ne-agri-facts NEBRASKA AGRI-FACTS Issue 07/2003 Released: 04/02/2003 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ March Prospective Plantings As of March 1, Nebraska corn growers expect to plant 8.2 million acres in 2003, down 2 percent from last year but 1 percent above 2001. Of these acres, 40 percent are expected to be planted to insect resistant (Bt) varieties, 11 percent to herbicide resistant varieties and 4 percent to stacked gene varieties, compared to 34 percent, 9 percent and 4 percent respectively a year ago. Nebraska soybean producers expect to plant 4.65 million acres in 2003. This would be the third highest of record, down 1 percent from last year but 6 percent below the record high set in 2001. Last fall, winter wheat was sown on 1.75 million acres, up 6 percent from a year earlier but equal to two years ago. Sorghum growers expect to plant 650,000 acres, 44 percent more than 2002, up 18 percent from 2001 and the largest total in five years. Hay acreage for harvest, at 3.1 million acres, would be down 5 percent from last year. Oat planting intentions at 190,000 acres are up 9 percent from 2002. Dry edible bean producers intend to plant 160,000 acres, down 14 percent from a year earlier. Sugar beet plantings of 42,000 acres would be down 26 percent from 2002. Sunflower planting intentions of 60,000 acres are up 3 percent. Crop Summary: Acres Planted, Nebraska and United States, 2001-2003 .........Nebraska......... ........United States........ Inten- Inten- Crop tions 2003/ tions 2003/ 2001 2002 2003 1/ 2002 2001 2002 2003 1/ 2002 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1,000 Acres Percent 1,000 Acres Percent Corn 8,100 8,400 8,200 98 75,752 79,054 79,022 100 Soybeans 4,950 4,700 4,650 99 74,075 73,758 73,182 99 Sorghum 550 450 650 144 10,252 9,580 9,451 99 Oats 155 175 190 109 4,403 5,005 4,828 96 Oats for Grain 60 55 65 118 1,905 2,098 2,204 105 Barley 5 6 5 83 4,967 5,073 5,379 106 Dry Beans 160 185 160 86 1,435.9 1,922.1 1,522.8 79 Sugar Beets 48.6 57.0 42.0 74 1,370.5 1,427.9 1,399.3 98 All Hay 2/ 3,250 3,250 3,100 95 63,521 64,497 63,552 99 All Wheat 1,750 1,650 1,750 106 59,597 60,358 61,697 102 Winter Wheat 1,750 1,650 1,750 106 41,078 41,735 44,308 106 Sunflower-Oil 52 45 40 89 2,117 2,125 2,123 100 -Non-oil 30 13 20 154 516 460 394 86 -All 82 58 60 103 2,633 2,585 2,517 97 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Intended plantings as indicated by reports from farmers. 2/ Intended acres for harvest as indicated by reports from farmers. Source: USDA NASS Prospective Plantings, March 28, 2003. Grain Stocks Nebraska corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2003, totaled 596 million bushels, down 16 percent from March 1, 2002. Soybeans stored in all positions totaled 77 million bushels, down 17 percent from last year. Wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 2003 totaled 36 million bushels, down 30 percent from a year ago. U.S. corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2003, totaled 5.13 billion bushels, down 11 percent from March 1, 2002 Soybeans stored in all positions on March 1, 2003 totaled 1.20 billion bushels, down 10 percent from last year. All wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 2003, totaled 905 million bushels, down 25 percent from a year ago. Grain Stocks: By Commodity, Nebraska and United States, 2001-2003 Grain Nebraska United States and Mar 1, Mar 1, Mar 1, 2003/ Mar 1, Mar 1, Mar 1, 2003/ Position 2001 2002 2003 2002 2001 2002 2003 2002 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thousand Bushels Percent Thousand Bushels Percent Corn On Farms 410,000 410,000 325,000 79 3,600,000 