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Released: March 2004

Monthly

No. 973-3-04

Annual milk production in the Empire State during 2003 totaled 12.0 billion pounds, down 2.2 percent from 12.2 billion in 2002. The annual average number of milk cows, at 671,000, was down slightly from a year earlier. Output per cow decreased by 289 pounds, or 1.6 percent, to 17,812 pounds per cow.

U.S. milk production for 2003 totaled 170.3 billion pounds, up 0.1 percent from a year earlier. The output per cow, at 18,749 pounds, was 141 pounds above the 2002 rate. The average number of milk cows during 2003 was 9.08 million head, down 0.6 percent from the previous year.

California, with 35.4 billion pounds, remained the leading milk producer in 2003, followed by Wisconsin with 22.3 billion, New York with 12.0 billion, Pennsylvania with 10.3 billion, and Idaho with 8.7 billion. These five States produced 52 percent of the total U.S. milk output.

New York trout producers sold a total of 224,000 pounds of trout valued at $797,000 during the 12 months ending December 31, 2003. This production, which includes foodsize fish, stockers, and fingerlings, was up 56 percent from the production total of a year earlier. Value of production was up 41 percent from a year ago.

The 2003 output included 169,000 pounds of foodsize trout averaging $2.88 per pound in value, 53,000 pounds of stocker trout averaging $5.45 per pound, and 2,000 pounds of fingerlings. Foodsize fish averaged 1.1 pounds in weight, while stockers averaged .40 pounds. Poundage of foodsize trout sold was up 88 percent from 2002, and stocker poundage was up 10 percent.

There were 847,000 hired workers on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of January 11-17, 2004. There were 667,000 workers hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 180,000 workers.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $9.41 per hour during the January 2004 reference week, up 7 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $8.39 per hour, up 9 cents. Livestock workers earned $8.84 per hour compared with $8.90 a year earlier.

NEW YORK HONEY PRODUCTION DECREASES

Honey production from beekeepers with five or more hives in New York totaled 4.82 million pounds during 2003. This total is down 18 percent from the 2002 production of 5.88 million pounds.

The 2003 production was extracted from 67,000 colonies, up 12 percent from the 60,000 colonies in 2002. Honey yield per colony averaged 72 pounds, 16 percent below the 2002 yield. Honey stocks on hand across the State as of December 15, 2003 totaled 1.64 million pounds, a decrease of 44 percent from the 2.47 million pounds a year earlier.

Prices received by beekeepers in New York averaged 140.0 cents per pound for all methods of sale during 2003, 12 percent more than the 2002 average price of 125.0 cents. Value of honey production for the State in 2003 totaled $6.75 million, compared with $7.35 million in 2002.

United States honey production for 2003 for producers with five or more hives totaled 181 million pounds, up 5 percent from 2002. The number of producing colonies is estimated at 2.59 million, a total which contains a limited amount of duplication due to interstate movement of bees by multi-state operators. The yield per colony averaged 69.9 pounds, up 5 percent from the 66.7 pounds in 2002.

Average prices received by beekeepers across the Nation increased to a record level of 140.4 cents per pound, up 6 percent from 132.7 cents in 2002. The value of the 2003 U.S. honey crop is estimated at $255.8 million. Mid-December stocks of honey for sale amounted to 40.7 million pounds, 3 percent more than the 39.4 million pounds on hand December 15, 2002. The 40.7 million pounds represents 23 percent of the 2003 production. Stocks on hand a year earlier amounted to 18 percent of production

Prices received by New York farmers during February for selected commodities were mixed compared with a month earlier. Prices for corn, wheat, soybeans, and hay increased while prices for oats, apples, and eggs declined. Potato and wholesale milk prices were unchanged from January.

Grain corn averaged $2.73 per bushel during February, up 14 cents from January but 18 cents below February 2003. Oats brought $2.16 per bushel, down 33 cents from a month earlier and 10 cents below a year ago. Wheat, at $3.53 per bushel, was up 4 cents from the previous month and 18 cents above February a year ago. Soybeans returned an average of $8.16 per bushel, 32 cents above January and $2.44 more than a year earlier. Hay averaged $120.00 per ton baled, up $13.00 from the previous month and $9.00 above February 2003. Potatoes were unchanged from January at $8.90 per hundredweight (cwt.), $1.30 less than a year ago. Apples for fresh market averaged $21.70 per cwt., down 80 cents from January and $5.50 below February 2003.

Empire State dairy farmers received an average of $13.70 per cwt. of milk sold during February, unchanged from a month earlier but $1.60 above February a year ago. Poultry producers received an average of 81.0 cents per dozen eggs sold, down 1.0 cents from January but 30.0 cents above February 2003.

At the National level, the preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in February at 113, based on 1990-92=100, is 2 points (1.8 percent) above the January Index. The Livestock Products Index increased 1 point (0.9 percent) from January while the All Crops Index increased 2 points (1.8 percent). Producers received higher commodity prices for soybeans, broilers, corn, and hogs. Lower prices were received for cattle, lettuce, eggs, and broccoli. The seasonal change in the mix of commodities farmers sell, based on the past 3-year average, also affects the overall index. Increased average marketings of milk, cattle, broilers, and eggs offset decreased marketings of soybeans, corn, tobacco, and wheat. This preliminary All Farm Products Index is up 14 points (14 percent) from February 2003.

New York dairy herds produced 924 million pounds of milk during February, down 2.5 percent from the February 2003 level. The decrease was the result of fewer cows in New York's herd. The number of milk cows totaled 660,000 head, down 17,000 head from February of the previous year. Milk per cow averaged 1,400 pounds, no change from February 2003.

Milk production in the 20 major states during February totaled 11.8 billion pounds, up two percent from production in these same states during February 2003. Production per cow averaged 1,531 pounds for February, up 42 pounds from February 2003. The number of cows on farms in the 20 major states was 7.72 million head, 91,000 head less than February 2003.

Egg production on New York farms, totaled 97 million eggs in January 2004, up 11 percent from last year. The number of hens and pullets of laying age, at 3.93 million, was up 9 percent from January 2003, while the rate of lay was up 2 percent to 24.7 eggs per layer.

Laying flocks in the United States produced 7.38 billion eggs during January 2003, down slightly from the previous January. An indication of future egg supply, chicks hatched in the U.S. during January for the purpose of egg production totaled 35.4 million, up 6 percent from January 2003. Eggs in incubators on February 1, 2004 totaled 30.5 million, up 11 percent from previous year.