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Released: May 2003

Monthly

No. 973-5-03

Results from the May 2003 Agricultural Yield Survey show winter wheat production in New York is forecast at 7.50 million bushels, up 1 percent from 2002's output. Acreage for harvest is down 7 percent while yields are expected to average 63 bushels per acre, up 5 bushels from a year ago. The U.S. winter wheat crop is placed at 1.56 billion bushels, up 37 percent from last year.

Total milk production in New York during 2002, at 12.2 billion pounds, was up 4 percent from the 11.8 billion pounds of 2001, according to the New York Agricultural Statistics Service. The annual average number of milk cows, at 678,000 head, was up 1 percent from the previous year. Annual output per cow averaged a record 18,019 pounds, up 3 percent from 17,530 pounds a year earlier.

New York dairymen used 63 million pounds of milk on their farms during 2002, compared with 85 million pounds during 2001. About 94 percent of the milk used on farms was fed back to calves. The value of all milk produced, including milk fed back to calves, totaled $1.56 billion, down 16 percent from 2001.

National milk production increased 3 percent in 2002 to 170 billion pounds. The annual output per cow reached 18,571 pounds, 412 pounds above 2001. The average number of milk cows during 2002, at 9.14 million head, was 27,000 head more than 2001. Cash receipts from marketings of milk during the year, at $20.5 billion, were 17 percent below 2001. Producer returns nationwide averaged $12.19 per hundredweight, 19 percent below the 2001 average.

The combined value of New York produced eggs, broilers, and turkeys, and the value of sales for other chickens, was $53.7 million for the year ending November 30, 2002. This total is down 15 percent from a year earlier. Of the 2002 combined value, 84 percent was derived from eggs and 8 percent each from broilers and turkeys.

Grain corn averaged $2.96 per bushel, up 15 cents from March and 57 cents above April 2002. Oats brought $2.26 per bushel, down 7 cents from a month earlier but 18 cents above a year ago. Wheat, at $2.74 per bushel, was down 64 cents from the previous month and 22 cents below April a year ago. Barley prices averaged $2.45 per bushel, unchanged from March. Soybeans returned an average of $5.74 per bushel, 8 cents below March but $1.24 more than a year earlier. Hay averaged $116.00 per ton baled, up $9.00 from the previous month and $11.00 above April 2002. Potatoes were down 70 cents from a month earlier to $10.20 per hundredweight (cwt.). Fresh market apple prices at the packinghouse door averaged $26.80 per cwt. during April, down 10 cents from March but $8.40 above April 2002.

Empire State dairy farmers received an average of $11.50 per cwt. of milk sold during April, down 20 cents from a month earlier and $1.70 below April a year ago. Milk cow replacements averaged $1,250 per head compared with $1,600 a year earlier. Poultry producers received an average of 57.0 cents per dozen eggs sold, up 1.0 cents from March and 16.6 cents above April 2002.

At the National level, the preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in April is 101, based on 1990-92=100, up 2 points from the March Index. Higher prices for cattle, lettuce, onions, and soybeans more than offset lower prices for tomatoes, broilers, wheat, and hogs. 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 strawberries, cattle, oranges, and milk offset decreased marketings of soybeans, corn, cotton, and wheat. This preliminary All Farm Products Index is up 7 points from April 2002. Higher prices for cattle, corn, soybeans, and broilers more than offset lower prices for potatoes, dry beans, celery, and lemons.

Milk production in the 20 major states during April totaled 12.7 billion pounds, up 1 percent from production in these same states during April 2002. Production per cow averaged 1,625 pounds for April, 4 pounds above April 2002. The number of cows on farms in the 20 major states was 7.80 million head, 42,000 head more than April 2002, but 11,000 head less than March 2003.

Laying flocks in the United States produced 7.36 billion eggs during March 2003, down 1 percent from the previous March. An indication of future egg supply, chicks hatched in the U.S. during March for the purpose of egg production totaled 36.7 million, down 1 percent from March 2002. Eggs in incubators on April 1, 2003 totaled 34.3 million, up 3 percent from previous year.

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