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NEW YORK CROP

AND LIVESTOCK REPORT

Released: December 2004

Monthly

No. 973-12-04

NEW YORK FALL POTATO PRODUCTION DOWN, U.S. DOWN

New York production of fall potatoes for 2004 is estimated at 5.18 million hundredweight (cwt.), down 20 percent from a year ago.

U.S. production of fall potatoes for 2004 is forecast at 410 million cwt., up less than 1 percent from last month but virtually unchanged from last year for comparable States. Area harvested, at 1.03 million acres, is up less than 1 percent from November but 6 percent below last year. The average yield is forecast at 399 cwt. per acre, 14 cwt. above last month and 23 cwt. above last year. If realized, this will be a record high yield, 7 cwt. above the previous record set in 2000.

Western States production is forecast at 281 million cwt., virtually unchanged from the November forecast but up 3 percent from last year for comparable States. Acreage harvested, at 642,200 acres, decreased 3 percent from last year, but the average yield of 437 cwt. per acre is up 23 cwt. from 2003. Production in Washington went up 1 percent from last year. Colorado's production decreased 2 percent as more acres were abandoned due to higher disease rates and water management issues. Oregon growers expect to harvest 19.8 million cwt. of potatoes, down 6 percent from last year. This decrease is due to a 13 percent reduction in harvested acres but yields are forecast at 41 cwt. above last season. California's production is up 10 percent from last year. Growers in Montana expect production to be 6 percent above the 2003 crop. Nevada's production is expected to decrease 13 percent. New Mexico production is expected to be 8 percent above last season.

Central States production is forecast at 101 million cwt., up 1 percent from the November forecast but down 7 percent from last year for comparable States. Harvested area, estimated at 289,600 acres, is up 1 percent from November but 11 percent below a year ago. Average yields, at 349 cwt. per acre, are up 14 cwt. from a year ago. Production in Michigan is 9 percent below 2003 and Minnesota's is down 15 percent from last year. Growers in North Dakota expect a 2 percent decrease from last season. Indiana's production increased 21 percent from last year. Wisconsin growers are expecting a record high yield of 415 cwt. per acre, 5 cwt. above last year. However, production is expected to decrease 6 percent due to fewer harvested acres. Nebraska growers expect production to decrease 8 percent and Ohio 2 percent.

Eastern States production is forecast at 27.9 million cwt., up 2 percent from the November forecast and up less than 1 percent from last year. Area for harvest totaled 95,200 acres, 8 percent below last year. Average yield, at 293 cwt. per acre, is up 4 cwt. from November and 23 cwt. above last season. A 13 percent production increase from last year is expected in Maine. Massachusetts production is up 12 percent from a year ago. Pennsylvania growers expect a 25 percent decrease from last year. Rhode Island production is expected to increase 2 percent from 2003.

Fall Potato Acreage, Yield and Production, New York and United States, 2002-2004

NEW YORK DRY BEAN PRODUCTION DOWN

Dry bean production in New York for the 2004 crop totaled 247,000 hundredweight (cwt), down 45 percent from last year’s production and 25 percent below the output of the 2002 crop. Harvested acreage, at 23,500 acres was down 2 percent from last year and 4 percent below 2002. Yields averaged 1,050 pounds per acre compared with 1,860 pounds per acre in 2003.

Light red kidney bean production in the state is estimated at 128,000 cwt. compared with 253,000 cwt. in 2003. Production came from 11,600 acres harvested. Light red kidney beans accounted for 52 percent of the total dry bean production in New York, down 5 points from last year. Dark red kidney bean production in estimated at 15,000 cwt. compared with 20,000 cwt. in 2003. Black turtle bean production is set at 93,000 cwt., down 35 percent from the 142,000 cwt. produced a year earlier. Production of all other varieties totaled 11,000 cwt. compared with 31,000 cwt. a year ago.

Nationally, dry edible bean production is estimated at 18.1 million cwt for 2004, down 3 percent from the October forecast and 19 percent below last year. Harvested acreage is forecast at 1.23 million acres, 2 percent below the last forecast and down 9 percent from 2003. The U.S. average yield is forecast at 1,479 pounds per acre, a decrease of 16 pounds from the October forecast and 191 pounds below a year ago. Production is below a year ago in 12 of the 18 producing States. Most notable is a 39 percent production decrease from last year in both Minnesota and North Dakota where an early frost in mid-August severely damaged the crop. Production is down from a year ago for large lima, baby lima, navy, great northern, pinto, light red kidney, dark red kidney, pink, and blackeye. Production increased from last year for small white, small red, cranberry, black, and small and large chickpeas.