3,355,000 2,940,000 88 Off Farms 1/ 276,714 297,176 270,722 91 2,442,999 2,440,263 2,192,318 90 Total 686,714 707,176 595,722 84 6,042,999 5,795,263 5,132,318 89 All Wheat On Farms 7,200 8,000 4,500 56 384,750 338,500 233,200 69 Off Farms 1/ 47,687 43,091 31,039 72 953,648 871,268 671,667 77 Total 54,887 51,091 35,539 70 1,338,398 1,209,768 904,867 75 Soybeans On Farms 34,000 27,000 31,000 115 780,000 687,000 635,500 93 Off Farms 1/ 59,677 66,041 46,213 70 623,908 648,987 566,308 87 Total 93,677 93,041 77,213 83 1,403,908 1,335,987 1,201,808 90 Sorghum On Farms 7,900 6,000 4,000 67 40,100 38,100 27,500 72 Off Farms 1/ 20,313 17,911 14,506 81 127,027 156,007 135,312 87 Total 28,213 23,911 18,506 77 167,127 194,107 162,812 84 Oats On Farms 800 900 900 100 55,800 40,200 35,000 87 Off Farms 1/ 2 2 2 54,128 53,158 47,438 89 Total 2 2 2 109,928 93,358 82,438 88 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes stocks at mills, elevators, warehouses, terminals, and processors. 2/ Not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations. Source: USDA NASS Grain Stocks, March 31, 2003. Prices Received: By Commodity, Nebraska and United States, Preliminary March 2003 with Comparisons Nebraska United States Commodity Unit Mar Feb Mar 15, Mar Mar Mar 15 % of Parity '02 1/ '03 1/ '03 '02 1/ '03 1/ '03 Parity Price 2/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ...............Dollars..................... % Dollars Wheat Bushels 2.69 3.55 3.35 2.87 3.68 3.49 36 9.71 Corn Bushels 1.93 2.34 2.30 1.94 2.34 2.30 35 6.64 Oats Bushels 2.07 2.44 2.30 1.99 2.09 1.94 47 4.15 Grain Sorghum Cwt. 3.22 4.35 4.11 3.23 4.14 3.97 35 11.20 Soybeans Bushels 4.27 5.45 5.46 4.38 5.55 5.58 38 14.50 Hay, All, Baled Ton 61.00 84.00 81.00 92.30 91.80 92.80 Alfalfa, Baled Ton 62.00 84.00 82.00 99.60 96.40 96.20 Other, Baled Ton 57.00 82.00 76.00 72.70 79.40 82.30 Dry Edible Beans Cwt. 19.80 16.60 16.20 27.10 19.40 15.50 31 50.70 Hogs Cwt. 38.70 36.50 37.20 36.00 34.30 35.00 34 103.00 Barrows & Gilts Cwt. 38.90 36.80 37.50 36.30 34.90 35.60 Sows Cwt. 31.00 23.90 24.50 30.00 23.20 24.20 Beef Cattle Cwt. 73.00 76.30 75.40 70.60 74.00 72.20 45 161.00 Steers & Heifers Cwt. 74.00 77.40 76.50 74.10 78.10 76.20 Cows Cwt. 41.10 39.80 41.10 41.50 38.90 39.80 Calves Cwt. 108.00 99.30 97.90 105.00 97.30 96.40 44 217.00 Sheep Cwt. 31.30 42.00 31.80 43.60 79.40 Lambs Cwt. 68.20 94.50 66.70 92.40 186.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Entire month average except hay. 2/ Parity price based on data for March 2003. Source: USDA NASS Agricultural Prices, March 28, 2003. Hogs and Pigs Nebraska inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2003, was 2.85 million head. This was 5 percent below March 2002 and 3 percent below December 1, 2002. Breeding inventory, at 375,000 head, was down 4 percent from March 1, 2002 but 3 percent above last quarter. Market hog inventory was 5 percent below last year. Inventory of all hogs and pigs in the United States was 58.1 million head on March 1, 2003. This was 2 percent below last year and 2 percent below December 1, 2002. Breeding inventory, at 5.96 million head, was down 4 percent from March 1, 2002 and down 1 percent from last quarter. Market hog inventory was 2 percent below last year. Hogs and Pigs: March 1 Inventory, Sows Farrowing and Pig Crop, Nebraska and United States 2002-2003 Nebraska United States Item 2002 2003 2003/2002 2002 2003 2003/2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1,000 Head Percent 1,000 Head Percent March 1 Inventory All hogs and pigs 3,000 2,850 95 59,248 58,107 98 Breeding 390 375 96 6,236 5,956 96 Market 2,610 2,475 95 53,011 52,151 98 Market Hogs & Pigs Under 