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NEW YORK CROP AND LIVESTOCK REPORT
July 2008

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Monthly
No. 973-7-08

     NEW YORK FIELD CROP ACREAGE - 2008

New York farmers intend to plant 1,140,000 acres of corn for all purposes in 2008, 9 percent more than acres planted in 2007.  Acreage for grain is expected to total 640,000 acres, up 16 percent from the 550,000 acres harvested last year.  A record high 235,000 acres of soybeans are expected to be planted, up 15 percent from the previous record of 205,000 planted in 2007. An estimated 231,000 acres will be harvested for beans, 14 percent more than last year.  Acreage for harvest for all types of dry hay is expected to total 1.43 million acres, up 5 percent from last year.  Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures for dry hay , at 430,000 acres is up 2 percent and acres for other types of dry hay, at 1.00 million acres is up 6 percent from a year earlier. 

Production of oats in New York is estimated at 3.85 million bushels, up 13 percent from the 3.42 million bushels produced last year.  Yields are forecast at 70 bushels per acre, up 13 bushels from last year.  Area for harvest is projected at 55,000 acres, down 8 percent from the previous year.  Winter wheat production for the Empire State is estimated at 6.79 million bushels, up 54 percent from the 4.42 million bushels produced in 2007. Yields are forecast at 58 bushels per acre, up 3 bushels from the June 1 forecast and 6 bushels above last year. Harvested acreage is projected at 117,000 acres, up 38 percent from 2007.  The first yield and production forecast for corn, soybeans, dry beans, and hay will be released on August 10.

U.S. CORN DOWN, SOYBEAN ACREAGE UP

U.S. corn planted area for all purposes is estimated at 87.3 million acres, down 7 percent from last year.  Despite the decrease, corn planted acreage is the second highest since 1946, behind last year's total of 93.6 million acres.  Growers expect to harvest 78.9 million acres for grain, down 9 percent from 2007.  U.S. soybean planted area for 2008 is estimated at 74.5 million acres, up 17 percent from last year but 1 percent below the record high acreage in 2006.  Area for harvest, at 72.1 million acres, is up 15 percent from 2007.

U.S. winter wheat production is forecast at 1.86 billion bushels, up 3 percent from the June 1 forecast and up 23 percent from 2007. Based on July 1 conditions, the U.S. yield is forecast at 46.3 bushels per acre, up 1.0 bushel from last month and 4.1 bushels above last year. Expected grain area totals 40.3 million acres, up 12 percent from last year but unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2008. Harvest progress in the 18 major producing States was 36 percent complete as of June 29. This was the same as last year’s progress but 12 points behind the 5-year average.

Oats production is forecast at 92.9 million bushels, 1 percent above last year’s record low 91.6 million bushels. If realized, this will be the second lowest production on record. Based on conditions as of July 1, the yield is forecast at 64.4 bushels per acre, up 3.5 bushels from 2007. Growers expect to harvest 1.44 million acres for grain or seed, down 4 percent from last year. If realized, this will be the smallest harvested area on record.  Producers expect to harvest 60.4 million acres of all hay in 2008, down 2 percent from 2007.  Dry bean acreage to be harvested in 2008 is estimated at 1.34 million acres, down 9 percent from last year.

 Acreage, Yield and Production of Crops, New York and United States

     NEW YORK TART CHERRY FORECAST UP

New York’s 2008 tart cherry production, forecast late-June, is expected to total 9.20 million pounds, 19 percent lower than the 2007 crop and 7 percent above 2006.  Sweet cherry production is forecast at 1,030 tons, 13 percent below the 2007 crop but 7 percent higher than 2006. 

New York's peach crop is forecast at 5,700 tons, down 10 percent from the 6,300 tons produced last year.  U.S. peach production is  expected  to  total  1.10  million  tons, down  3  percent from last year.
 

     FRUIT:  Indicated Production, New York and United States, with Comparisons

    
 NEW YORK POTATO ACREAGE DECREASES

New York potato growers planted an estimated 18,000 acres of potatoes this.  This is down 5 percent from 2007.  Acres for harvest is forecast at 17,300, down 5 percent from last year.  

U.S. area planted to fall potatoes for 2008 is estimated at 929,100 acres, down 8 percent from last year . Harvested area is forecast at 916,200 acres, also down 8 percent from 2007 and 7 percent below 2006.

