2012 PRESS RELEASES

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August 10, 2012
ANTICIPATED YIELDS FOR 2012
~ Cotton yield increases 238 pounds per acre; peanut production up nine percent ~
Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804.786.7686

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services today announced anticipated yields and production for the 2012 harvest season. Yield is the measure harvested per acre (bushels, pounds, etc.); production is the total amount harvested statewide rather than a per acre figure.

Virginia’s corn yields are expected to be 91 bushels per acre, down 27 bushels per acre from last year. Production is estimated at 31.9 million bushels, down 21 percent from 2011. Harvested acres are estimated at 350,000. Corn production nationwide is forecast at 10.8 billion bushels, down 13 percent from 2011 and the lowest production since 2006. Based on conditions as of August 1, yields are expected to average 123.4 bushels per acre, down 23.8 bushels from 2011. If realized, this will be the lowest average yield since 1995.

Peanut producers expect to harvest 20,000 acres, a 4,000 acre increase from the previous year. Yield is forecast at 3,300 pounds per acre, down 500 pounds from last year. Resulting production will be 66.0 million pounds, up nine percent from 2011’s production.

Soybean producers currently expect to harvest 540,000 acres with an average yield of 34 bushels per acre, down five bushels per acre from last year. Production is expected to total 18.4 million bushels, down 14 percent from last year.

Cotton yield is forecast to average 914 pounds per acre, up 238 pounds from last year’s 676 pounds per acre. If realized, production would be 160,000 bales, down one percent from last year. Producers expect to harvest 84,000 acres in 2012, down 27 percent from last year.

Flue tobacco producers currently expect yields to average 2,300 pounds, up 70 pounds from 2011. Production will total 48.3 million pounds from 21,000 acres.

Burley tobacco yields are expected to average 1,700 pounds, down 200 pounds from last year. Production is expected to total 4.6 million pounds, up 21 percent from 2011. Producers expect to harvest 2,700 acres, up 700 acres from the previous year.

Fire-cured tobacco yields are expected to average 2,000 pounds per acre, down 100 pounds from 2011. Production is expected to total 700,000 pounds, down 17 percent from 2011. Producers expect to harvest 350 acres in 2012, down 13 percent from last year.

Hay producers expect to harvest 80,000 acres of alfalfa hay with an average yield of 3.2 tons per acre. Production is expected to total 256,000 tons, down 11 percent from 2011. There are 1.28 million acres of other hay expected to be harvested in Virginia. The yield for other hay is expected to average 2.10 tons per acre. Production is expected to total 2.69 million tons, down five percent from 2011.

Winter wheat yield is forecast at 65 bushels per acre compared with 71 bushels per acre a year earlier. Production is expected to total 17.6 million bushels which is down one percent from the previous year. Harvested acreage is 270,000 acres, up 20,000 from 2011.

Barley yields averaged 85 bushels per acre, down three bushels per acre from last year. The resulting production will total 3.83 million bushels. Barley producers harvested 45,000 acres, which was down 25,000 acres from last year.

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