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NEW YORK CROP AND LIVESTOCK REPORT
April 2007

Monthly

No. 973-4-07

NEW YORK PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS - 2007 CROP

Preliminary planting intentions of New York farmers as of March 1, 2007 indicate decreases for barley, dry hay and winter wheat. Oats, soybeans, dry beans, and corn are expected to increase.  Empire State farmers intend to plant 1,020,000 acres of corn for all purposes (grain and silage) for the 2007 crop year, up 7 percent from last year. Soybean plantings are expected to increase by 1 percent to 210,000 acres which if realized is a record high planted area. Dry bean intentions, at 20,000 acres, is up 1 percent from last year. New York farmers intend to harvest 1.48 million acres of dry hay in 2007, 3 percent below last year. Wheat planted acreage totaled 85,000 acres, down 20 percent from 2006. Oat plantings are expected to total 95,000 acres, up 12 percent from a year earlier.  Barley plantings are expected to total 16,000 acres, 6 percent below last year.

Nationally, corn planted area for all purposes is estimated at 90.5 million acres, up 15 percent from 2006 and 11 percent higher than 2005.  If realized this would be the highest acreage since 1944, when 95.5 million acres were planted for all purposes.  Expected acreage is up in nearly all States as high corn prices are encouraging farmers to plant more acres to corn.  The increase in intended corn acres is partially offset by lower expected acres of soybeans in the Corn Belt and Great Plains and fewer expected acres of cotton and rice in the Delta and Southeast.  Illinois farmers intend to plant a record high of

12.9 million acres of corn this spring, up 1.60 million acres from last year.  North Dakota and Minnesota growers also expect to plant record high corn acres, up 910,000 and 600,000 acres, respectively.  Soybean producers intend to plant 67.1 million acres in 2007, down 11 percent from last year. If realized, this will be the lowest planted area since 1996. Acreage decreases are expected in all growing areas, except in New York and the Southeast. Large decreases in soybean acreage are expected across the Corn Belt, with the largest decline expected in Illinois, down 1.40 million acres from 2006. However, area planted to soybeans is expected to increase in the Southeast, with Georgia expecting the largest increase from last year at 95,000 acres. Planted acreage in New York is expected to be the largest on record at 210,000 acres.

All wheat planted area is estimated at 60.3 million acres, up 5 percent from 2006. The 2007 winter wheat planted area, at 44.5 million acres, is 10 percent above last year and up 1 percent from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 31.9 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 8.66 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 3.92 million acres are White Winter. Area planted to other spring wheat for 2007 is expected to total 13.8 million acres, down 7 percent from 2006. Of this total, about 13.3 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat. The intended Durum planted area for 2007 is 1.99 million acres, up 6 percent from the previous year. 

Prospective Plantings as of March 1, 2007, New York and United States

U.S. HOG INVENTORY UP 1 PERCENT

U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2007 was 61.1 million head. This was up 1 percent from March 1, 2006, but down 2 percent from December 1, 2006.  Breeding inventory, at 6.08 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, but down slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 55.0 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, but down 2 percent from last quarter.

 The December 2006-February 2007 pig crop, at 26.1 million head, was  up 2 percent from 2006 and up 3 percent from 2005. Sows farrowing during this  period totaled 2.87 million head, up 1 percent from both 2006 and 2005. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 47 percent of the breeding herd.  The average pigs saved per litter was 9.08 for the December 2006-February   2007 period, compared to 9.03 last year.

Wool Production and Value, New York, 2003-2006

MARCH 1, 2007 U.S. GRAIN STOCKS

Corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2007 totaled 6.07 billion bushels, down 13 percent from March 1, 2006.  Of the total stocks, 3.33 billion bushels are stored on farms, down 18 percent from a year earlier.  Off-farm stocks, at 2.74 billion bushels, are down 7 percent from a year ago.  The December 2006 - February 2007 indicated disappearance is 2.86 billion bushels, compared with 2.83 billion bushels during the same period last year.

All wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 2007 totaled 856 million bushels, down 12 percent from a year ago.  On-farm stocks are estimated at 192 million bushels, down 25 percent from last March.  Off-farm stocks, at 663 million bushels, are down 7 percent from a year ago. The December 2006 - February 2007 indicated disappearance is 459 million bushels, up slightly from the same period a year earlier.

