News Release

SIOUX FALLS, January 31, 2005 -- Preliminary crop prices for January were mixed compared to December 2004. Sunflower, wheat, oats, and malting barley were up, while corn, soybeans, alfalfa hay and all hay were down and other hay was unchanged, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Office. Preliminary January livestock prices were up for both cattle and hogs.

The preliminary January all beef cattle price, at $95.70, was up 9.70 from last month and up $11.30 from last year. Steers and heifers, at $105.00, were up $5.40 from December and $12.40 above January of last year. Calves, at $132.00, were up $5.00 from last month and up $18.00 from last January.

The preliminary January all hog price, at $54.60, was up $1.70 from last month and up $16.50 from last year. Barrows and gilts were up $1.70 from last month and up $16.50 from last year. Sows were up $3.80 from December 2004 and up $18.50 from last January.

The all hay price for January, at $63.00 per ton, was down $3.00 from December but up $4.00 from last year. The alfalfa price, at $65.00 per ton, was down $4.00 from last month but up $3.00 from last year. The other hay price, at $51.00, was unchanged from last month but up $6.00 from January 2004.

The preliminary soybean price, at $5.16, was down 12 cents from last month and down $2.21 from January 2004. The corn price, at $1.65, was down 16 cents from the previous month and down 64 cents from a year ago. The preliminary all wheat price for January, at $3.54, was up 14 cents from last month but down 11 cents from last year. The winter wheat price, at $3.36, was up 19 cents from last month but 18 cents below last January. The spring wheat price, at $3.72, was up 9 cents from last month but down 1 cent from last year. The January sunflower price, at $13.80, was up $1.10 from last month and up $2.20 from last year. The January oat price was up 8 cents from December and up 11 cents from last January.

 PRICES RECEIVED BY SOUTH DAKOTA FARMERS

COMMODITY           UNIT      January      December      January 
                              2004 1/      2004 1/       2005 2/
                              - - - - - - - DOLLARS - - - - - - - 
Corn                 Bu.        2.29         1.81          1.65
Soybeans             Bu.        7.37         5.28          5.16
Sunflowers           Cwt.      11.60        12.70         13.80
Wheat, All           Bu.        3.65         3.40          3.54
 Winter              Bu.        3.54         3.17          3.36
 Other Spring        Bu.        3.73         3.63          3.72
Barley, All          Bu.          NA         2.00            NA
 Feed                Bu.        1.73         1.70            NA
 Malt                Bu.          NA         2.02          2.10
Oats                 Bu.        1.50         1.53          1.61
Hay, All             Ton       59.00        66.00         63.00
 Alfalfa             Ton       62.00        69.00         65.00
 Other               Ton       45.00        51.00         51.00
Cattle, All Beef 3/  Cwt.      84.40        86.00         95.70
 Cows                Cwt.      44.60        47.10         50.30
 Steers & Heifers    Cwt.      92.60        99.60        105.00
Calves 4/            Cwt.     114.00       127.00        132.00
Hogs, All            Cwt.      38.10        52.90         54.60
 Barrows & Gilts     Cwt.      39.80        54.40         56.00
 Sows                Cwt.      26.50        41.20         45.00
Lambs                Cwt.     115.00       120.00            NA
Sheep                Cwt.      44.90        49.60            NA
1/ Entire month.  2/ Mid-month.  3/ Over 500 lbs.  4/ Under 500 
lbs.  5/ Price not published to avoid disclosure of individual 
buyers.  NA = Not Available.

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