    
 Stocks of Grain, United States, June 1, 2008, with Comparisons

Average GMO Estimates

U.S. HOG INVENTORY UP 6 PERCENT

U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2008 was 67.7 million head. This was up 6 percent from June 1, 2007, and up 1 percent from March 1, 2008. 

Breeding inventory, at 6.07 million head, was down 1 percent from last year, and down 1 percent from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 61.6 million head, was up 7 percent from last year, and up 1 percent from last quarter. 

The March-May 2008 pig crop, at 29.0 million head, was up 4 percent from 2007 and up 9 percent from 2006. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 3.09 million head, up 2 percent from 2007 and up 6 percent from 2006. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 51 percent of the breeding herd.  

The average pigs saved per litter was 9.38 for the March-May 2008 period, compared to 9.20 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.70 to 9.40.

U.S. hog producers intend to have 3.07 million sows farrow during the June-August 2008 quarter, down 2 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2007, but up 5 percent from 2006.  Intended farrowings for September-November 2008, at 3.05 million sows, are down 4 percent from 2007 but up 3 percent from 2006.

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 41 percent of the total U.S. hog inventory, up from 39 percent last year.

JUNE MILK PRICES INCREASE FROM MAY

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

Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $18.90 per hundredweight of milk sold during June, up $1.00 from May but $3.20 less than June a year ago.  Poultry producers received an average of 95.8 cents per dozen eggs sold, up 25 cents from May but 6.8 cents lower than last year.

Grain corn, at $6.51 per bushel, was up 40 cents from May and increased $3.20 from last year.  Hay averaged $129.00 per ton, up $5.00 from May and $6.00 more than June 2007.  Wheat averaged $8.64 per bushel, down 57 cents from last month but $3.50 more than last year.   Fresh Apples at the packing house door were 38.3 cents per pound, 10.9 cents more than last year at this time. 

The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in June, at 162 percent, based on 1990-92=100, increased 11 points (7.3 percent) from May. The Crop Index is up 19 points (11 percent) and the Livestock Index increased 3 points (2.2 percent). Producers received higher prices for corn, soybeans, milk, and lettuce and lower prices for strawberries, cantaloups, and wheat. In addition to prices, the overall index is also affected by the seasonal change based on a 3-year average mix of commodities producers sell.  Increased monthly marketings of wheat, hay, grapes, and cantaloupes offset decreased marketings of tomatoes, oranges, strawberries, and sweet corn.

Prices Received by Farmers 1/
 

    

 Commercial Livestock Slaughter, May 1/

     JUNE MILK PRODUCTION UP

New York dairy herds produced 1.05 billion pounds of milk during.  Milk cows were unchanged from the previous year while milk per cow increased from the previous year resulting in a 4 percent increase in milk production compared to June 2007.  The number of milk cows averaged 626 thousand head, unchanged from June of the previous year.  Milk per cow averaged 1680 pounds, up 60 pounds from the June 2007 rate.

Milk production in the 23 major States during June totaled 14.7 billion pounds, up 3.4 percent from June 2007.  Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,737 pounds for June, 25 pounds above June 2007.  The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.46 million head, 158,000 head more than June 2007, and 1,000 head more than May 2008.

Dairy Briefs

Dairy Products Manufactured

 NEW YORK EGG PRODUCTION UP 8 PERCENT IN MAY

Egg production on New York farms totaled 100 million eggs in May 2008, up 8 percent from last year.  The number of hens and pullets of laying age, at 4.01 million, increased 6 percent from May 2007 and the rate of lay increased 1 percent to 2,497 eggs per 100 layers.  

U.S. egg production totaled 7.57 billion during May 2008, down 1 percent from last year. Production included 6.43 billion table eggs, and 1.15 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.08 billion were broiler-type and 68 million were egg-type.  May egg production per 100 layers was 2,226 eggs, unchanged from May 2007.

 

Poultry Briefs

This report, in addition to many others, is available free of charge
at our website at www.nass.usda.gov/ny/

The USDA, NASS New York Field Office thanks the agricultural businesses and farm operators who respond to our surveys.  This complimentary report is being sent to those asking for the survey results during the survey interview.