Released: April 23, 1999

Bluestem pastures in the Flint Hills region are in good to excellent condition going into the 1999 grazing season, according to Kansas Agricultural Statistics. Pasture conditions across the Flint Hills region, as of mid-April, were rated 94 percent of normal. Due to last year's dry summer, the grass has not fully recovered in some areas and they may not burn. As of April 18, topsoil moisture conditions were rated mostly adequate to surplus throughout the Flint Hills region. With good to excellent moisture supplies, pasture grasses should grow rapidly as warmer temperatures arrive. There is slightly more pasture available this year than last year. The percentage of available pasture already contracted, as of mid-April, stood at 96 percent. Sixty percent of the acres are under full summer season contracts, 19 percent will be under short-season contracts, and 21 percent leased for the full year. The 1997 Census of Agriculture for Kansas indicates the acreage of pasture lands and rangelands total approximately 4.1 million acres in the Flint Hills region. The sources of stock water across the region and the respective frequency of use are: ponds, 60 percent; streams and springs, 33 percent; and wells, 7 percent. Water supplies are good to excellent.

Under full summer season contracts, average lease rates for steers and heifers and cow/calf pairs were lower when compared with a year ago (see Table 1). The 1999 average lease price per head for steers and heifers under 700 pounds for full summer season contracts decreased $4.00 to $57.90. The lease rate for steers and heifers over 700 pounds averaged $63.80, down $10.80 from 1998. The rates for cows with fall calves, at $108.10, decreased $2.10 from a year ago and cows with spring calves were 50 cents lower at $100.90. Table 2 illustrates that the average number of grass acres guaranteed for steers and heifers were unchanged or lower than 1998. The average acres for cow/calf pairs were mixed compared to 1998. Current rates on a per acre basis stood at $16.00, down 90 cents from the 1998 average rate. The lease rate per acre with services, which include the pasture contractor's responsibility for salt, water, and care averaged $16.90 per acre, a 90 cents decrease from 1998. The lease rate when the pasture contractor provides no service averaged $15.70 per acre, down 50 cents from 1998. Table 5 illustrates weight group breakdowns for the three regions. The average reported date for the start of the grazing season under full summer season contracts in the Flint Hills region is April 23, ranging from an early date of April 15 in Woodson and Chatauqua counties to May 2 in Geary county. The average reported ending date for the grazing season is October 18.

The average reported starting date for intensive or short season grazing is April 23. The average number of grazing days for steers and heifers under 700 pounds is 93 days. Current lease rates on a per acre basis averaged $17.90. The lease rate per acre with services, at $19.10, decreased $2.90 from a year ago, and the rate without services, at $17.30, down 60 cents from 1998. The average lease price per head for steers and heifers under 700 pounds (see Table 3) decreased $4.80 to $48.10. The lease rate for stockers under 500 pounds was $47.10, down $4.40 from 1998. The rate for the 500-699 pound weight group, at $48.70 decreased $5.10 per head. Steers and heifers over 700 pounds averaged $60.30 per head. Steers and heifers under 700 pounds were guaranteed an average of 2.6 acres of grass per head, while those over 700 pounds averaged 2.8 acres of grass.

Eight percent of the reports indicated contracts based on price per pound of gain, compared with 10 percent in 1998. Prices varied from 24 to 36 cents per pound of gain and averaged 31 cents.

The average price per cow with calf reported under full year leasing arrangements was $112.60 with 8.7 acres guaranteed. Lease rates on a per acre basis averaged $14.20 for the full year.

In winter yearling grazing arrangements, the average reported price was $6.10 per head per month with 5.2 acres guaranteed.

Sixty seven percent of the respondents reported burning of pastures, down 4 percent from a year ago. The average burning date was April 11.

Table 1-- BLUESTEM PASTURE LEASE RATES & PERCENT LEASED, 1995-1999

Year	Average Lease Price per Head for Full Summer Season							Price for Pastures Rented on "Per Acre" Basis	Percent of Pastures Leased Mid-April
	Steers and Heifers				Cows
	Under 500 Pounds	500- 699 Pounds	Under 700 Pounds	Over 700 Pounds	With Fall Calves	With Spring Calves	All Cows
	- - - - - - - - - - Dollars - - - - - - - - - -								Percent
1995	57 .60	61 .00	59 .90	70 .20	112 .20	100 .60	104 .60	14 .70	98
1996	58 .40	64 .00	62 .20	69 .50	109 .80	99 .40	102 .40	15 .30	99
1997	55 .40	62 .70	60 .30	72 .10	113 .40	101 .40	105 .20	15 .90	99
1998	59 .20	63 .60	61 .90	74 .60	110 .20	101 .40	104 .40	16 .90	98
1999	56 .00	58 .80	57 .90	63 .80	108 .10	100 .90	102 .90	16 .00	96

