Sunflower Harvest Down 47%

WASHINGTON - Oct 12/06 - SNS -- Total sunflower production in the United States forecast for 2006 is 2.11 billion pounds or 958,734 metric tons (MT), down 47% from 2005 but 3% above 2004, according to the USDA's latest crop production estimates.

Area planted, at 1.98 million acres, is up 4% from the June estimate but down 27% from last year. Sunflower farmers expect to harvest 1.86 million acres, up 4% from June but down 29% from the 2005 acreage. The October yield forecast, at 1,134 pounds, is 406 pounds less than the 2005 yield.

As of October 1, lower yields are expected in six of the seven major sunflower-producing States, with only Minnesota farmers expecting higher yields compared with last year.

Conditions were hot and dry this summer across most of the Great Plains, resulting in reduced yield expectations compared with last year when Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota experienced record high yields. In North Dakota, the yield is forecast at 1,143 pounds per acre, down 443 pounds from the 2005 yield.

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