GA Farmers Increase Cotton & Peanut Acreage

 

Georgia cotton and peanut farmers are expected to plant significantly more acres in those two crops in 2017 than they did in 2016, according to the June acreage report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

 

Georgia farmers also increased acreage in oats and rye.

 

Georgia growers reduced their acreage planted in corn and soybeans, while sorghum and hay acreage remained the same.

 

The state's peanut farmers are expected to plant 850,000 acres in 2017, up from 720,000 in 2016, an increase of 18 percent. 

 

Cotton farmers in Georgia are forecast to plant 1.35 million acres in 2017, up from 1.18 million in 2016, an increase of 14 percent.

 

Georgia corn growers scaled back planting from 410,000 acres in 2016 to 370,000 acres in 2017, a decrease of 9.8 percent.

 

Georgia farmers are forecast to harvest 600,000 acres of hay in 2017, the same as in 2016.

 

The state's soybean acreage is expected to decline by 31 percent, from 260,000 acres in 2016 to 180,000 acres in 2017.

 

Georgia oat producers are forecast to increase acreage by 11 percent, from 45,000 acres in 2016 to 50,000 acres in 2017. 

 

The state's rye acreage is expected to increase by 25 percent, from 200,000 acres in 2016 to 250,000 acres in 2017.

 

The state's wheat growers are expected to plant 160,000 acres in 2017, down from 180,000 in 2016, a reduction of 11 percent.

 

Georgia sorghum growers are forecast to plant 20,000 acres in 2017, the same as in 2016.