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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Joe Morse
Friday May 1, 2009

www.nass.usda.gov/ny


                   APRIL MILK PRICES INCREASE FROM MARCH

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

Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $11.80 per
hundredweight of milk sold during April, up 30 cents from March but $6.40
less than April a year ago.  Poultry producers received an average of 79
cents per dozen eggs sold, up 16.8 cents from March but 7.5 cents lower
than last year.

Grain corn, at $3.98 per bushel, was down 48 cents from March and decreased
$1.88 from last year.  Oats, at $3.07 per bushel, were up 6 cents from
March but 66 cents lower than April 2008.  Potatoes, at $15.50 per
hundredweight, were up 70 cents from March and up $3.30 from last year at
this time.  Hay averaged $133.00 per ton, up $7.00 from March but down
$11.00 from April 2008.  Apples, at 24.3 cents per hundredweight, were down
10.4 cents from last year at this time.  Wheat, at $4.24 per bushel, was
down $1.19 from March and down $4.96 from last year.

The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in
April, at 131 percent, based on 1990-92=100, increased 5 points (4.0
percent) from March. The Crop Index is up 9 points (6.2 percent) and the
Livestock Index increased 3 points (2.8 percent). Producers received higher
prices for lettuce, cattle, soybeans, and onions and lower prices for
Strawberries, snap beans, apples, and cauliflower. 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, sweet corn, cattle, and lettuce offset decreased marketings
of soybeans, corn, wheat, and hogs.  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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5-01-09