By RAY WYCHE
Staff Writer

The continued dry weather has hit where it hurts — the farmers’ pocketbooks.

With the exception of tobacco, practically every money crop grown in Columbus County is predicted to show a decrease in yields this year, and the main reason is the long-lasting drought.

Figures recently released by the North Carolina office of the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service for the entire state show a decline in the yields of most crops. Local agriculture officials say the state figures probably accurately reflect the low crop yields expected or now being experienced in Columbus County.

For the state and Columbus County, only flue-cured tobacco is showing a predicted increase in production – a slight 2 percent. All other farm commodities are expected to produce smaller harvests than in previous years, with North Carolina’s cotton crop predicted to be 51 percent smaller. The figure is based on smaller than expected yields-per-acre as well as a reduction in acres planted.

The per-acre yield forecast for cotton was reduced from 713 pounds in 2006 to 611 pounds because of dry weather.

Acres harvested in cotton in the state dropped from 1,285,000 acres last year to 630,000 acres this year.

Columbus County growers in 2007 planted 4,877 acres in cotton, compared to 7,969 acres last year.

The corn crop acreage in the county, state and nation this year was larger than in previous years as some farmers bet on high prices caused by increased demand, as corn is the main ingredient of ethanol, a gasoline substitute.

In North Carolina, land devoted to corn production totaled 1,030,000 acres this year, compared to 740,000 acres last growing season.

Columbus County farmers planted 44,006 acres of corn in 2007 in hopes of higher prices, while 31,533 acres were grown in 2006.

The 2006 corn crop yielded a record average of 132 bushels per acre while the current crop is predicted to produce only 89 bushels per acre, the victim of drought as growing corn requires more water than some other crops.

Despite the increase in corn acreage, the statewide yield is expected to be 6 percent less than last year’s.

Flue cured tobacco showed the only increase in the seven crops listed in the USDA forecast.

Burley tobacco showed a predicted 9 percent decrease in yield while flue cured was predicted to produce an increase of 2 percent.

Tobacco is considered a dry weather crop, able to withstand longer periods without rain than other crops.