With corn prices up and cotton at break-even levels, the northeastern Louisiana farmer considers corn his best bet and for the first time in more than a decade will plant no cotton. The sharpest decline is projected for Mississippi and Louisiana; farmers in Louisiana, where construction of at least one corn-based ethanol plant is planned, are expected to seed their fewest cotton acres since 1975 and their most corn in nearly a decade, according to the U. Powered by The University of Basel....

The recently released USDA crop planting prospects indicated, not surprisingly, that farmers intend to plant much more corn this year about 12 million acres more! That along with increases in wheat, hay, grain sorghum and barley acres are being offset mostly by 8 million fewer acres of soybeans and a 3 million acre drop in cotton. One of the reasons that dual-purpose wheat systems are so popular in Oklahoma is that all too often the conditions that result in good wheat grazing conditions...

will export less cotton than the government forecast a month ago as sales and shipments lag behind year-ago levels, especially to China, analysts said. exports to China were down 72 percent at 1.24 million bales in this marketing year from 4.56 million bales at the same time last year, according to the USDA. Unsold supplies at the end of the year may reach 9.12 million bales, up from 8.8 million projected last month, analysts said. Export estimates by analysts ranged from 13 million bales...

Increases in corn and wheat acreage are expected to come at the expense of soybean and cotton acreage, although intentions show a substantial increase in total acreage to be planted in 2007. For soybeans, supplies will likely remain ample even with reduced acreage in the United States due to large current supplies and record South American production. Planting intentions in western growing areas are down 4.7 million acres, while producers in the eastern Corn Belt intend to reduce acreage...

From staff and wire reports DES MOINES, IOWA Mississippi farmers are expected to nearly triple the acreage used for corn production this year because of the marketplace fueled with expectations of high corn prices. Cotton gins, dealers, aerial applicators, consultants and field laborers likely will have less work this year, Lawson said. An ethanol-fueled boom in prices will prompt American farmers to plant the most corn since the year the Allies invaded Normandy, but surging demand could...

New outbreaks of meningitis in certain health districts and the contamination of bore holes in the north are serious threats affecting household health status. On the whole, the household food situation in all livelihood zones is considered acceptable, despite anticipated problems in the following at-risk areas. Reuters AlertNet - Food security remains stable AlertNet (change) In the Sahel, a livelihood zone characterized mainly by transhumant pastoralism and pearl millet production...