ne-agri-facts NEBRASKA AGRI-FACTS Issue 01/2003 Released: 01/02/2003 by Nebraska Agricultural Statistics Service P.O Box 81069 Location: 298 Federal Bldg Lincoln, NE 68501 Phone: (402) 437-5541 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ USDA,National Ag Statistics Service Nebraska Department of Agriculture William G Hamlin, State Statistician Merlyn Carlson, Director ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear producers and other data users: Information contained herein is the result of mail, phone and personal interview surveys conducted during the past few weeks. Special recognition and appreciation are extended to all producers and agribusinesses who provided data making these reports possible. William G. Hamlin State Statistician Prices Received By Farmers The preliminary United States All Farm Products Index of Prices Received in December was 97, based on 1990-92=100, down 1 point (1.0 percent) from the November index. Lower prices for wheat, lettuce, broccoli, and eggs more than offset higher prices for cattle, tomatoes, hogs, and strawberries. The seasonal change in the mix of commodities farmers sell often affects the overall index. Decreased marketings of cattle, soybeans, grapes, and corn offset increased marketings of wheat, tobacco, milk, and oranges. The preliminary All Farm Products Index was 4 points (4.3 percent) above December 2001. Higher prices for soybeans, wheat, corn, and cattle more than offset lower prices for boilers, hogs, lettuce, calves, and dry beans. Prices Received: By Commodity, Nebraska and United States, Preliminary December 2002 with Comparisons --------Nebraska-------- -----------United States--------------- Commodity Unit Dec Nov Dec 15, Dec Nov Dec 15, % of Parity 2001 1/ 2002 1/ 2002 2001 1/ 2002 1/ 2002 Parity Price 2/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dollars Dollars Wheat, All Bu. 2.71 4.26 4.00 2.88 4.25 3.93 41 9.67 Corn Bu. 1.91 2.37 2.31 1.98 2.27 2.29 35 6.55 Oats Bu. 1.94 2.33 2.30 1.92 1.90 1.81 45 3.99 Grain Sorghum Cwt 3.16 4.44 4.40 3.25 4.30 4.21 38 11.10 Soybeans Bu. 4.06 5.42 5.30 4.20 5.46 5.48 38 14.30 Hay, All, Baled Ton 73.00 89.00 88.00 95.60 93.60 92.60 Alfalfa, Baled Ton 75.00 89.00 89.00 105.00 101.00 100.00 Other, Baled Ton 63.00 86.00 81.00 73.40 75.40 74.70 Dry Edible Beans Cwt 17.80 17.90 16.90 21.70 16.10 15.50 32 48.40 Hogs Cwt 36.50 31.00 32.70 33.30 27.80 30.00 29 103.00 Barrows & Gilts Cwt 36.70 31.20 32.90 33.80 28.10 30.40 Sows Cwt 25.60 22.50 25.00 25.10 20.40 22.80 Beef Cattle Cwt 68.90 70.30 73.50 64.80 67.60 70.20 44 160.00 Steers & Heifers Cwt 70.00 71.50 74.80 68.50 72.00 74.80 Cows Cwt 34.70 32.00 33.00 36.00 33.00 34.20 Calves Cwt 104.00 95.20 102.00 101.00 88.20 93.60 44 212.00 Sheep Cwt 31.60 33.30 34.00 32.80 76.30 Lambs Cwt 60.70 81.80 61.40 84.10 180.00 1/ Entire month average except hay. 2/ Parity price based on data for December 2002. Source: USDA NASS Agricultural Prices December 31, 2002. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ************************************************************************ * * * * * WILL MY CENSUS INFORMATON * * BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL? * * * * Yes, by law, farmers and ranchers are guaranteed confidentiality. * * * * * * By: Dean C. Groskurth, * * Deputy State Statistician, * * USDA-NASS, Lincoln, NE * * * * For all NASS surveys farmers and ranchers are guaranteed, by law, * * that their individual information will be kept confidential (US * * Code Title 7). * * * * NASS uses the information only for statistical purposes and * * publishes data only in tabulated totals. Your report cannot be * * used for purposes of taxation, investigation, or regulation. * * * * The law also provides that your data are immune from legal * * process. The privacy of individual records is also protected from * * disclosure through the Freedom of Information Act. * * * * For those of you who just received your Census of Agriculture in * * the mail, your response is needed and greatly appreciated. * * * * * * * ************************************************************************ Commercial Livestock Slaughter November 2002 number slaughtered and changes from last year and last month are shown below. November 2001 contained 22 weekdays (including two holidays) and four Saturdays. November 2002 contained 21 weekdays (including two holidays) and five Saturdays. Livestock Slaughter: By Commodity, Nebraska and United States, November 2002 with Comparisons Item Total 1/ Nov. 2002/ Nov. 2002/ Nov. 2001 Oct. 2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Nebraska 1,000 Head ------percent----- Cattle, head 640.7 101 88 Hogs, head 601.9 97 94 Red Meat, mil. lbs. 630.3 100 89 United States Cattle, head 2,861.3 99 88 Calves, head 91.1 104 90 Hogs, head 8,655.5 99 92 Sheep & Lambs, head 271.3 94 90 Red Meat, mil, lbs. 3,907.3 98 89 1/ Excludes animals slaughtered on farms. Source: USDA NASS Livestock Slaughter, December 20, 2002. Stocks in Cold Storage: By Commodity, United States, November 2002 with Comparisons Commodity Stocks Nov. 2002/ Nov. 2002/ Nov. 2001 Oct. 