ne-agri-facts Released: 04/04/2006 Issue 07/2006 NEBRASKA AGRI-FACTS USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service Nebraska Field Office 100 Centennial Mall North, Suite 298, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508 Phone: 402-437-5541 E-mail: nass-ne@nass.usda.gov Internet: www.nass.usda.gov Mark Harris, Director Dean Groskurth, Deputy Director ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Nebraska Farmers, Ranchers and Agribusinesses: The following narrative and tables are from recently published reports by USDA’s Agricultural Statistics Board. These data are direct results of information provided by Nebraska producers and agribusinesses to the surveys conducted each month by this office. Thank you for your response to these surveys. Mark Harris Director ------------------------------------------------------------------------ March Prospective Plantings As of March 1, Nebraska producers expect to increase acreage devoted to soybeans, sorghum, oats, and sugarbeets, and decrease acreage planted to corn, hay, winter wheat (sown last fall), dry edible beans, and sunflowers. Nebraska corn growers expect to plant 8.2 million acres for all purposes in 2006, down 4 percent from last year and down 1 percent from two years ago. Expected plantings of soybeans, at 5.0 million acres, would be up 6 percent from last year and the largest planted area on record. Last fall, winter wheat was sown on 1.75 million acres, down 5 percent from a year earlier and two years ago. Sorghum growers expect to plant 360,000 acres, 6 percent more than 2005 but 35 percent less than 2004. Hay acreage for harvest, at 2.8 million, would be down 2 percent from last year and tying the record low set two years ago. Dry edible bean producers intend to plant 165,000 acres, down 6 percent from a year earlier. Oat planting intentions, at 160,000 acres, are up 7 percent from 2005. Sunflower planting intentions, at 53,000 acres, are down 46 percent while sugarbeet plantings of 62,000 acres would be up 28 percent from a year ago. Crop Summary: Acres Planted, Nebraska and United States, 2004-2006 .........Nebraska......... ........United States........ Inten- Inten- Crop tions 2006/ tions 2006/ 2004 2005 2006 1/ 2005 2004 2005 2006 1/ 2005 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1,000 Acres Percent 1,000 Acres Percent Corn 8,250 8,500 8,200 96 80,929 81,759 78,019 95 Soybeans 4,800 4,700 5,000 106 75,208 72,142 76,895 107 Sorghum 550 340 360 106 7,486 6,454 6,483 100 Oats 140 150 160 107 4,085 4,246 4,324 102 Barley 6 2/ 4,527 3,875 3,667 95 Dry Beans 120 175 165 94 1,354.3 1,665.0 1,710.3 103 Sugar Beets 49.8 48.4 62.0 128 1,345.6 1,294.8 1,371.8 106 All Hay 2,800 2,850 2,800 98 61,966 61,649 61,478 100 All Wheat 1,850 1,850 1,750 95 59,674 57,229 57,128 100 Winter Wheat 1,850 1,850 1,750 95 43,350 40,433 41,404 102 Sunflower-Oil 36 60 28 47 1,533 2,104 1,845 88 -Non-oil 20 39 25 64 340 605 351 58 -All 56 99 53 54 1,873 2,709 2,196 81 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Intended plantings as indicated by reports from farmers. 2/ Estimates discontinued in 2005. Source: USDA NASS Prospective Plantings, March 31, 2006. Grain Stocks Nebraska corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2006, totaled 806 million bushels, down 2 percent from March 1, 2005. Soybeans stored in all positions totaled a record high 120 million bushels, up 11 percent from last year. Wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 2006, totaled 27.8 million bushels, down 9 percent from a year ago and lowest since 1997. U.S. corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2006, totaled 6.99 billion bushels, up 3 percent from March 1, 