Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service

Gene Danekas, Director

For Immediate Release: September 12, 2005

Missouri Row Crop Yields Down From 2004

(Columbia, MO) Forecasts for Missouri row crop yields show the results
of the drought that affected most of the growing season but farmers'
expectations have risen slightly from a month ago, said Gene Danekas,
Director, Missouri Agricultural Statistics. AAugust rains came too late
to have a major impact on much of the State's crop acreage but the
later-planted fields, particularly soybeans, are responding to the
additional moisture.

Missouri soybean production is forecast at 167 million bushels based on
September 1, 2005 conditions, up 6 percent from the August 1 forecast
but 25 percent below last year. The State yield is forecast at 33
bushels per acre, 2 bushels above last months forecast but 12 bushels
under the 2004 record yield.

Corn production in Missouri is forecast at 304 million bushels, 2
percent more than the August 1 forecast but 35 percent below last years
record crop. The expected yield of 103 bushels per acre is up 4 bushels
from a month earlier but 59 bushels below last year's record. The
revised forecast of 2.95 million acres to be harvested for grain is a
reduction of 50,000 acres from a month ago and partially offsets the
effect of the increased yield in determining production.

Missouri grain sorghum production is forecast at 8.9 million bushels, 3
percent above the August 1 forecast but 43 percent below the 2004
production. The expected yield of 74 bushels per acre is up 2 bushels
from a month ago but 34 bushels below the 2004 record.

Cotton production in Missouri is forecast at 770,000 bales, 3 percent
below the August 1 forecast and 7 percent less than last year's record
crop. State yields are expected to average 850 pounds per acre, down 42
pounds from August 1 and 204 pounds below the 2004 record high. Of the
revised 440,000 planted acres, farmers expect to harvest 435,000 acres,
both up 10,000 from the August 1 forecast.

Rice production in the State is forecast at a record 14.3 million cwt, 9
percent more than indicated a month earlier and 8 percent above the
previous record of last year. Revised harvested acres are forecast at
211,000, up 8 percent from 2004, following the revised planted total of
216,000 acres. Yield is forecast at 6,800 pounds, down 100 pounds from
the August forecast but equal to last year's record high.

Missouri potato production is forecast at 1.94 million cwt, 1 percent
more last year but unchanged from the previous forecast. Yield is
forecast at 340 cwt, 30 cwt above 2004 and equaling the 2001 record.

United States Crops

United States soybean production is forecast at 2.86 billion bushels, up
2 percent from the August forecast but down 9 percent from the record
crop of 2004. Based on September 1 conditions, yields are expected to
average 39.6 bushels per acre, up 0.9 bushel from August.

Corn production in the U.S. is forecast at 10.6 billion bushels, up 3
percent from last month but 10 percent below 2004. If realized, this
would be the second largest crop on record. Based on conditions as of
September 1, yields are expected to average 143.2 bushels per acre, up
4.0 bushels from August but 17.2 bushels below the record high last
year.

Production of sorghum in the U.S. is forecast at 398 million bushels, up
5 percent from last month but down 13 percent from last year. Based on
September 1 conditions, the sorghum yield forecast is 66.0 bushels per
acre, up 2.9 bushels from August but down 3.8 bushels from last year.

All cotton in the U.S. production is forecast at 22.3 million 480-pound
bales, up 5 percent from the August forecast but 4 percent below last
year's production. Yield is expected to average 782 pounds per acre, 34
pounds above last month. If realized, both the yield and production will
be the second highest on record.


U.S. rice production is forecast at 228 million cwt, up less than 1
percent from the August forecast but down 1 percent from last year.
Planted area was revised to 3.37 million acres, up 2 percent from the
June estimate and up less than 1 percent from 2004. Area expected for
harvest, at 3.34 million acres, is up 2 percent from last month and up
slightly from 2004. As of September 1, the U.S. all rice yield is
forecast at 6,830 pounds per acre, down 67 pounds per acre from last
month and down 112 pounds from last year's record high yield.

Production of summer potatoes in the U.S. is forecast at 16.1 million
cwt in 2005, down 1 percent from the July 1 forecast and 12 percent
below the 2004 final estimate. If realized, this would be a record low
production since the series began in 1949, six percent below the
previous record low set in 1980. The average yield is forecast at 334
cwt per acre, 3 cwt above the July forecast but 6 cwt below last year.


          Missouri Soybean Production and Yield by District

        Acres Planted   Acres Harvested     Yield        Production
Area    2004   2005     2004    2005      2004  2005    2004    2005
                                  1/            1/2/             1/
        -thousands-      -thousands-     -bu/acre-      -thousand bu.-

NW      946.4   959    938.8    950     47.4    40     44,466   38,400
NC      692.6   714    684.1    707     45.1    34     30,842   23,800
NE      812.7   821    806.9    812     47.9    29     38,690   23,900
WC      544.5   561    540.4    556     44.0    33     23,797   18,500
C       531.7   535    528.2    530     47.1    26     24,887   14,000
EC      338.0   347    335.6    344     45.6    28     15,307    9,600
SW      156.0   158    154.9    156     34.4    27      5,329    4,200
SC       35.9    41     35.5     40     37.5    34      1,331    1,350
SE      942.2   964    935.6    955     41.2    34     38,551   32,900
STATE 5,000.0 5,100  4,960.0  5,050     45.0    33    223,200  166,550

1/ September 1 Forecast
2/ 2005 District yields rounded to whole bushels.


           Missouri Corn Production and Yield by District

       Acres Planted  Acres Harvested     Yield           Production
Area   2004     2005   2004   2005      2004  2005       2004    2005
                               1/             1/2/                1/
        -thousands-     -thousands-     -bu/acre-       -thousand bu.-

NW      712.2    744    704.3    725    163.3  138     115,018  100,100
NC      317.5    325    311.5    310    161.5   92      50,298   28,500
NE      496.8    521    483.9    483    168.6   57      81,603   27,600
WC      285.0    316    278.9    303    155.4  103      43,345   31,200
C       346.1    372    333.4    347    167.6   77      55,889   26,750
EC      225.9    232    218.6    217    152.9   58      33,426   12,600
SW       83.3     78     78.0     73    144.9   96      11,301    7,000
SC       21.6     25     18.5     20    137.9  125       2,552    2,500
SE      461.6    487    452.9    472    161.5  143      73,128   67,600
STATE 2,950.0  3,100  2,880.0  2,950    162.0  103     466,560  303,850

1/ September 1 Forecast
2/ 2005 District yields rounded to whole bushels.