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In this Issue:

• #Winter Wheat
• #Maple Syrup Production
• #New York Cheese
• #Farm Labor
• #Prices Received
• #Meat Animals (Including Production, Disposition and Income)
• #Dairy
• #Poultry

Production of winter wheat in New York is forecast at 8.22 million bushels, down 3 percent from May 1, but 29 percent above last year. Area for grain harvest is unchanged from May 1 at 137,000 acres. Yields are now expected to average 60.0 bushels per acre, down 2.0 bushels from the May 1 forecast but 7.0 bushels above last year.

New York maple syrup 2002 production increased 18 percent from a year ago when production was the lowest since 1993. Production hasn't fully rebounded since the disastrous ice storm struck the northern region of the state in 1998 and damaged sugar bushes. Syrup production is estimated at 228,000 gallons, up from the 193,000 gallons produced in 2001 according to the New York Agricultural Statistics Service. Only two states, Vermont and Maine, produced more syrup.

The number of taps, 1.24 million, increased 7 percent from last year.  Syrup produced per tap averaged 0.184 gallons, up from 0.166 in 2001.  The final value of the 2001 crop is $5.69 million.  Decreased production offset an increase in price from the 2000 crop.

Lack of heavy snowcover made tapping trees and running tubing much easier this year. Mild weather early in the spring resulted in an early maple season. The season opened on February 22 and closed on March 29. Opening date was the earliest since records began in 1972. The extended season pushed yield per tap to the highest level since 1966.

Sap was slightly below average for sweetness, requiring an average of 44 gallons to make one gallon of syrup. Syrup quality was 19 percent dark, 53 percent medium, and 28 percent light. Temperatures were reported as 28 percent too warm, 61 percent favorable, and 11 percent too cold.

Total cheese production in New York, excluding cottage cheese, was 703 million pounds in 2001, 4 percent down from the record high in 2000. Italian cheese, which accounted for 58 percent of New York's total cheese output, was down 3 percent; mozzarella production was also down 3 percent.

Nationally, total cheese output for 2001 was 8.13 billion pounds (excluding cottage cheese), down 2 percent from a year earlier. Wisconsin remained the leading state with 26 percent of the total, followed by California (20 percent), New York (9 percent), and Minnesota (7 percent).

Prices received by New York farmers during May for selected agricultural commodities were mostly lower compared with a month earlier, according to the New York Agricultural Statistics Service. Prices for corn, oats, wheat, soybeans, milk, and eggs declined while hay prices increased. Fresh market apple prices were unchanged from April.

At the National level, the preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers was 98 based on 1990-92=100, up 3 points from the revised April index. Higher prices for broilers, potatoes, hogs, and oranges more than offset lower prices for lettuce, cattle, milk, and cucumbers. Compared with May last year, the All Farm Products Index was down 10 points.

Milk production in the Empire State during May totaled 1.11 billion pounds, up 7 percent from the 1.04 billion pounds of milk produced in New York during May 2001. Both a larger milking herd and a higher output of milk per cow contributed to the increase. The 680,000 dairy cows on farms during May were up 1 percent from a year earlier. Milk per cow averaged 1,630 pounds during the month, up 90 pounds from the May 2001 output.

May milk production in the 20 major producing States totaled 13.0 billion pounds, up 3.2 percent from production in these same States during May 2001. Production per cow in the 20 major States averaged 1,681 pounds for May, 49 pounds above a year earlier. The number of cows on farms was 7.76 million head, 14,000 head more than May 2001, and 9,000 head more than April 2002.

Egg  production  on  New  York  farms  totaled  89  million  eggs  in  April 2002,  down  1  percent  from  the  same  month  a  year  earlier.  The number  of  hens  and  pullets  of  laying  age,  at  3.87  million,  was down  5  percent  from  April  2001,  while  the  rate  of  lay  was  up  4 percent  to  22.99  eggs  per  layer.

Laying flocks in the United States produced 7.08 billion eggs during April 2002, down slightly from the previous April.  An indication of future egg supply, chicks hatched in the U.S. during April for the purpose of egg production totaled 38.2 million, down 11 percent from April 2001.  Eggs in incubators on May 1, 2002 totaled 36.0 million, down 2 percent from the May 1, 2001 total.