2005. Soybeans stored in all positions totaled 1.67 billion bushels, up 21 percent from last year. All wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 2006, totaled 972 million bushels, down 1 percent from a year ago. Grain Stocks: By Commodity, Nebraska and United States, 2004-2006 Grain Nebraska United States and Mar 1, Mar 1, Mar 1, 2006/ Mar 1, Mar 1, Mar 1, 2006/ Position 2004 2005 2006 2005 2004 2005 2006 2005 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thousand Bushels Percent Thousand Bushels Percent Corn On Farms 380,000 520,000 470,000 90 3,030,000 4,137,000 4,055,000 98 Off Farms 1/ 268,219 301,122 336,280 112 2,241,459 2,619,334 2,932,178 112 Total 648,219 821,122 806,280 98 5,271,459 6,756,334 6,987,178 103 All Wheat On Farms 7,000 3,400 2,600 76 257,890 304,710 256,000 84 Off Farms 1/ 34,742 27,134 25,238 93 762,727 679,681 716,240 105 Total 41,742 30,534 27,838 91 1,020,617 984,391 972,240 99 Soybeans On Farms 21,000 55,000 45,000 82 355,900 795,000 872,000 110 Off Farms 1/ 58,047 53,634 75,247 140 549,947 586,364 796,555 136 Total 79,047 108,634 120,247 111 905,847 1,381,364 1,668,555 121 Sorghum On Farms 3,400 4,700 2,800 60 21,000 33,400 25,900 78 Off Farms 1/ 15,720 13,791 12,694 92 137,652 170,122 166,939 98 Total 19,120 18,491 15,494 84 158,652 203,522 192,839 95 Oats On Farms 1,500 1,100 900 82 45,600 43,500 41,900 96 Off Farms 1/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 49,414 38,946 32,812 84 Total 2/ 2/ 2/ 95,014 82,446 74,712 91 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, 2006. Prices Received: By Commodity, Nebraska and United States, Preliminary March 2006 with Comparisons Nebraska United States Commodity Unit Mar Feb Mar 15, Mar Feb Mar 15 % of Parity '05 1/ '06 1/ '06 '05 1/ '06 1/ '06 Parity Price 2/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...............Dollars..................... % Dollars All wheat Bushels 3.29 3.73 3.90 3.42 3.66 3.71 36 10.30 Corn Bushels 1.98 1.94 1.95 2.02 2.02 2.01 26 7.65 Oats Bushels 1.78 1.83 1.70 1.73 1.82 1.77 42 4.25 Grain Sorghum Cwt. 3.03 3.20 3.30 3.04 3.40 3.29 28 11.90 Soybeans Bushels 5.88 5.42 5.40 5.95 5.67 5.55 33 16.90 Hay, All, Baled Ton 50.00 52.00 52.00 92.60 95.00 97.10 Alfalfa, Baled Ton 50.00 52.00 53.00 98.60 99.20 100.00 Other, Baled Ton 48.00 47.00 47.00 77.80 83.20 86.60 Dry Edible Beans Cwt. 24.00 16.60 16.10 26.60 17.40 19.50 36 54.00 Hogs Cwt. 52.10 44.30 43.90 51.20 42.60 42.40 37 115.00 Barrows & Gilts Cwt. 52.40 44.60 44.10 51.50 43.20 42.80 Sows Cwt. 42.60 31.50 34.80 43.40 31.10 34.40 Beef Cattle Cwt. 94.90 96.60 92.70 91.00 92.40 89.20 47 190.00 Steers & Heifers Cwt. 96.00 98.00 94.00 95.20 97.80 94.10 Cows Cwt. 60.00 49.90 50.60 55.00 49.70 49.90 Calves Cwt. 139.00 145.00 141.00 136.00 142.00 138.00 52 263.00 Sheep Cwt. 44.00 44.20 49.00 46.00 94.00 Lambs Cwt. 116.00 92.00 114.00 96.80 229.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Entire month average except hay. 2/ Parity price based on data for March 2006. Source: USDA NASS Agricultural Prices, March 30, 2006. Hogs and Pigs Nebraska inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2006, was 2.90 million head. This was 5 percent above March 1, 2005 and up 2 percent from December 1, 2005. Breeding inventory, at 355,000 head, was unchanged from March 1, 2005 but up 1 percent from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 2.55million head, was 6 percent above last year and 2 percent above last quarter. Inventory of all hogs and pigs in the United States was 60.1 million head on March 1, 2006. This was up 1 percent from last year but down 2 percent from December 1, 2005. Breeding inventory, at 6.03 million head, was up 1 percent from March 1, 