E-mail: nass-ny@nass.usda.gov
(518) 457-5570

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Contact: Joe Morse
Monday, March 2, 2009 

www.nass.usda.gov/ny 


                   FEBRUARY MILK PRICES DECREASE FROM JANUARY 

Prices received by New York producers for milk sold during February were down 
from a month earlier, according to Steve Ropel, Director of USDA=s National 
Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Office. The price of corn, apples, 
potatoes, eggs, and wheat also decreased. The price of hay increased. Many 
previous month prices were revised due to more complete sales information. 

Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $12.00 per hundredweight 
of milk sold during February, down $1.30 from January and $7.50 less than 
February a year ago. Poultry producers received an average of 63.3 cents per 
dozen eggs sold, down 30.4 cents from January and 62 cents lower than last year. 

Grain corn, at $3.77 per bushel, was down $1.66 from January and decreased 
$1.20 from last year. Potatoes, at $13.70 per hundredweight, were down $1.10 
from January but up $2.60 from last year at this time. Hay averaged $129.00 per 
ton, up $8.00 from January and $18.00 from February 2008. Apples, at 26.5 cents 
per hundredweight, were down 5.7 cents from last year at this time. Wheat, at 
$6.50 per bushel, was down $1.21 from January and down $1.94 from last year. 

The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in 
February, at 127 percent, based on 1990-92=100, decreased 12 points (8.6 
percent) from January. The Crop Index is down 12 points (7.5 percent) and 
the Livestock Index decreased 5 points (4.4 percent). Producers received lower 
prices for lettuce, milk, corn, and eggs and higher prices for snap beans, 
strawberries, hogs, and turkeys. 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 cattle, milk, 
broilers, and strawberries offset decreased marketings of corn, soybeans, 
wheat, and cotton. The information in this release is available by free 
email subscription by subscribing to New York reports at www.nass.usda.gov/ny. 

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3-2-09