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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Joe Morse
Monday, March 31, 2009

www.nass.usda.gov/ny


                  MARCH MILK PRICES DECREASE FROM FEBRUARY

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

Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $11.20 per
hundredweight of milk sold during March, down $1.00 from February and $6.80
less than March a year ago.  Poultry producers received an average of 62.2
cents per dozen eggs sold, down 1.1 cents from February and 68.8 cents
lower than last year.

Grain corn, at $3.82 per bushel, was down 74 cents from February and
decreased $2.12 from last year.  Potatoes, at $13.90 per hundredweight,
were up 20 cents from February but down $2.50 from last year at this time.
Hay averaged $126.00 per ton, down $3.00 from February but up $5.00 from
March 2008.  Apples, at 25.9 cents per hundredweight, were down 7.2 cents
from last year at this time.  Wheat, at $5.02 per bushel, was down $1.30
from February and down $3.82 from last year.

The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in
March, at 126 percent, based on 1990-92=100, was unchanged from February.
The Crop Index is up 1 point (0.7 percent) but the Livestock Index
decreased 1 point (0.9 percent). Producers received higher prices for corn,
lettuce, snap beans, and tomatoes and lower prices for broilers, soybeans,
strawberries, and celery. 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 strawberries,
broilers, soybeans, and milk offset decreased marketings of cattle, corn,
cotton, and oranges.  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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3-31-09