Crop
Production
                                                                               
National Agricultural Statistics Service
USDA
Washington, D.C.
                                                                               
Released August 12, 2008, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.  For
information on "Crop Production" call  (202) 720-2127,
office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
                                                                               
                    Corn Production Down 6 Percent from 2007                   
                Soybean Production Up 15 Percent from Last Year                
                  Cotton Production Down 28 Percent from 2007                  
          All Wheat Production Virtually Unchanged from July Forecast          
                                                                                
Corn production is forecast at 12.3 billion bushels, down 6 percent from last
year but 17 percent above 2006.  Based on conditions as of August 1, yields
are expected to average 155.0 bushels per acre, up 3.9 bushels from last
year.  If realized, this yield would be the second highest on record, behind
2004.  Production would be the second highest on record, behind last year
when producers harvested the most acres of corn for grain since 1933. 
Forecasted yields are higher than last year in the northern and eastern Corn
Belt, Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, and northern half of the Atlantic Coast
where frequent precipitation this year contrasted with extremely dry weather
last year.  Expected yields across the southern half of the Great Plains and
the Carolinas are below last year due to drought-like conditions throughout
much of the growing season.  Growers expect to harvest 79.3 million acres for
grain, up 350,000 acres from June but 8 percent lower than last year.
                                                                               
Soybean production is forecast at 2.97 billion bushels, up 15 percent from
last year but down 7 percent from the record high production of 2006.  If
realized, this will be the fourth largest production on record.  Based on
August 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 40.5 bushels per acre,
down 0.7 bushel from 2007.  Compared with last year, yields are forecast
lower in Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, and
across the northern and central Great Plains.  In contrast, yield prospects
are forecast higher than last year or unchanged across the remainder of the
country, with the largest increases in Kentucky and Tennessee, up 13 and
12 bushels from last year, respectively.  Area for harvest in the U.S. is
forecast at 73.3 million acres, up 2 percent from June and up 17 percent from
2007.
                                                                                
All Cotton production is forecast at 13.8 million 480-pound bales, down
28 percent from last year=s 19.2 million bales.  Yield is expected to average
842 pounds per harvested acre, down 37 pounds from the record yield in 2007. 
Upland cotton production is forecast at 13.2 million 480-pound bales,
28 percent below 2007.  Producers in the Southeast region are expecting
increased yields from last year, while producers in Texas expect a lower
yield than the record high received in 2007.  American-Pima production is
forecast at 521,800 bales, down 39 percent from last year.  Producers expect
to harvest 7.85 million acres of all cotton and 7.66 million acres of upland
cotton, both down 25 percent from last year and the lowest harvested acreage
since 1983.  American-Pima harvested area is expected to total 193,900 acres,
down 33 percent from 2007.
                                                                               
All wheat production, at 2.46 billion bushels, is virtually unchanged from
the July forecast but up 19 percent from 2007.  Based on August 1 conditions,
the U.S. yield is forecast at 43.5 bushels per acre, unchanged from last
month but 3.0 bushels above last year.
                                                                               
Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.87 billion bushels.  This is up
1 percent from last month and 24 percent above 2007.  The U.S. yield is
forecast at 46.6 bushels per acre, up 0.3 bushel from last month and up
4.4 bushels from last year.  The area expected to be harvested for grain
totals 40.3 million acres, unchanged from last month but up 12 percent from
last year.
                                                                                
Hard Red Winter, at 1.06 billion bushels, is up 1 percent from a month ago. 
Soft Red Winter, at 609 million bushels, is up slightly from the last
forecast.  White Winter is down 3 percent from last month and now totals
211 million bushels.  Of this total, 23.6 million bushels are Hard White and
187 million bushels are Soft White.
                                                                               
Durum wheat production is forecast at 86.6 million bushels, down 4 percent
from July but up 21 percent from 2007.  The U.S. yield is forecast at
33.5 bushels per acre, down 1.3 bushels from last month and 0.4 bushel below
last year.  Expected area to be harvested for grain totals 2.58 million
acres, unchanged from last month but up 22 percent from last year.
                                                                               
Other Spring wheat production is forecast at 501 million bushels, down 1
percent from last month but up 5 percent from 2007.  Area harvested for grain
totals 13.8 million acres, unchanged from last month but up 6 percent from
last year.  The U.S. yield is forecast at 36.4 bushels per acre, 0.4 bushel
below last month and 0.6 bushel below 2007.  Of the total production,
466 million bushels are Hard Red Spring wheat, down less than 1 percent from
last month.
                                                                               
This report was approved on August 12, 2008.
                                                                               
                                  Secretary of                                 
                                  Agriculture                                   
                               Edward T. Schafer                               
                                                                               
                         Agricultural Statistics Board                          
                                  Chairperson                                  

                                 Carol C. House