Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service

Gene Danekas, Director

REVISED JANUARY 28, 2005
For Immediate Release: January 12, 2005


2004 CROP PRODUCTION SETS RECORDS 

(COLUMBIA, MO) - "Most Missouri crops achieved record yields throughout
the State in 2004," said Gene Danekas, Director, Missouri Agricultural
Statistics. "The outstanding crop year can be attributed to a
combination of plentiful rainfall and moderately cool temperatures
during most of the growing season."

Missouri soybean production in 2004 totaled a record 223 million
bushels, up 53 percent from the 2003 crop and 20 percent above the
previous record of 2001. Farmers in Missouri harvested 4.96 million of
the 5.0 million acres planted in the State. Missouri yields averaged 45
bushels per acre, up 15.5 bushels from the 2003 yield and 7 bushels
above the previous record yield of 38 bushels attained in 2001, 1994 and
1992.

Corn production in Missouri during 2004 totaled 467 million bushels, 54
percent above a year earlier and 18 percent above the earlier record set
in 2000. Yields for the State averaged 162 bushels per acre, up 54
bushels from 2003 and 19 bushels above the previous record, also set in
2000. Out of 2.95 million planted acres, corn for grain was produced
from 2.88 million acres and 50,000 acres were cut for silage.
  
Missouri grain sorghum production totaled 15.7 million bushels, down 3
percent from 2003. Of the 150,000 acres planted, 145,000 were harvested
for grain, 31 percent less than a year earlier. Average yield for the
State was a record 108 bushels per acre, 31 bushels above the 2003 yield
and 11 bushels above the 1992 previous record yield .

Missouri cotton production is estimated at a record 820,000 bales, 17
percent above the previous record high of 2003. The State yield is also
a record at 1,041 pounds, up 179 pounds from the 2003 record. Missouri
farmers harvested 378,000 of the 380,000 acres planted. 

Rice production in Missouri during 2004 totaled a record 13.3 million
cwt, 26 percent above a year earlier and 7 percent above the previous
record crop of 2001. A record yield of 6,800 pounds per acre is
estimated, sharply above the 6,130 pound record set in 2003. Farmers
harvested 195,000 of the 196,000 planted acres.

Tobacco production in the State totaled 3.34 million pounds, 18 percent
more than in 2003. The State yield of 2,300 pounds is up from 2,020
pounds a year earlier and the highest since 1997. Missouri farmers
harvested 1,450 acres of tobacco, up 4 percent from the record low of
the 3 previous years.
  
Commercial potato production in Missouri for 2004 totaled 1.92 million
cwt, 2 percent above the 2003 production. The 6,200 acres harvested
produced a yield of 310 cwt, up 45 cwt from the 2003 yield and the
highest since 2001.

Hay production in the State totaled a record 9.42 million tons, 16
percent above the 2003 crop. Missouri hay yields averaged a record 2.17
tons per acre, compared with 1.91 tons a year earlier. Harvested area of
all hay was also a record high, at 4.35 million acres. 


U.S. CROP PRODUCTION

United States soybean production in 2004 totaled 3.14 billion bushels,
the largest U.S. soybean crop in history. This is down slightly from the
November forecast but 28 percent above the 2003 level. The average yield
per acre is estimated at a record high 42.5 bushels, 0.1 bushel below
the November forecast, but 8.6 bushels above the 2003 final yield.
Soybean growers harvested a total of 74.0 million acres, up 2 percent
from last year.

Corn for grain production in the U.S. is estimated at 11.8 billion
bushels, up less than 1 percent from the November forecast and up 17
percent from the 10.1 billion bushels produced in 2003. The average U.S.
grain yield is estimated at 160.4 bushels per acre, 0.2 bushels above
the November forecast and up 18.2 bushels from 2003. Both production and
yield estimates are the largest on record. The previous record for both
was set last year when production was estimated at 10.1 billion bushels
and yield was 142.2 bushels per acre.

U.S. sorghum for grain production in 2004 is estimated at 455 million
bushels, down 4 percent from the November forecast but 11 percent above
2003. Area harvested for grain is estimated at 6.52 million acres, down
16 percent from 2003. Average grain yield, at 69.8 bushels per acre, is
17.1 bushels above the 2003 average yield.

[THIS PARAGRAPH REVISED JANUARY 28, 2005]
All cotton production is estimated at record high 23.0 million bales, up
less than 1 percent from last month and 26 percent more than last year's
production.  Yield is expected to average a record high 846 pounds per
acre, up 116 pounds per acre from a year ago.  Harvested area, at
13.1 million acres, is down 1 percent from December but 9 percent above
2003.

U.S. rice production in 2004 totaled a record high 231 million cwt, up
15 percent from 2003 and up 1 percent from the November forecast. Area
for harvest, at 3.33 million acres, is up 11 percent from 2003. The
average yield for all U.S. rice is estimated at 6,942 pounds per acre,
272 pounds above the 2003 yield. This all rice yield is the highest on
record and the fifth consecutive year a new record high yield has been
established. The adoption of higher yielding rice varieties by producers
continues to drive the increase in yields.

