Rice production in Missouri will be down and cotton agreage up this year.

"The price of rice was down and the price for cotton was up in 1994," said Dave Emslie of the Missouri Agriculture Statistical Service in Columbia. "Some farmers are cutting back on rice and planting more cotton."

Missouri farmers have planted only 105,000 acres of rice, down 20 percent from 1994, and the lowest acreage of the grain since 1991, when 97,000 acres were planted. Meanwhile, cotton acres in Missouri are estimated at 420,000, up 19 percent from a year ago.

Big differences are noted in the prices of the two crops between 1993 and 1994.

A year ago, Emslie said, cotton farmers received 66.1 cents a pound for their cotton, up from 53.2 cents in 1993. Rice, meanwhile, dropped from $8.03 per hundredweight in 1993 to $5.90 last year.

"I think we can safely say that prices have been partially responsible for the cutback in Rice," Emslie added. "Some of the soybean land has been converted to soybean fields."

"The rice we have looks good," said Steve Morrison, acting county executive director for Stoddard County Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation office. "We had some problems with cool weather early and didn't have great stands, but the rice crop is looking good now."

About 90 percent of Missouri rice is grown in Stoddard and Butler counties in Southeast Missouri.

"Butler is the big rice-producing county," Morrison said. "Stoddard ranks second in the state."

With more than 50,000 acres a year, Butler raised about half the state's rice. Stoddard County usually runs form 30,000 to 38,000 acres.

Rice is also grown in Dunklin, New Madrid, Pemiscot and Ripley counties.

In 1994, about 400 Missouri farmers planted more than 131,000 acres of rice, averaging about 4,900 pounds an acre.

Missouri is only one of seven states that raise the crop. Nationally, this year, about 3.2 million acres have been planted, down 6 percent form 1994 totals.

Rice first was grown in Southeast Missouri by George Begley in 1911 on a single acre north of Dudley. State records on rice growing have been kept since 1924, when only 1,000 acres were planted.

Rice is usually planted between April 15 and May 30

Rice land is covered with 2 to 3 inches of water during most of the growing season to inhibit weed and grass growth. As the rice grows, the water level is raised via use of irrigation canals. When the rice is mature, the water is drained from the field and the crop harvested using combines with special headers.

Arkansas is the nation's top rice-producing state, producing about two-thirds of all U.S. rice. Missouri, Florida, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi are big rice-producing states. California, however, is the second largest rice producer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting record foreign and world rice production this year. But according to global and foreign estimates, this year's unprecedented production may be eclipsed by healthy consumer demand.

Global production is forecast at 358.7 million tons, with consumption demand forecast at 364 million tons.

Even with flooding in parts of China and South Korea, which damaged some crops, the USDA says foreign production will reach a record 352.9 million tons, compared to last year's 352 million tons. Both South Korea and Japan will import rice this year under the minimum access criteria of the World Trade Organization. Indonesia leads the world in import demand, requiring 2 million tons to satisfy its consumers. China is expected to import 1.8 million tons, while Iran will import 1.3 million tons.

Like rice, most cotton in the state is raised in Southeast Missouri.

Dunklin County is the biggest producer, with more than 135,000 acres of the more than 345,000 acres of Missouri cotton. Second on the list is New Madrid County with as many as 90,000 acres, followed by Pemiscot County with more than 75,000 acres.

Stoddard County last year had more than 25,000 acres.

Cotton is also grown in Butler, Mississippi and Scott counties.

Cotton production in the state averaged 600 to 800 pounds an acre.

Nationally, 16.6 million acres of cotton have been planted this year, up 21 percent from a year ago, and the biggest crop since 1956 is expected.