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NEW YORK CROP

AND LIVESTOCK REPORT

Released: April 2003

No. 973-4-03

NEW YORK PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS - 2003 CROP

Preliminary planting intentions of New York farmers as of March 1, 2003 indicate increases for most all row crops and small grains, according to the New York Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn, oats, barley, dry hay, soybeans, and dry bean acreage are expected to increase while acreage seeded to winter wheat (seeded in the fall of 2002) is expected to be lower. Empire State farmers intend to plant 1.05 million acres of corn for all purposes (grain and silage) for the 2003 crop year, up 1 percent from last year. Soybean plantings are expected to increase by 4 percent to 145,000 acres. Dry bean intentions, at 30,000 acres, are up 20 percent from a year earlier. New York farmers intend to harvest 1.90 million acres of dry hay in 2003, 10 percent above last year. Wheat planted acreage totaled 125,000 acres, down 4 percent from 2002. Oat plantings are expected to total 80,000 acres, up 14 percent from a year earlier. Acreage to be harvested for grain, at 65,000 acres, is up 18 percent. Barley plantings are expected to total 14,000 acres, 27 percent above last year.

Nationally, corn growers intend to plant 79.0 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2003, virtually unchanged from 2002 but 4 percent above 2001. Expected acreage is up in the eastern Corn Belt as growers are switching back to corn after planting soybeans last year when persistent wet weather prevented them from seeding corn. However, all States in the Great Plains, except North Dakota, are decreasing their intended corn plantings as continued drought conditions are expected to persist into the 2003 crop year. Farmers intend to plant 38 percent of their acreage with varieties developed using biotechnology, up 4 percentage points from 2002. Soybean intentions are estimated at 73.2 million acres, down 1 percent from last year, and if realized, the lowest planted area since 1998. The largest acreage declines are expected in Kansas and Ohio, both down 250,000 acres from 2002. Growers in most of the Corn Belt and central Great Plains States also intend to plant fewer acres in 2003. Producers intend to plant 80 percent of the soybean acreage to herbicide resistant varieties in 2003, up 5 percentage points from 2002.

Prospective Plantings as of March 1, 2003, New York and United States

U.S. HOG INVENTORY DOWN 2 PERCENT

U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2003, was 58.1 million head. This was 2 percent below March 1, 2002, and 2 percent below December 1, 2002. Breeding inventory, at 5.96 million head, was down 4 percent from March 1, 2002, and down 1 percent from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 52.2 million head, was 2 percent below last year and 3 percent below last quarter.

The December 2002-February 2003 U.S. pig crop, at 24.4 million head, was 2 percent less than 2002, and 2 percent more than 2001. Producers intend to have 2.84 million sows farrow during the March-May 2003 quarter, 3 percent below the actual farrowings during the same period in 2002. Intended farrowings for June-August 2003, at 2.79 million sows, are 3 percent below the same period in both 2002 and 2001.

Wool Production and Value, New York, 1999-2002

MARCH 1, 2003 U.S. GRAIN STOCKS

Corn stored in all positions on March 1, 2003 totaled 5.13 billion bushels, down 11 percent from March 1, 2002. On farm stocks totaled 2.94 billion bushels, down 12 percent from a year ago. Disappearance from December 2002-February 2003 was 2.51 billion bushels compared with 2.47 billion bushels during the same period a year earlier.

All wheat stocks totaled 905 million bushels, down 25 percent from a year ago. Stocks on farms are 233 million bushels, down 31 percent from last year. Disappearance for the quarter ending March 1 is 415 million bushels, up slightly from the same period in 2002.

Stocks of Grain, United States, March 1, 2003, with Comparisons

NEW YORK RED MEAT PRODUCTION UP 10 PERCENT

Commercial red meat production in New York slaughter plants totaled 45 million pounds dressed weight in 2002. The number of calves slaughtered in the State, at 169,200 head, was up 19 percent from 2001, while the total pounds of veal produced was up 37 percent. New York ranked second in 2002 in the number of calves slaughtered during the year, accounting for 16 percent of the Nation's total calf slaughter. Cattle slaughter in the Empire State totaled 51,600 head during 2002, up 6 percent from a year earlier but 19 percent below 2000.