60 pounds 1,070 1,000 93 19,487 19,110 98 60-119 pounds 680 610 90 12,975 12,655 98 120-179 pounds 500 470 94 11,172 10,894 98 180 pounds and over 360 395 110 9,377 9,492 101 Sows Farrowing December-February1 170 175 103 2,836 2,767 98 March-May 175 175 2 100 2,943 2,842 2 97 June-August 165 175 2 106 2,887 2,792 2 97 September-November 170 2,817 Total Sows Farrowing 680 11,483 Pig Crop December-February1 1,496 1,531 102 24,794 24,374 98 March-May 1,575 25,959 June-August 1,485 25,700 September-November 1,539 24,892 Total Pig Crop3 6,095 101,344 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ December preceding year. 2/ Intentions. 3/ May not add due to rounding. Source: USDA NASS Quarterly Hog and Pigs, March 28, 2003. March 1 Hog Report Highlights * U.S. inventory down 2 percent from March 2002. Expectations of private forecasters averaged 98 percent of the previous year with a range of 97.0 percent to 100.3 percent. * Market hogs were down 2 percent from a year earlier. Private forecasters' expectations ranged from 97.1 percent to 100.5 percent with an average of 99 percent. * Breeding herd was down 4 percent from a year earlier. Expectations of private forecasters ranged from 95.4 percent to 99.3 percent with an average of 96 percent * U.S. December-February pig crop was down 2 percent from a year earlier. Analysts expected the pig crop to be 99 percent of previous year; estimates ranged from 97.2 percent to 99.3 percent. * March-May intentions are down 3 percent from actual farrowings a year earlier. June-August intentions are down 3 percent from the previous years actual farrowings. *Commercial hog slaughter during December-February at 25.1 million head was 2 percent above a year earlier. Live hog imports were 1.47 million head, unchanged from a year earlier. Total exports increased to 63,000 head, compared to 59,000 a year ago. Commercial Livestock Slaughter February 2003 number slaughtered and changes from last year and last month are shown below. February 2002 contained 20 weekdays (including one holiday) and four Saturdays. February 2003 contained 20 weekdays (including one holiday) and four Saturdays. Livestock Slaughter: By Commodity, Nebraska and United States, February 2003 with Comparisons Feb 2003 Percent of Item Total 1/ Feb Jan 2002 2003 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Nebraska 1,000 Head Cattle, head 539.6 96 84 Hogs, head 538.1 102 87 Red Meat, mil. lbs. 538.5 97 83 United States Cattle, head 2,569.8 98 85 Calves, head 83.1 114 89 Hogs, head 7,680.3 102 87 Sheep & Lambs, head 224.2 86 94 Red Meat, mil, lbs. 3,496.5 100 86 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes animals slaughtered on farms. Source: USDA NASS Livestock Slaughter, March 21, 2003. Stocks in Cold Storage: By Commodity, United States, February 2003 with Comparisons Feb 2003 Percent of Commodity Stocks Feb 2002 Jan 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1,000 Lbs Total red meats 980,716 101 97 Beef 442,967 101 92 Pork 519,464 102 101 Poultry 1,158,685 100 101 Turkey 478,862 116 113 Chicken 674,688 92 93 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: USDA NASS Cold Storage, March 20, 2003. Poultry: Layers and Eggs, Nebraska and United States, February 2003 with Comparisons Item 2002 2003 2003/2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Millions Percent Number of Layers Nebraska 11.6 11.7 101 30 States 317.0 315.8 100 United States 338.0 338.2 100 Eggs Produced Nebraska 220 237 108 30 States 6,164 6,180 100 United States 6,581 6,617 101 Chickens Hatched, February -------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: USDA NASS Chicken and Eggs, March 21, 2003.