areas during the
summer. Louisiana’s hay yield is at 2.1 tons, the lowest since 2000, when the state averaged 1.9 tons per acre.” Crisp
added.
Cotton production is estimated at 515,000 bales, up 18 percent from 2010. The 2011 planted acreage was estimated at
295,000 acres, up 16 percent from the previous year. An estimated 290,000 acres were harvested, up 16 percent from 2010.
Yield per acre was 852 pounds, up 10 pounds from 2010. U.S upland cotton production is estimated at 14.8 million bales,
down 16 percent from the 2010 production.
Sugarcane production for sugar and seed in the state is estimated at 11.5 million net tons, down two percent from 2010.
Production for sugar is estimated at 10.8 million net tons, and production for seed is estimated at 700,000 net tons. An
estimated 410,000 total acres were harvested, down two percent from 2010. 385,000 acres were harvested for sugar, down
one percent from last year. The remaining 25,000 acres were harvested for seed, down 17 percent from last year. Net yield
for both sugar and seed is estimated at 28.0 net tons per acre, down 0.2 net ton from the 2010 yield. U.S. production of
sugarcane for sugar and seed in 2011 is estimated at 28.3 million net tons, three percent above the previous year’s 27.4
million net tons.
Louisiana’s soybean production is estimated at 34.3 million bushels, down 18 percent from 2010. Total planted acreage
was 1,020,000 acres, down one percent from 2010. Louisiana farmers harvested an estimated 980,000 acres, down four
percent from the previous year. Yield is estimated at 35 bushels per acre, down six bushels from the previous year. U.S.
soybean production is estimated at 3.1 billion bushels, down eight percent from last year.
Louisiana’s all rice production is estimated at 26.4 million cwt, down 19 percent from 2010. Production of long grain
varieties is estimated at 23.3 million cwt, and production of medium grain varieties is estimated at 3.1 million cwt. The
planted and harvested acreage for 2011 were 423,000 and 418,000 acres, respectively, both down 22 percent from 2010. The
statewide yield averaged 6,320 pounds per acre, up 220 pounds from 2010. This is the highest recorded yield in the state’s
history. U.S. all rice production is estimated at 185 million cwt, down 24 percent from 2010.
Production of corn for grain in the state is estimated at 77.0 million bushels, up 10 percent from 2010. The 2011 planted
acreage was estimated at 580,000 acres, up 14 percent from the previous year. An estimated 570,000 acres were harvested,
up 14 percent from 2010. Yield per acre was set at 135 bushels, down five bushels from the previous year. U.S. corn
production is estimated at 12.4 billion bushels, down one percent from last year.
Production of sorghum for grain in Louisiana is estimated at 10.8 million bushels, compared to 7.4 million in 2010. Total
planted acreage was estimated at 130,000 acres, of which 124,000 acres were harvested for grain. Yield per acre, at 87
bushels, was down eight bushels from 2010. U.S. production of sorghum in 2011 is estimated at 214 million bushels, 38
percent below 2010.
Louisiana’s sweet potato production is estimated at 2.4 million cwt, down three percent from 2010. An estimated 14,000
acres were planted in 2011, up four percent from 2010. Harvested acreage was estimated at 13,000 acres, the same as last
year. The statewide yield averaged 185 cwt per acre, down 5 cwt from 2010. U.S. sweet potato production is estimated at
27.0 million cwt, up 13 percent from the previous year.
All hay production in Louisiana in 2011 is estimated at 903,000 thousand tons, down 28 percent from 2010. An estimated
430,000 acres were harvested in 2011, down four percent from the previous year. Yield was 2.1 tons per acre, down .7 ton
from 2010. U.S. all hay production is estimated at 131 million tons, down 10 percent from 2010.

-30[Tables on back]

U.S.D.A. - Louisiana Agricultural Statistics Service
In cooperation with
LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURAL CENTER

CROP

2011 CROP REPORT - LOUISIANA
January 1, 2012
HARVESTED
YIELD
UNIT
ACRES
PER ACRE
(000)
2010

2011

2010

2011

500

570

140

135

bushels

5

3

16

12

tons

Rice, All

535

418

6,100

6,320

Rice, Long Grain

495

370

6,110

40

48

249

PRODUCTION
(000)

PERCENT
CHANGE
FROM
2010

2010

2011

70,000

76,950

+10

80

36

-55

lbs: cwt

32,625

26,430

-19

6,300

lbs: cwt

30,245

23,310

-23

5,950

6,500

lbs: cwt

2,380

3,120

+31

290

842

852

lbs: bales

437

515

+18

78

124

95

87

bushels

7,410

10,788

+46

1

1

11

11

tons

11

11

---

1,020

980

41

35

bushels

41,820

34,300

-18

Sugarcane (Sugar & Seed)

420

410

27.8

28

net tons

11,676

11,480

-2

Sugarcane, Sugar

390

385

27.8

28

net tons

10,842

10,780

-1

Sugarcane, Seed

30

25

27.8

28

net tons

834

700

-16

Sweet Potatoes

13

13

190

185

cwt

2,470

2,405

-3

450

430

2.8

2.1

tons

1,260

903

-28

Corn for Grain
Corn Silage

Rice, Medium Grain
Upland Cotton
Sorghum for Grain
Sorghum Silage
Soybeans

Hay, All

CROP

2011 CROP REPORT - UNITED STATES
January 1, 2012
HARVESTED
YIELD
UNIT
ACRES
PER ACRE
(000)
2010

2011

2010

2011

81,446

83,981

152.8

147.2

bushels

Corn Silage

5,567

5,928

19.3

18.4

Rice, All

3,615

2,618

6,725

Rice, Long Grain

2,826

1,740

746

Corn for Grain

PRODUCTION
(000)
2010

PERCENT
CHANGE
FROM
2010

2011

12,446,865

12,358,412

-1

tons

107,314

108,926

+2

7,067

lbs: cwt

243,104

185,009

-24

6,486

6,691

lbs: cwt

183,296

116,420

-36

834

7,660

7,861

lbs: cwt

57,144

65,562

+15

10,497

9,444

805

754

lbs: bales

17,600

14,828

-16

4,813

3,929

71.8

54.6

bushels

345,625

214,443

-38

268

224

12.6

10.3

tons

3,370

2,298

-32

76,610

73,636

43.5

41.5

bushels

3,329,181

3,056,032

-8

Sugarcane (Sugar & Seed)

877.5

873.0

31.2

32.4

net tons

27,360

28,279

+3

Sugarcane, Sugar

825.3

825.5

31.1

32.4

net tons

25,663

26,705

+4

Sugarcane, Seed

52.2

47.5

32.5

33.1

net tons

1,697

1,574

-7

116.9

130.3

204

208

cwt

23,845

27,041

+13

59,872

55,633

2.43

2.36

tons

145,624

131,144

-10

Rice, Medium Grain
Upland Cotton
Sorghum for Grain
Sorghum Silage
Soybeans

Sweet Potatoes
Hay, All

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