Dry Bean Production by Class, New York and United States, 2002-2004

U.S. HIRED WORKERS DOWN 2 PERCENT

WAGE RATES UP 3 PERCENT FROM A YEAR AGO

There were 1,173,000 hired workers on the Nation’s farms and ranches during the week of October 10-16, 2004, down 2 percent from a year ago. Of these hired workers, 851,000 workers were hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 322,000 workers.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $9.30 per hour during the October 2004 reference week, up 25 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $8.60 per hour, up 18 cents from last October, while livestock workers earned $8.91 per hour compared with $8.64 a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $8.67 per hour, was up 20 cents from last year.

Hired Workers on Farms and Wage Rates

NOVEMBER PRICES RECEIVED LOWER

Prices received by New York producers during November for selected commodities were mostly lower than a month earlier. Prices for corn, oats, wheat, soybeans, potatoes, and apples declined. The price of barley, hay, milk, and eggs increased.

Grain corn averaged $2.41 per bushel during November, 50 cents less than October and 11 cents less than a year earlier. Oats sold for an average of $1.63 during November, 12 cents below October but 8 cents higher than November 2003. Wheat, at $1.79 per bushel, was $1.05 less than a month earlier and 41 cents less than November a year ago. Barley returned an average of $2.10 per bushel, 10 cents above October and 6 cents above last year. Soybeans averaged $5.07 per bushel, down $2.93 from October and $2.01 below November 2003. Hay, at $116.00 per ton, was up $12.00 from October and $10.00 from a year ago. Fresh market apple prices at the packinghouse door averaged 22.6 cents per pound, down 2.3 cents from October and 0.8 cent from November 2003. Potatoes averaged $9.45 per hundredweight (cwt.), 65 cents less than October but 45 cents more than last November.

Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $16.50 per hundredweight of milk sold during November, up 10 cents from October and up $1.40 from November a year ago. Poultry producers received an average of 49.5 cents per dozen eggs sold, up 14.5 cents from October but down 43.5 cents from November 2003.

The national preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in November, at 114, based on 1990-92=100, is 1 point above October. The Crop Index remained unchanged from October while the Livestock Index increased 1 point (0.9 percent). Producers received higher commodity prices for tomatoes, eggs, hogs, strawberries, and grapes. Lower prices were received for lettuce, oranges, soybeans, corn, and cattle. 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 dairy, cattle, and cotton offset decreased marketings of soybeans, peanuts, and potatoes. The preliminary All Farm Products Index is down 2 points (1.7 percent) from November 2003.

 Prices Received by Farmers 1/

Commercial Livestock Slaughter, October 1/

NOVEMBER MILK PRODUCTION DOWN 2 PERCENT

New York dairy herds produced 911 million pounds of milk during November. This total is down 2.1 percent from the November 2003 level. Fewer cows resulted in the lower total production. The number of milk cows totaled 646,000 head, down 14,000 from November of the previous year. Milk per cow averaged 1,410 pounds, equal to the rate of November 2003.

Milk production in the 20 major States during November totaled 11.8 billion pounds, up 1.2 percent from November 2003. Production per cow in the 20 major States averaged 1,526 pounds for November, 9 pounds above November 2003. The number of milk cows on farms in the 20 major States was 7.77 million head, 44,000 head more than November 2003, but unchanged from October 2004.

Dairy Briefs

Dairy Products Manufactured

 OCTOBER EGG PRODUCTION UP 12 PERCENT

Egg production on New York farms, totaled 100 million eggs in October 2004, up 12 percent from last year. The number of hens and pullets of laying age, at 4.05 million, was up 10 percent from October 2003, while the rate of lay was up 2 percent to 24.67 eggs per layer.

Laying flocks in the United States produced 7.64 billion eggs during October 2004, up 3 percent from the previous October. An indication of future egg supply, chicks hatched in the U.S. during October for the purpose of egg production totaled 36.0 million, up 3 percent from October 2003. Eggs in incubators on November 1, 2004 totaled 37.0 million, up 27 percent from the previous year.

Poultry Briefs