STATE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT RELEASES FIELD CROP PLANTING ESTIMATES FOR 2001

SACRAMENTO, March 30, 2001 - The following is an estimate of crop plantings for 2001, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s California Agricultural Statistics Service.

Estimates of acreage to be planted for harvest are based on a survey of more than 2,000 California farmers, conducted the first two weeks of March. The impact of weather and market conditions since then is not reflected in this report.

Cotton - California farmers were intending to plant 660,000 acres of Upland cotton in 2001, a 15% decrease from the acreage seeded in 2000. In addition, growers were expecting to seed 190,000 acres of American Pima cotton in 2001, up 31% from last year.

Corn - California farmers were expected to plant 520,000 acres of corn in 2001, 4% less than last year.

Oats - Farmers in California had planted or expected to plant 220,000 acres of oats, unchanged from last year.

Wheat - Acreage seeded to Winter wheat is estimated at 500,000 acres, unchanged from last year. Another 85,000 acres have been seeded for Durum wheat, down 15% from 2000.

Rice - California farmers intended to seed rice on 520,000 acres, a 5% decrease from the 2000 seeded acreage. The expressed intentions were to seed 475,000 acres to medium grain varieties, down 6% from a year ago. Long grain rice acreage is forecast at 10,000 acres, up 11% from last season. Short grain rice planted acreage is forecast at 35,000 acres, up 3% from short grain plantings in 2000.

Barley - California farmers had planted or intended to plant 130,000 acres of barley, up 18% from the previous year.

Sugar Beets - California producers intended to plant 43,000 acres of sugar beets, down 56% from the seeded acreage in 2000.

Dry Edible Beans - Seeding of dry edible beans was planned for 100,000 acres in California, down 13% from last year.

All Hay - California producers intended to harvest hay from 1.54 million acres, 1% more than last year.

The California Agricultural Statistics Service operates under a cooperative agreement between the CDFA and USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service. The joint service prepares and distributes statistics on California agriculture.

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