U.S. Sugarcane Estimate Reduced

WASHINGTON - Feb 9/06 - SNS -- This season's sugarcane harvest in the United States is now estimated at 27.1 million tons, 3% below the previous forecast, 6% below 2004, and the lowest since 1980, according to the latest USDA crop production estimates.

Area harvested and to be harvested for sugar and seed for the 2005 crop year, at 923,900 acres, is up marginally from the previous forecast but down 2% from last year's harvested area. Yield is forecast at 29.4 tons per acre, 0.8 ton below January, 1.5 tons below the 2004 crop, and the lowest since 1933.

Florida's yield, at 32.3 tons per acre, is the lowest since 1989 and is down 2.0 tons from last month as harvest progressed and growers were able to more accurately assess the damage caused by Hurricane Wilma. Harvested area, however, was up slightly due to more acreage harvested for seed. Estimates for Hawaii, Louisiana, and Texas are carried forward from January.

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