Rain helps some crops, still down from last year

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- August rain came too late to help much of Missouri's crops, but some crops are slightly better off than they were before, the state Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday. Corn production is forecast at 304 million bushels, 2 percent above the August number but 35 percent below last year's record amount.

Yield is expected to be 103 bushels per acre, up four bushels from last month but 59 bushels below last year's record level.

Missouri's soybean production is expected to be 167 million bushels, based on Sept. 1 conditions, up 6 percent from the Aug. 1 forecast but still down 25 percent from last year, the service said. Yield is forecast at 33 bushels an acre, two bushels higher than last month's figure but still 12 bushels below 2004's record yield.

In other crop forecasts:

-- Grain sorghum production is forecast at 8.9 million bushels, 3 percent above the August forecast but still 43 percent below the 2004 production. Yields are expected to average 74 bushels per acre, down 34 bushels from last year's record yield.

-- The rice crop is forecast at 14.3 million hundredweight, 9 percent more than a month ago and 8 percent above last year's record amount. The state yield is forecast at 6,800 pounds per acre, matching last year's record yield.

-- The cotton crop is forecast at 770,000 bales, 3 percent below the August forecast and 7 percent less than last year's record crop. The average yield is forecast at 850 pounds per acre, 204 pounds below last year's record high.