sd-crop-livestock NEWS RELEASE United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service South Dakota Field Office - Sioux Falls, SD Media contact: South Dakota Office, 605/323-6500 Email: nass-sd@nass.usda.gov MARCH PRICES RECEIVED MIXED SIOUX FALLS, March 30, 2006 -- Preliminary March prices were up from February for corn, all barley, and winter wheat, according to the South Dakota Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Preliminary prices for calves, all beef cattle, and barrows and gilts were down. The preliminary all wheat price for March, at $3.80, was down 1 cent from last month but up 36 cents from last year. The winter wheat price, at $3.73, was up 11 cents from last month and up 49 cents from last March. The spring wheat price, at $3.86, was 12 cents lower than last month but 27 cents higher than last year. The March soybean price, at $5.25, was 11 cents lower than last month and 58 cents lower than last year. The corn price, at $1.82, was up 1 cent from last month but down 1 cent from last year. The preliminary all sunflower price, at $9.52, was down 88 cents from last month and down $4.98 from last year. The preliminary March all hog price, at $43.10, was up 10 cents from last month but $8.90 below last year. Barrows and gilts, at $44.10, were down 40 cents from last month and down $8.90 from last year, while sows, at $34.10, were up $4.20 from February but down $8.70 from March 2005. The preliminary March all beef cattle price, at $98.10, was down $2.90 from last month and down 40 cents from last year. Steers and heifers, at $103.00, were down $4.00 from February but unchanged from March of last year. Calves, at $133.00, were down $8.00 from last month and down $4.00 from March 2005. The all hay price for March, at $62.00 per ton, was down $3.00 from February but up $1.00 from last year. The alfalfa price, at $64.00 per ton, was down $4.00 from last month but up $1.00 from last year. The other hay price, at $50.00, was down $5.00 from last month but up $1.00 from March 2005. Prices Received by South Dakota Farmers --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commodity :Unit: March : February : March : : 2005 1/ : 2006 1/ : 2006 2/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Dollars : : Corn :Bu. : 1.83 1.81 1.82 Soybeans :Bu. : 5.83 5.36 5.25 Sunflower :Cwt.: 14.50 10.40 9.52 Wheat, All :Bu. : 3.44 3.81 3.80 Winter :Bu. : 3.24 3.62 3.73 Other Spring :Bu. : 3.59 3.98 3.86 Barley, All :Bu. : 1.98 2.29 2.60 Feed :Bu. : NA 1.20 NA Malt :Bu. : 1.98 2.30 2.60 Oats :Bu. : 1.63 1.80 1.71 Hay, All :Ton : 61.00 65.00 62.00 Alfalfa :Ton : 63.00 68.00 64.00 Other :Ton : 49.00 55.00 50.00 Cattle, All Beef 3/ :Cwt.: 98.50 101.00 98.10 Cows :Cwt.: 58.00 52.10 53.60 Steers & Heifers :Cwt.: 103.00 107.00 103.00 Calves 4/ :Cwt.: 137.00 141.00 133.00 Hogs, All :Cwt.: 52.00 43.00 43.10 Barrows & Gilts :Cwt.: 53.00 44.50 44.10 Sows :Cwt.: 42.80 29.90 34.10 Lambs :Cwt.: 117.00 101.00 NA Sheep :Cwt.: 51.50 43.00 NA --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Entire month. 2/ Mid-month. 3/ Over 500 lbs. 4/ Under 500 lbs. NA = Not Available Access this complete report at: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/price/pap-bb/2006/agpr0306.pdf