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NEW YORK CROP

AND LIVESTOCK REPORT

Released: April 2005

No. 973-4-05

NEW YORK PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS - 2005 CROP

Preliminary planting intentions of New York farmers as of March 1, 2005 indicate increases for all row crops and small grains. Corn, oats, barley, dry hay, soybeans, winter wheat, and dry bean acreage are expected to increase. Empire State farmers intend to plant 1.00 million acres of corn for all purposes (grain and silage) for the 2005 crop year, up 2 percent from last year. Soybean plantings are expected to increase by 9 percent to a record high 190,000 acres from 175,000. Dry bean intentions, at 28,000 acres, are up 17 percent from a year earlier. New York farmers intend to harvest 1.74 million acres of dry hay in 2005, 37 percent above last year. Wheat planted acreage totaled 120,000 acres, up 14 percent from 2004. Oat plantings are expected to total 85,000 acres, up 31 percent from a year earlier. Barley plantings are expected to total 20,000 acres, 43 percent above last year.

Nationally, corn planted area for all purposes is estimated at 81.4 million acres, up 1 percent from 2004 and 4 percent above 2003. If realized, this ,,would be largest corn acreage since 1985. Expected acreage is up from last year throughout much of the Corn Belt and southern Great Plains. Soybean producers intend to plant 73.9 million acres in 2005, down 2 percent from last year's record high acreage. Of the 31 soybean producing States, growers in 16 States intend to plant fewer acres this year, while producers in 11 States intend to plant more acres than in 2004. The largest acreage declines are in the Dakotas, where low soybean prices have some farmers shifting to other crops. Large declines in soybean acreage are also expected in the Delta and Southeast States. Due to the discovery of Asian soybean rust in the U.S., questions were asked of farmers in soybean producing States about their awareness of the disease and how it has affected their planting decisions. For detailed results of this effort, see separate Asian soybean rust release on the NASS website www.nass.usda.gov/ny. All wheat planted area is expected to total 58.6 million acres in 2005, down 2 percent from 2004. If realized, this would be the lowest planted acreage since 1972.

Prospective Plantings as of March 1, 2005, New York and United States

1/  Acreage for harvest.

2/  Includes spring wheat, durum, and winter wheat.

U.S. HOG INVENTORY UP 1 PERCENT

U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2005 was 59.9 million head. This was up 1 percent from March 1, 2004, but down 1 percent from December 1, 2004. Breeding inventory, at 5.94 million head, was down slightly from both March 1, 2004 and last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 54.0 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, but down 1 percent from last quarter..

The December 2004 - February 2005 U.S. pig crop, at 25.5 million head, was up 2 percent from 2004 and up 4 percent from 2003. Producers intend to have 2.87 million sows farrowed during the March-May 2005 quarter, unchanged from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2004, but 1 percent below 2003. Intended farrowings for June-August 2005, at 2.88 million sows, are down 1 percent from the same period in both 2004 and 2003.

Wool Production and Value, New York, 2001-2004

MARCH 1, 2005 U.S. GRAIN STOCKS

Corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2005 totaled 6.75 billion bushels, up 28 percent from March 1, 2004. This is the highest March 1 stocks level since 1988. Of the total stocks, 4.14 billion bushels are stored on farms, up 37 percent from a year earlier. Off-farm stocks, at 2.62 billion bushels, are up 17 percent from a year ago. The December 2004 - February 2005 indicated disappearance is 2.70 billion bushels, compared with 2.68 billion bushels during the same period last year.

All wheat stored in all positions on March 1, 2005 totaled 981 million bushels, down 4 percent from a year ago. On-farm stocks are estimated at 305 million bushels, up 18 percent from last year. Off-farm stocks, at 676 million bushels, are down 11 percent from a year ago. The December 2004 - February 2005 indicated disappearance is 449 million bushels, down 10 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Stocks of Grain, United States, March 1, 2005, with Comparisons

1/   Included in all wheat.

NEW YORK RED MEAT PRODUCTION DOWN 15 PERCENT

Commercial red meat production in New York slaughter plants totaled 38.2 million pounds dressed weight in 2004. The number of calves slaughtered in the State, at 123,200 head, was down 14 percent from 2003, and the total pounds of veal produced was down 10 percent. Cattle slaughter in the Empire State totaled 44,400 head during 2004, down 17 percent from a year earlier, and 14 percent from 2002.

Red meat production for the United States totaled 45.6 billion pounds in 2004, 2 percent below last year. Nationally, commercial cattle slaughter during 2004 totaled 32.7 million head, down 8 percent from 2003. Commercial calf slaughter totaled 842,400 head, down 16 percent from a year ago. Hog slaughter totaled 103.5 million head, up 3 percent from 2003. Sheep and lamb slaughter, totaled 2.84 million head, down 5 percent from 2003.

Commercial Livestock Slaughter, by Months, New York, 2004