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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Onslow Hall
Thursday, March 31, 2011

www.nass.usda.gov/ny


                           MARCH MILK PRICES INCREASED FROM FEBRUARY 

Prices received by New York producers for milk sold during March were up from a month earlier, 
according to King Whetstone, Director of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New 
York Field Office. The price of hay, potatoes, and apples also increased. The price of corn 
decreased. Many previous month prices were revised due to more complete sales information.
	
Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $21.30 per hundredweight of milk sold 
during March, up $1.70 from February and $5.20 more than March a year ago.  

Grain corn, at $6.40 per bushel, was down 4 cents from February but increased $2.62 from last 
year.  Hay averaged $116.00 per ton, up $4 from February but $3 lower than prices received 
March 2010.  Potatoes averaged $14.10 per hundredweight, up 10 cents from February and up 
$1.70 from last year at this time.  Apples, at 26.0 cents per hundredweight, were up 1.3 cents 
from February and 6.0 cents from last year.

The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in March, at 174 percent, 
based on 1990-1992=100, increased 4 points (2.4 percent) from February. The Crop Index is up 1 
point (0.5 percent) and the Livestock Index increased 7 points (4.9 percent). Producers received 
higher prices for cattle, broilers, milk, and lettuce and lower prices for corn, soybeans, eggs, and 
cotton. 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, soybeans, tomatoes, and milk offset decreased marketings of cattle, corn, cotton, 
and wheat. 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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3-31-11