2005 and up slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 54.1 million head, was up 1 percent from last year but down 2 percent from last quarter. Hogs and Pigs: March 1 Inventory, Sows Farrowing and Pig Crop, Nebraska and United States 2005-2006 1/ Nebraska United States Item 2005 2006 2006/2005 2005 2006 2006/2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1,000 Head Percent 1,000 Head Percent March 1 Inventory All hogs and pigs 2,750 2,900 105 59,699 60,104 101 Breeding 355 355 100 5,941 6,025 101 Market 2,395 2,545 106 53,757 54,079 101 Market Hogs & Pigs Under 60 pounds 970 1,000 103 19,667 19,838 101 60-119 pounds 600 660 110 13,087 13,114 100 120-179 pounds 470 490 104 11,360 11,317 100 180 pounds and over 355 395 111 9,644 9,811 102 Sows Farrowing December-February 2/ 175 175 100 2,835 2,840 100 March-May 3/ 175 175 100 2,882 2,896 101 December-May 2/ 4/ 350 350 100 5,716 5,736 100 June-August 3/ 175 175 100 2,918 2,923 100 September-November 175 2,888 June-November 350 5,806 Pig Crop December-February 2/ 1,575 1,601 102 25,343 25,654 101 March-May 1,584 25,986 December-May 2/ 3,159 51,330 June-August 1,584 26,449 September-November 1,584 26,080 June-November 3,168 52,528 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ May not add due to rounding. 2/ December preceding year. 3/ Intentions for 2006. 4/ Actual farrowings for December 2005–February 2006 plus intentions for March-May 2006. Source: USDA NASS Quarterly Hog and Pigs, March 31, 2006. Commercial Livestock Slaughter February 2006 number slaughtered and changes from last year and last month are shown below. February 2005 contained 20 weekdays (including one holiday) and four Saturdays. February 2006 contained 20 weekdays (including one holiday) and four Saturdays. Livestock Slaughter: By Commodity, Nebraska and United States, February 2006 with Comparisons Feb 2006 Percent of Item Total 1/ Feb Jan 2005 2006 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Nebraska 1,000 Head Cattle, head 506.7 101 91 Hogs, head 555.5 99 91 Red Meat, mil. lbs. 525.7 103 92 United States Cattle, head 2,345.9 100 89 Calves, head 53.0 86 95 Hogs, head 8,054.7 99 90 Sheep & Lambs, head 202.5 95 91 Red Meat, mil, lbs. 3,483.8 102 90 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes animals slaughtered on farms. Source: USDA NASS Livestock Slaughter, March 24, 2006. Stocks in Cold Storage: By Commodity, United States, February 2006 with Comparisons Feb 2006 Percent of Commodity Stocks Feb 2005 Jan 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1,000 Lbs Total red meats 968,536 101 97 Beef 429,248 107 95 Pork 518,925 96 99 Poultry 1,237,966 122 104 Turkey 313,337 83 119 Chicken 920,028 145 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: USDA NASS Cold Storage, March 22, 2006. Poultry: Layers and Eggs, Nebraska and United States, February 2006 with Comparisons Item 2005 2006 2006/2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Millions Percent Number of Layers Nebraska 12.1 11.8 98 United States 348.8 349.7 100 Table Eggs Produced Nebraska 244 247 101 United States 5,915 5,985 101 Chickens Hatched, February United States Egg-type 33.9 33.7 99 Broiler 731.3 733.1 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: USDA NASS Chicken and Eggs, March 24, 2006. *********************************************************************** * 2005 Cropland Data Layer Available * * * * The Cropland Data Layer for Nebraska depicting distribution of 2005 * * crops is now available on CD Rom. * * Order it at: * * http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/sarsexample3.html * * or call 1-800-727-9540. * **********************************************************************