Table 2-- BLUESTEM PASTURE RENTAL ACREAGE GUARANTEES, CONDITION,
                & CATTLE PRICES, 1995- 99

Year	Average Acres of Grass Guaranteed per Head for Full Summer Season							Pasture Condition Percent of Normal Mid-April	Prices Received by Farmers during February per 100 Pounds
	Steers and Heifers				Cows
	Under 500 Pounds	500- 699 Pounds	Under 700 Pounds	Over 700 Pounds	With Fall Calves	With Spring Calves	All Cows
									Beef Cattle	Calves
	- - - - - - - - - - Acres - - - - - - - - - -							Percent	Dollars
1995	3 .9	4 .5	4 .3	4 .8	8 .1	7 .4	7 .6	93	72 .00	91 .00
1996	3 .7	4 .2	4 .1	4 .6	7 .6	7 .1	7 .3	54	60 .50	59 .50
1997	3 .5	3 .9	3 .8	4 .8	7 .6	6 .9	7 .3	90	64 .50	77 .00
1998	3 .8	3 .9	3 .9	4 .8	7 .6	6 .8	7 .3	96	61 .90	93 .00
1999	3 .7	3 .9	3 .8	4 .7	7 .5	7 .0	7 .2	94	63 .80	92 .00

Table 3-- BLUESTEM PASTURE LEASE RATES & ACREAGE
               GUARANTEES, SHORT SUMMER SEASON, 1995-99

Year	Average Lease Price per Head for Short Season (Dollars)				Average Acres of Grass Guaranteed per Head
	Steers and Heifers				Steers and Heifers
	Under 500 Pounds	500- 699 Pounds	Under 700 Pounds	Over 700 Pounds	Under 500 Pounds	500- 699 Pounds	Under 700 Pounds	Over 700 Pounds
1995	45 .60	46 .50	46 .20	50 .70	2 .5	2 .6	2 .5	2 .8
1996	47 .60	47 .90	47 .80	56 .50	2 .5	2 .5	2 .5	3 .0
1997	48 .10	49 .00	48 .60	58 .40	2 .3	3 .0	2 .7	2 .9
1998	51 .50	53 .80	52 .90	64 .00	2 .6	2 .9	2 .8	2 .7
1999	47 .10	48 .70	48 .10	60 .30	2 .4	2 .6	2 .6	2 .8

Table 4-- FULL YEAR LEASING

	Cows with Fall Calves	Cows with Spring Calves
Avg. Lease Price per Head	113 .70	112 .10
Avg. Acres Guaranteed per Head	9 .1	8 .5
Price for Pastures Rented on 'Per Acre' Basis	14.20

Table 5-- AVERAGE BLUESTEM PASTURE LEASE RATES, 1999, FULL SUMMER SEASON
               CONTRACTS

Type of Lease	Average Lease Price per Head for Full Summer Season (Dollars)							Price for Pastures Rented on "Per Acre" Basis
	Steers and Heifers				Cows
	Under 500 Pounds	500- 699 Pounds	Under 700 Pounds	Over 700 Pounds	With Fall Calves	With Spring Calves	All Cows
NORTHERN ZONE 1/
With Service	-	71 .20	66 .30	-	-	106 .30	108 .00	17 .60
Without Service	-	60 .30	61 .00	65 .60	109 .70	96 .00	98 .80	15 .10
Combined Average Lease Rate	61 .00	63 .70	62 .80	65 .60	111 .20	98 .10	100 .40	15 .50
CENTRAL ZONE 1/
With Service	59 .80	64 .10	62 .30	-	113 .50	109 .50	111 .30	17 .00
Without Service	54 .40	57 .40	56 .50	61 .60	99 .70	96 .90	97 .80	16 .50
Combined Average Lease Rate	56 .40	59 .10	58 .20	61 .80	103 .60	99 .40	100 .90	16 .60
SOUTHERN ZONE 1/
With Service	54 .20	63 .20	59 .20	-	138 .40	126 .20	128 .90	16 .50
Without Service	52 .90	53 .90	53 .60	-	106 .20	98 .60	100 .60	15 .00
Combined Average Lease Rate	53 .50	56 .30	55 .30	-	111 .20	103 .70	105 .70	15 .30
14 COUNTY BLUESTEM PASTURE AREA
With Service	57 .20	65 .30	61 .80	-	120 .40	114 .40	116 .00	16 .90
Without Service	55 .30	56 .50	56 .10	-	105 .20	97 .60	99 .60	15 .70
Combined Average Lease Rate