ILLINOIS FARM REPORT RELEASED: March 23, 1999, IFR-99-04

Illinois   Agricultural   Statistics Service P.O. Box 19283, Springfield, IL 62794 Phone: (217) 492-4295 U.S. Department of Agriculture Illinois Department of Agriculture http://www.agr.state.il.us/agstats.htm

VOL. 20, NO. 4

Crop Values

Farm Labor

1/ Excludes agricultural service workers. 2/ Regions consist of the following: LAKE: MI, MN, WI; CORNBELT I: IL, IN, OH; CORNBELT II: IA, MO; UNITED STATES: Excludes Alaska.

Layers & Egg Production

1/ Preliminary.

Agricultural Prices

February prices received by Illinois farmers for all commodities decreased five points from the revised January figure and is down 23 points from February 1998, at 77 percent of the base. The current year's base is computed by multiplying the average production for the five-year period by the average price for each year. These five years are summed and then divided by five to arrive at an average (base) for the period. The current five-year average production is then multiplied by the current price and divided by the average for the five years to arrive at the current index. The February all crops index, at 77 percent of the base, decreased six points from a month earlier and is 27 points lower than February 1998. Prices decreased for corn, soybeans, wheat and oats. The all livestock index decreased two points from the previous month and is at 80 percent of the base. Prices increased for hogs, cows and calves. The hog-corn ratio, at 12.0, increased slightly from last month.

The U.S. All Farm Products Index of Prices Received in February was 96 based on 1990-92=100, down one point from January. Price decreases from January for milk, soybeans, tomatoes and corn more than offset price increases for cattle, hogs, oranges and potatoes. The seasonal changes in the mix of commodities farmers sell also affect the overall index level. Higher seasonal marketings of milk, cattle, broilers and eggs more than offset the relatively lower marketings of corn, soybeans, tobacco and cotton. These seasonal marketing changes limited the decline in the overall index. Compared with February 1998, the All Farm Products Index was five points lower. Price decreases from February 1998 for corn, soybeans, hogs and wheat more than offset price increases for milk, oranges, broilers and almonds.

1/ Prices received index divided by prices paid index.
* Revised.

1/ Prices received represent the average of all grades or classes at point of first sale and should not be confused with market quotations. 2/ Estimated in January, April, July, and October.
3/ State prices not published. * Revised

Milk Production

In January, 1999, milk production in Illinois totaled 179 million pounds, down two percent from last year. The number of milk cows on farms averaged 125,000 head, down 5,000 from this same time in 1998. Milk per cow averaged two percent higher than a year ago, increasing to 1,430 pounds.

Milk production during January in the 20 major States totaled 11.7 billion pounds, up 3.7 percent from January 1998. Production per cow averaged 1,523 pounds during January 1999, 57 pounds above January 1998. There was an average of 7.71 million head of milk cows in the 20 States during January 1999, down 19,000 head from 1998.

Milk production during 1998 in Illinois totaled 2.12 billion pounds, down four percent from 1997. The number of milk cows on farms averaged 128,000, four percent fewer than 1997. Annual production per cow, at 16,570 pounds in 1998, remained essentially unchanged from the previous year.

U.S. milk production during 1998 totaled 157.4 billion pounds, up one percent from the previous year. The production per cow, at 17,192, was two percent above the 1997 rate. The number of milk cows averaged nearly 9.16 million head in 1998, down one percent from the previous year.

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