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------- 1,000 Lbs. ----percent----- Total red meats 1,002,102 114 96 Beef 514,987 120 98 Pork 465,350 108 95 Poultry 1,134,401 119 76 Turkey 330,739 127 53 Chicken 796,076 116 92 Source: USDA NASS Cold Storage, December 20, 2002. Poultry: Layers and Eggs, Nebraska and United States, November 2002 with Comparisons Item 2001 2002 2002/2001 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Millions Percent Number of Layers Nebraska 11.5 11.6 101 30 States 317.0 316.1 100 United States 337.9 338.6 100 Eggs Produced Nebraska 239 247 103 30 States 6,750 6,760 100 United States 7,191 7,246 101 Chickens Hatched, Nov United States Egg-type 32.1 31.1 97 Broiler 702.6 690.0 98 Source: USDA NASS Chicken and Eggs, December 23, 2002. Hogs and Pigs Nebraska inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2002, was 2.90 million head. This was unchanged from both December 2001 and September 1, 2002. Breeding inventory, at 365,000 head, was down 1 percent from a year ago but 1 percent above last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 2.54 million head, was up fractionally from last year but down slightly from last quarter. Inventory of all hogs and pigs in the United States was 58.9 million head on December 1, 2002. This was 1 percent below December 1, 2001, and 2 percent below September 1, 2002. Breeding inventory, at 6.01 million head, was down 3 percent from December 1, 2001, and down 1 percent from last quarter. Market inventory, at 52.9 million head, was 1 percent below last year and 2 percent below last quarter. Hogs and Pigs: December 1 Inventory, Sows Farrowing and Pig Crop, Nebraska and United States 2001-2002 Nebraska United States 1/ Item 2001 2002 2002/2001 2001 2002 2002/2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1,000 Head Percent 1,000 Head Percent December 1 Inventory All hogs and pigs 2,900 2,900 100 59,804 58,943 99 Breeding 370 365 99 6,209 6,012 97 Market 2,530 2,535 100 53,594 52,931 99 Market Hogs & Pigs Under 60 pounds 1,030 1,010 98 19,908 19,461 98 60-119 pounds 610 650 107 12,924 12,919 100 120-179 pounds 500 480 96 10,744 10,736 100 180 pounds and over 390 395 101 10,018 9,815 98 Sows Farrowing December-February 2/ 140 170 121 2,748 2,836 103 March-May 160 175 109 2,870 2,943 103 June-August 155 160 103 2,878 2,833 98 September-November 165 170 103 2,889 2,817 98 Total Sows Farrowing 620 675 109 11,385 11,429 100 Pig Crop December-February 2/ 1,232 1,496 121 23,963 24,794 103 March-May 1,408 1,575 112 25,509 25,959 102 June-August 1,349 1,440 107 25,539 25,114 98 September-November 1,436 1,539 107 25,492 24,892 98 Total Pig Crop 5,425 6,050 112 100,503 100,758 100 1/ Totals may not add due to rounding. 2/ December preceding year. Source: USDA NASS Quarterly Hog and Pigs, December 30, 2002. Hogs and Pigs: Number of Operations with Hogs, Percent of Inventory by Size Group, Nebraska and United States, 2001-2002 1/ Size of Nebraska United States Operation 2001 2002 2001 2002 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Operations - Number 1-99 head 1,100 800 45,812 42,725 100-499 head 1,000 900 15,405 13,479 500-999 head 630 570 7,201 6,489 1,000-1,999 head 380 350 5,469 5,435 2,000-4,999 head 200 190 4,794 4,964 5,000+ head 90 90 2,199 2,258 Total 3,400 2,900 80,880 75,350 Inventory - Percent 1-99 head 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.0 100-499 head 8.0 8.0 5.5 5.0 500-999 head 13.5 13.0 7.5 7.0 1,000-1,999 head 15.5 15.2 12.0 12.0 2,000-4,999 head 21.0 21.0 22.0 22.0 5,000+ head 41.0 42.0 52.0 53.0 1/ An operation is any place having one or more hogs and pigs on hand any time during the year. Percents reflect average distributions based primarily on mid-year surveys. Source: USDA NASS Quarterly Hog and Pigs, December 30, 2002. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - FACTOID - - - - "Years in Agricultural Production" - - - - Ninety percent of all principal U.S. farm and ranch operators in - - 1997 started farming after 1955. This means that only ten percent - - of operators started farming in 1955 or before. - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------