U.S. Sugarcane Estimates Inches Up

WASHINGTON - Mar 10/06 - SNS -- Sugarcane for sugar and seed in the United States for the 2005-06 crop year is estimated at 27.3 million tons, 6% below 2004 but 1% above last month, according to the latest USDA crop report.

Area harvested and to be harvested for sugar and seed for the 2005 crop year, at 922,900 acres, is down 2% from the previous year's harvested area and down fractionally from the February estimate.

Yield is estimated at 29.6 tons per acre, 1.3 tons below the 2004 crop but 0.2 ton above the previous estimate. The U.S. yield and production estimates are the lowest since 1933 and 1980, respectively.

Estimates for Hawaii, Louisiana, and Texas are carried forward from January. Florida's harvest was nearly finished by month's end. Total harvested area in Florida was down 1,000 acres from the February estimate. The estimated yield in Florida increased by 0.5 ton, more than enough to compensate for the lower acreage estimate, resulting in a 1% increase in production.

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