ILLINOIS FARM REPORT RELEASED: MAY 13, 1999 IFR-99-07

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. 07

The Illinois wheat crop is projected to yield 52 bushels per acre based on conditions as of May 1. This would be four bushels above last years' yield of 48. If this yield is realized, total production will be 53.0 million bushels, eight percent less than a year ago and the second smallest production since 1991. Farmers seeded 1.05 million acres to wheat last fall and expect to harvest 1.02 million acres. This compares to 1.25 million acres seeded and 1.2 million acres harvested for the 1998 crop.

Mild winter weather allowed the crop to enter the spring in good condition and favorable spring weather resulted in an early developing crop. Heading is ahead of normal and by May 9, 29 percent of the crop was headed compared to 41 percent last year and the five-year average of 16 percent. Excess moisture over the last few weeks has caused some concern for the wheat crop but as of May 7, the condition was rated one percent very poor, three percent poor, 17 percent fair, 64 percent good and 15 percent excellent.

 Stocks of hay on Illinois farms on May 1 totaled 543 thousand tons. This year's hay stocks were up 15 percent from the 474 thousand tons on May 1, 1998.

Corn planting was 58 percent complete by May 9, compared to 38 percent last year and the five-year average of 51 percent. Corn emerged nine percent emerged compared to ten percent last year. Soybean planting was six percent complete, compared to three percent last year and the five-year average of nine percent. Less than one percent of the soybeans were emerged compared to zero for last year. Twenty-nine percent of the winter wheat acreage was headed, compared to 41 percent last year and the five-year average of 16 percent. One percent of the wheat acreage had reached the head-filling stage, compared to one percent for last year and zero for the five-year average. Condition of the wheat crop, as of May 7, was 15 percent excellent, 64 percent good, 17 percent fair, three percent poor and one percent very poor. Oats planting was 98 percent complete by May 9, compared to 93 percent last year and the five-year average of 94 percent. Condition of the oat crop, as of May 7, was 19 percent excellent, 65 percent good, 14 percent fair and two percent poor. Alfalfa hay first cutting was one percent complete by May 9, the same as last year and the five-year average. Alfalfa was rated 17 percent excellent, 69 percent good, 13 percent fair and one percent poor on May 7. Red clover was rated 16 percent excellent, 65 percent good, 17 percent fair and two percent poor. Condition of pastures was 19 percent excellent, 66 percent good, 14 percent fair and one percent poor. Topsoil moisture was rated as one percent short, 54 percent adequate and 45 percent surplus as of May 7.

U.S. winter wheat production is forecast at 1.61 billion bushels, down 14 percent from 1998. All classes of winter wheat are down from the previous estimate with Soft Red Winter showing the smallest percentage drop. Based on conditions around May 1, the yield is forecast at 44.4 bushels per acre, 2.5 bushels less than last year's record high. Grain area totals 36.3 million acres, down nine percent from last season. Area for 1999 grain harvest is forecast at 36.3 million acres, down nine percent from 1998. If realized, this will be the smallest winter wheat area since 1971. Soft Red Winter and White wheat took the biggest percentage hit. Both classes are down 12 percent from last year. Hard Red Winter area is down eight percent from a year ago with Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas accounting for about 1.8 million acres of the Hard Red Winter drop.

U.S. hay stocks on farms totaled 24.8 million tons on May 1, 1999, up 14 percent from May 1, 1998.

The Meat Animals - Production, Disposition and Income release will be available

on Friday, May 21, 1999 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

To view the data, visit our web site at www.usda.gov/nass/.

The combined value of production in Illinois from eggs, chickens and turkeys totaled $74.9 million in 1998. The number of eggs produced, at 838 million, was unchanged from 1997. The value of egg production, at $43.2 million, was down one percent from the previous year. Chicken sales of 8.0 million pounds was down four percent from 8.3 million pounds in 1997. Sales for turkeys decreased seven percent from 86.8 million pounds in 1997 to 81.0 million pounds in 1998.

The U.S. combined value of production from eggs, turkeys, chickens and broilers in 1998 was $22.2 billion, up three percent from 1997. The value of broilers produced during 1998 was $15.1 billion, up six percent from 1997 and accounted for 68 percent of the total. Egg production value, at $4.35 billion, was down four percent from the previous year. The value of turkeys produced was $2.66 billion, down eight percent from the $2.88 billion the previous year. Chicken sales (excluding broilers) in 1998 was $75.5 million, up four percent from 1997.

April prices received by Illinois farmers for all commodities continued to decrease and was at 72 percent of the base. This is two points less than the revised March figure and 21 points less than April 1998. 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 April all crops index, at 71 percent of the base, decreased three points from a month earlier and is 23 points lower than April 1998. Prices decreased for corn, soybeans, sorghum and oats. The all livestock index decreased two points from the previous month and is at 74 percent of the base. Cattle and hog prices increased while the price of milk decreased. The hog-corn ratio increased to 12.3.

The U.S. All Farm Products Index of Prices Received in April was 98 based on 1990-92=100, up one point from March. The increase is due to the seasonal change in the mix of commodities farmers sell. The normal increase in marketings of strawberries, cattle, oranges and milk more than offset the relatively lower marketings of soybeans, corn, wheat and hogs. The change in marketings also more than offset a decline in overall prices. Price decreases from March for milk, eggs, broilers and corn more than offset price increases for lettuce, hogs, onions and carrots. Compared with April 1998, the All Farm Products Index was six points lower. Price decreases from April 1998 for corn, soybeans, milk and hogs more than offset price increases for strawberries, carrots, lettuce and grapefruit.

MANUFACTURED DAIRY PRODUCTS - ANNUAL SUMMARY

Total cheese production in the U.S. in 1998, excluding cottage cheese, was 7.5 billion pounds, two percent above the 1997 production. Wisconsin was the leading state with 28 percent of the production.

American type cheese production, at 3.33 billion pounds, increased one percent from 1997 and accounted for 44 percent of total cheese in 1998. Italian varieties, with 3.0 billion pounds produced, were four percent above the 1997 production. Mozzarella accounted for 79 percent of the Italian production. Swiss cheese production was one percent below 1997 at 206 million pounds. Illinois ranks second, behind Ohio, in the production of Swiss cheese.

Production of butter in the United States during 1998 totaled 1.1 billion pounds, six percent less than 1997. Wisconsin accounted for 28 percent of the production, followed by California with 21 percent and Washington with seven percent.

Ice Cream production increased in 1998. Regular ice cream production totaled 937 million gallons, up three percent from 1997. Low fat ice cream, at 409 million gallons, was up six percent.

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