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May 2012 Articles

Spiritual Corner
Notes from Germany
Just Rambling, May 2012
Forage Management Strategies
Agriculture and the EPA Source
Recognizing Stress in Horses
Beef Cattle Management Calendar
Red Ink causes Feedlot Placements to Decline
New sports drink hits market with Covington, LSU AgCenter roots
Wheat harvest looks good, research skewed by unusual weather
Soybean acreage goes up as farmers look for better prices
April 24 Detection of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Changed Cow Slaughter Mix
• Louisiana cotton acreage goes down, mirroring nationwide trend
Turkey gnats pose problems for birds
Agricultural land rents increase with commodity prices
Ground Beef Prices
Corn Acreage is Big News in USDA Planting Report
Withdrawal of the Overreaching Child Labor Labor Proposal
AFBF Analysis Sees Soybeans as New Market Driver
New Bill Would Preserve Clean Water Act
AFBF Backs Senate and House Bills Reforming Estate Tax
Notes from Germany
Seeking Balance
Emergency Chocolate Pie

(25 articles found)

Archives by Months

Louisiana cotton acreage goes down, mirroring nationwide trend

Louisiana cotton acreage goes down, mirroring nationwide trend Source: LSU AgCenter
Cotton acreage is expected to decrease in Louisiana this year, mirroring a downward trend nationwide.
John Kruse, LSU AgCenter cotton specialist, said the decline can be partly explained by the sudden jump up in fertilizer prices, lower cotton prices and high soybean prices.
“For the longest time this winter, I believed we would have the same amount of cotton acreage as last year,” he said.
But now he expects this year’s Louisiana crop will be around 230,000 to 240,000 acres, compared to 288,000 last year.
He said many farmers are likely to shift cotton acreage to soybeans, but some growers who belong to gin cooperatives have a strong incentive to plant a specified amount of acres in cotton.
Louisiana cotton growers can expect to receive 78-80 cents per pound of lint in the current market, Kruse said, in contrast to a moment last year when the price spiked at $2.
Kruse said the cotton prices at harvest will be shaped somewhat by the size of the cotton crop in Texas, where approximately half of the U.S. crop is grown. Lone Star State cotton acres declined considerably last year because of the drought that reduced the amount of Texas cotton harvested.
“If Texas comes back with a big harvest, our supply will be up again,” Kruse said.
Another factor in the decline of cotton prices from last year is an increase in the world supply, which is related to the struggling global economy. Also, when manufacturers last year were unable to get an adequate supply of cotton at low prices, they turned to blends of cotton and synthetic material, Kruse said.
On the bright side, the 2012 planting season has shaped up well, Kruse said.
“We came into the season in real good shape with plenty of soil moisture,” he said.
Kruse said farmers planted early, and he estimated that more than half of the state’s acreage has been planted. Earlier planting reduces the pressure from insects and drought.
He said farmers face an additional challenge this year. The sale of the insecticide Temik has been halted by the manufacturer. The chemical was effective against several early-season insect pests such as thrips and nematodes.
Other chemicals are registered to replace Temik, but they lack a long-lasting effect or are more expensive, Kruse said. Many farmers had stockpiled a supply of the chemical, but most are now out of the insecticide.

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