Red meat production for the United States totaled 47.3 billion pounds in 2002, a new record high. Nationally, commercial cattle slaughter during 2002 totaled 35.7 million head, up 1 percent from 2001. Calf slaughter totaled 1.05 million head, up 4 percent from a year ago. Hog slaughter totaled 100.3 million head, up 2 percent from 2001. Sheep and lamb slaughter, totaled 3.29 million head, up 2 percent from 2001.

Commercial Livestock Slaughter, by Months, New York, 2002

MARCH PRICES RECEIVED DOWN

Prices received by New York farmers during March for selected agricultural commodities were mostly lower compared with a month earlier. Prices for oats, wheat, soybeans, hay, apples, and wholesale milk decreased while prices for corn, potatoes, and eggs increased. Barley prices were unchanged from February.

Grain corn averaged $2.94 per bushel during March, up 3 cents from February and 55 cents above March 2002. Oats brought $2.24 per bushel, down 2 cents from a month earlier but 9 cents above a year ago. Wheat, at $3.24 per bushel, was down 11 cents from the previous month but 27 cents above March a year ago. Barley prices averaged $2.59 per bushel, unchanged from February. Soybeans returned an average of $5.60 per bushel, 12 cents below February but $1.17 more than a year earlier. Hay averaged $107.00 per ton baled, down $4.00 from the previous month but $5.00 above March 2002. Potatoes were up 70 cents from a month earlier to $10.90 per hundredweight (cwt.). Fresh market apple prices at the packinghouse door averaged $26.90 per cwt. during March, down 30 cents from February but $9.40 above March 2002.

Empire State dairy farmers received an average of $11.70 per cwt. of milk sold during March, down 40 cents from a month earlier and $1.70 below March a year ago. Poultry producers received an average of 56.0 cents per dozen eggs sold, up 5.0 cents from February and 5.6 cents above March 2002.

At the National level, the preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in March is 99, based on 1990-92=100, unchanged from the February index. Higher prices for tomatoes, onions, oranges, and chicken eggs offset lower prices for cattle, dairy, strawberries, and wheat. 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 for strawberries, tomatoes, dairy, and asparagus offset decreases for cattle, cotton, corn, and oranges. The preliminary All Farms Products Index is down 7 points from March 2002. Lower prices for lettuce, strawberries, potatoes, and celery more than offset higher prices for soybeans, corn, onions, and broilers.

Prices Received by Farmers 1/

Commercial Livestock Slaughter, February 1/

MARCH MILK PRODUCTION UNCHANGED

New York dairy herds produced 1.06 billion pounds of milk during March, unchanged from the March 2002 level. The increase in the number of cows was offset by a lower rate per cow. The number of milk cows totaled 686,000 head, 11,000 more than March of the previous year. Milk per cow averaged 1,540 pounds, 25 pounds less than March 2002.

Milk production in the 20 major states during March totaled 13.0 billion pounds, up 1.5 percent from production in these same states during March 2002. Production per cow averaged 1,664 pounds for March, 10 pounds above March 2002. The number of cows on farms in the 20 major states was 7.81 million head, 67,000 head more than March 2002, and 2,000 head more than February 2003.

Dairy Briefs

Dairy Products Manufactured

FEBRUARY EGG PRODUCTION DOWN 10 PERCENT

Egg production on New York farms, totaled 78 million eggs in February 2003, 10 percent less than the same month a year earlier. The decrease was the result of fewer layers and a lower rate of lay. The number of hens and pullets of laying age, at 3.67 million, was down 7 percent from February 2002, while the rate of lay was down 3 percent to 21.25 eggs per layer.

Laying flocks in the United States produced 6.62 billion eggs during February 2003, up 1 percent from the previous February. An indication of future egg supply, chicks hatched in the U.S. during February for the purpose of egg production totaled 30.0 million, down 13 percent from February 2002. Eggs in incubators on March 1, 2003 totaled 30.5 million, down 7 percent from the March 1, 2003 total.

Poultry Briefs

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