Stocks of Grain, United States, March 1, 2007, with Comparisons

NEW YORK RED MEAT PRODUCTION DOWN 11 PERCENT

Commercial red meat production in New York slaughter plants totaled 35.1 million pounds dressed weight in 2006. This output is down 11 percent from the 39.4 million pounds produced in 2005 and down 8 percent from the 38.2 million pounds produced in 2004.  The number of calves slaughtered in the State, at 111,100 head, was up 11 percent from 2005. Cattle slaughter in the Empire State totaled 30,600 head during 2006, down 18 percent from a year earlier, and 32 percent from 2004.

Red meat production for the United States totaled 47.5 billion pounds in 2006, 4 percent higher than the previous year. Nationally, commercial cattle slaughter during 2006 totaled 73.7 million head, up 4  percent from 2005. Commercial calf slaughter totaled 711,300 head, down 3 percent from a year ago. Hog slaughter totaled 104.7 million head, up 1 percent from 2005.  Sheep and lamb slaughter, at 2.70 million head, was down 5 percent from 2004.

Commercial Livestock Slaughter, by Months, New York, 2006

MARCH PRICES INCREASED FROM FEBRUARY

Prices received by New York producers for milk sold during March increased from a month earlier. The price of potatoes, eggs, and corn also increased.  The price of apples, wheat, and hay decreased.  Many previous month prices were revised due to more complete sales information.

Grain corn, at $3.88 per bushel, increased 6 cents from February and increased $1.65 from last year.  Wheat price was $4.25, 21 cents below last month but 90 cents above last year. Hay averaged $117.00 per ton, $4.00 less than February but $5.00 more than March 2006.  Potatoes, at $11.20 per hundredweight, increased 20 cents from February but decreased $1.50 from March last year.  Fresh market apple prices at the packinghouse door averaged 28.6 cents per pound this month, slightly less than last month but 2.70 cents more than last year.

Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $15.60 per hundredweight of milk sold during March, 30 cents more than February and $2.40 more than March a year ago.  Poultry producers received an average of 70 cents per dozen eggs sold, up 7 cents from February and 23 cents more than last year.

The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in March, at 133 percent, based on 1990-92=100, increased 5 points (3.9 percent) from February. The Crop Index is up 6 points (4.3 percent) and the Livestock Index increased 5 points (4.2 percent). Producers received higher commodity prices for cattle, lettuce, oranges, and broilers. Lower prices were received for strawberries, celery, corn, and hogs. The overall index is also affected by the seasonal change based on a 3-year average mix of commodities producers sell. Increased average marketings of strawberries, broilers, and milk offset decreased marketings of cattle, oranges, and corn. 

Prices Received by Farmers 1/

Commercial Livestock Slaughter, February 1/

MARCH MILK PRODUCTION DOWN

New York dairy herds produced 1.02 billion pounds of milk during March.  Milk cows declined from the previous year while milk per cow was unchanged from the previous year resulting in a 3 percent decline in milk production compared to March 2006.  The number of milk cows averaged 628 thousand head, down 17 thousand head from March of the previous year.  Milk per cow averaged 1630 pounds, unchanged from the March 2006 rate.

Milk  production  in  the  23 major  States  during  March  totaled  14.8 billion  pounds,  up  1.1  percent  from  March  2006.   Production  per cow  in  the  23  major  States  averaged  1,782  pounds  for  March,  7 pounds  above  March  2006.  The  number  of  milk  cows  on  farms  in the  23  major  States  was  8.28  million  head,  58,000  head  more than  March  2006,  and  5,000  head  more  than  February  2007.

Dairy Briefs

Dairy Products Manufactured

NEW YORK EGG PRODUCTION UP 11 PERCENT IN FEBRUARY

Egg production on New York farms totaled 92 million eggs in February 2007, up 11 percent from last year.  The number of hens and pullets of laying age, at 4.24 million, increased 11 percent from February 2006 and the rate of lay increased slightly to 21.72 eggs per layer.

U.S. egg production totaled 6.91 billion during February 2007, down 1 percent from last year. Production included 5.92 billion table eggs, and 998 million hatching eggs, of which 937 million were broiler-type and 61 million were egg-type. February egg production per 100 layers was 1,992 eggs, down slightly from February 2006.

Poultry Briefs

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