| WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--U.S. farmers have planted 1.37
million acres in the 12 sugarbeet-producing states to
sugarbeets, 200,000 acres below plantings a year ago, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture said Friday in its annual
"Acreage" report.
"Planted acres are down in several states due to plant
closures and financial reorganization," USDA said.
"The largest acreage reductions are in California, where
planted acreage is less than half of last year's 98,000
acres."
Washington's acreage dropped to 7,200 acres, about
one-fourth of last year's acreage. Other states that reduced
acreage due to reorganization were Colorado, Michigan,
Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming, USDA said.
Acres of sugarcane harvested for sugar and seed for 2001
are estimated at a record high 1.05 million acres, 3% above
the previous record seen last year, USDA said.
Florida, Louisiana and Texas are at record high levels. The
expansion in Louisiana continues a trend that began in 1996,
and is due to increase use of a new, more efficient mechanical
harvester, USDA said |