U.S. tobacco production in 2004 totaled 883 million pounds, virtually
unchanged from the October 1 forecast but 10 percent above 2003. Yield
per acre averaged 2,159 pounds, a 3 pound increase from the October
forecast and up 207 pounds from 2003.

Total 2004 U.S. potato production from all four seasons is estimated at
456 million cwt, down less than 1 percent from both the 2003 and 2002
crops. The average yield, at 391 cwt per acre, is 24 cwt above last year
and 29 cwt above 2002. This is a record high yield, 10 cwt above the old
record set in 2000.

All hay production in the U.S. for 2004 is estimated at 158 million
tons, down 5 percent from the October 1 forecast but up fractionally
from the 2003 total. The average yield, at 2.55 tons per acre, is down
0.14 ton from October but up 0.06 ton from the previous year.


WINTER WHEAT SEEDINGS FOR 2005

Fall seedings for the 2005 winter wheat crop in Missouri total 700,000
acres, down 33 percent from the 2004 crop seeded acreage. Wheat planting
was difficult in many areas due to the wet weather in October and
November. 

U.S. winter wheat seeded area for 2005 is expected to total 41.6 million
acres, down 4 percent from 2004. Approximate class acreage breakdowns
are: Hard Red Winter, 31.5 million, down 1 percent; Soft Red Winter, 6.6
million, down 1.9 percent; and White Winter, 4.5 million, up 4 percent
from 2004.

DECEMBER 1, 2004 GRAIN STOCKS

Soybeans in all storage positions in Missouri on December 1, 2004
totaled 145 million bushels, up 58 percent from a year earlier. Stocks
on farms accounted for 100 million bushels, 96 percent more than on
December 1, 2003, while off-farm beans totaled 45 million bushels, 11
percent above a year ago. 

Missouri corn stocks on December 1, 2004 totaled 277.9 million bushels,
50 percent above a year earlier. Of the total, 205 million bushels were
on farms and 72.9 million bushels were in commercial facilities. 

Wheat stocks in Missouri on December 1 totaled 24.1 million bushels,
down 7 percent from a year earlier. The total was comprised of 4 million
bushels on farms and 20.1 million bushels off-farm. 

Sorghum stocks in Missouri on December 1, 2004 totaled 10.7 million
bushels, 57 percent above a year earlier. Sorghum on farms accounted for
8.2 million bushels and 2.53 million bushels were held off-farm. 

Missouri rough rice stocks in all positions on December 1 totaled 7.92
million cwt, 33 percent more than a year earlier.
	
Soybeans stored in all positions in the United States on December 1,
2004 totaled 2.30 billion bushels, up 36 percent from December 1, 2003.
This is the largest December 1 stocks level on record, exceeding the
previous record set in 2001 by 1 percent. Soybean stocks stored on farms
totaled a record 1.30 billion bushels, up 59 percent from a year ago.
Off-farm stocks, at 1.00 billion bushels, are up 16 percent from last
December.

U.S. corn stocks in all positions on December 1, 2004 totaled 9.45
billion bushels, up 19 percent from December 1, 2003. This is the
highest December 1 stocks level since 1987. Of the total stocks, 6.14
billion bushels are stored on farms, up 16 percent from a year earlier.
Off-farm stocks, at 3.30 billion bushels, are up 24 percent from a year
ago.

All wheat stored in all positions in the U.S. on December 1, 2004
totaled 1.43 billion bushels, down 6 percent from a year ago. On-farm
stocks are estimated at 531 million bushels, up 8 percent from last
December. Off-farm stocks, at 900 million bushels, are down 13 percent
from a year ago. 

Grain sorghum stored in all positions in the U.S. on December 1, 2004
totaled 282 million bushels, up 19 percent from a year ago. On-farm
stocks, at 78.7 million bushels, are up 74 percent from December 1 last
year. Off-farm stocks, at 203 million bushels, are up 7 percent from a
year earlier.

Rough rice stocks in all U.S. positions on December 1, 2004, totaled a
record high 167 million hundredweight (cwt), up 23 percent from the
total on December 1, 2003. Stocks held on farms totaled 57.5 million
cwt, and off-farm stocks totaled 109 million cwt.

Oats stored in all positions in the U.S. on December 1, 2004 totaled 105
million bushels, 12 percent below the stocks on December 1, 2003. Of the
total stocks on hand, 60.4 million bushels are stored on farms, down 6
percent from a year ago. Off-farm stocks totaled 44.6 million bushels,
down 19 percent from a year earlier. Indicated disappearance during
September - November 2004 totaled 10.8 million bushels, down 13 percent
from the same period a year ago.