Pa. farmers expect more acres harvested

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Based on acreage planted by June 1 and intended acres that remained to be planted, the Keystone state’s farmers expect to harvest fewer acres of winter wheat.

More acres of corn for grain, sorghum for grain, soybeans, barley, hay, and tobacco are expected to be harvested according to the Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistics Service.

Oat acreage is expected to be unchanged.

Harvest expectations. Corn acreage planted for all purposes is estimated at 1.450 million acres, unchanged from last year. Growers expect to harvest 900,000 acres of corn for grain, up 30,000 acres or 3 percent from a year ago.

Sorghum acreage planted for all purposes is estimated at 14,000 acres, up 3,000 acres or 27 percent from a year ago. Growers expect to harvest 4,000 acres for grain, which is 1,000 acres more that last year.

Soybean acreage for harvest is estimated at 365,000 acres for 2003, up 4 percent from last year.

Small grains. Oat acreage planted in 2003 is estimated at 140,000, unchanged from a year ago. Growers expect to harvest 115,000 acres for grain, which is also unchanged from last year.

Winter wheat to be harvested for grain is estimated at 160,000 acres, down 25,000 acres or 14 percent from last year.

Barley acreage for harvest, at 65,000, is up 5,000 acres or 8 percent from 2002.

Hay crop. All acres for harvest of dry hay in 2003 are estimated at 1.9 million acres, up 100,000 acres or 5.5 percent from last year.

Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures for dry hay, at 700,000 acres, is up 20,000 acres or 3 percent from last year.

All other dry hay, at 1,200,000 acres, is up 80,000 acres or 7 percent from last year.

Tobacco. Tobacco acres for harvest increased 9 percent from a year ago with growers expecting to harvest 3,700 acres, compared to 3,400 acres last year.

Of these acres, 1,300 acres are expected to be Southern Maryland type 32 tobacco with the remaining 2,400 acres expected to be Pennsylvania seedleaf cigar filler type 41 tobacco.