CROPS

Weather conditions varied during the 1996 growing season. Excessive topsoil moisture during April slowed soil preparation and planting, resulting in a delay of 10 days to 2 weeks. This problem continued in most areas throughout May. However, during the earlier part of June conditions seemed to improve with warmer weather contributing to development of all crops. Topsoil moisture was adequate with an average of 5 days suitable for fieldwork. During mid-July, there was an excessive amount of rainfall and topsoil moisture was rated as mostly surplus. Drier weather was needed across the state. Overall weather conditions improved for August allowing farmers to plant and harvest crops. Weather conditions improved during September; but the prolonged periods of excessive rainfall resulted in reduced production overall.

Pasture conditions were generally good throughout the year due to the rainfall. Topsoil moisture ranged from adequate to surplus through November.

Corn and soybeans harvest continued into October. The condition of these crops were good overall. Cutting of hay was complete by the first week of October.

Corn planted in 1996 totaled 110,000 acres, 94,000 of which was harvested for grain. Yield was up by 33 bushels per acre to 126 bushels from 1995's 93 bushels. As a result, production increased by 63 percent to 11,844,000 bushels from 1995's 7,254,000 bushels. Acres harvested for silage decreased by 5,000 to 14,000 in 1996. Silage yield was up by 1 ton per acre to 16 tons; silage production was 224,000 tons, 21 percent below 1995. Growers received $3.05 per bushel for their grain, a decrease of 70 cents per bushel from 1995's price of $3.75 per bushel. Significantly higher yields more than offset the drop in price resulting in a 25 percent increase in the total crop value from 1995 to $36,124,000.

Soybeans planted acres fell by 20,000 from 1995 to 120,000, while harvested acres decreased by 19,000 to 119,000 acres. Yield increased by 15 bushels per acre to 37.0 bushels per acre, from 1995's 22.0 bushels per acre. Overall, production increased by 45 percent from 1995's 3,036,000 bushels to 4,403,000 bushels in 1996. There was a rise of 30 cents in the price received per bushel in 1996 to $7.00 per bushel, compared to 1995's return of $6.70 per bushel. However, due to the 15 bushel rise in yield, total crop value increased by 52 percent, from 1995's $20,341,000, to $30,821,000 in 1996.

The 46,000 acres planted to winter wheat was 10,000 acres more than 1995's 36,000; meanwhile, harvested acreage increased by 6,000 acres to 38,000 in 1996. Winter wheat yield fell by 11 bushels per acre from 1995's 57 bushels per acre to 46 bushels per acre in 1996. As a result, total production showed a 4 percent decrease in 1996, to 1,748,000 bushels, compared to 1995's 1,824,000 bushels. The season average price of $4.90 per bushel was $1.10 more than the price received in 1995, producing a 24 percent increase in total crop value to $8,565,000.

Acres planted to rye in 1996 were 25,000 acres, 15,000 less than 1995's 40,000 acres. Harvested acreage decreased by 5,000, over 1995's 8,000 acres, to 3,000 acres. Rye yield decreased from 1995's 38 bushels per acre to 27 bushels per acre in 1996. The decrease in harvested acreage produced a 73 percent decrease in production to 81,000 bushels, from 1995's 304,000 bushels. The season average price received by growers remained constant at $3.25. Total crop 1996, from a value of $988,000 in 1995.

Barley planted and harvested acreage decreased by 2,000 acres, from 5,000 in 1995, to 3,000. There was a 5 bushel per acre decrease in yield to 60 bushels per acre. As a result, production fell by 45 percent to 180,000 bushels from 1995's 325,000 bushels. The price received by growers increased by $1.05 per bushel, from 1995's $1.85 per bushel, to $2.90 in 1996. The value of barley produced decreased 13 percent from 1995 to $522,000.

Acres of all hay harvested in 1996 decreased by 10,000 to 120,000. Other hay harvested acres fell to 95,000, down from 1995's 100,000 acres. Alfalfa hay harvested acreage decreased by 5,000 acres to 25,000 acres. Alfalfa yield remained constant at 3.50 tons per acre. Other hay yield rose by 0.10 tons per acre, from 1995's 1.80 tons per acre, to 1.90 tons per acre in 1996. However, all hay production summed to 269,000 tons, down 6 percent from 1995, due to the decrease in harvested acreage. The season average price of $115.00 per ton for all hay is a decrease of $4.00 per ton from 1995's $119.00. Overall, total crop value fell 10 percent in 1996 to $30,621,000.

Potato acreage continued to decline, showing a drop of 100 acres from 1995, to a new low of 2,600 planted acres, and 2,500 harvested acres. Potato yield decreased by 5 hundredweight per acre to 265 hundredweight per acre in 1996. With the decline in acreage, production showed a 6 percent decrease over 1995's 702,000 hundredweight, to 663,000 hundredweight. The season average price decreased by $1.05 per hundredweight, from a price of $6.45 per hundredweight in 1995, to $5.40 per hundredweight in 1996. The decrease in production and the season average price contributed in a 21 percent decrease in total crop value to $3,580,000, down from 1995's $4,528,000.

In 1996, sweetpotato planted and harvested acreage dropped by 200 acres to 1,300 and 1,200 respectively. Sweetpotato yield decreased by 20 hundredweight per acre, from 1995's 150 hundredweight per acre, to 130 hundredweight per acre in 1996. As a result, production fell by 26 percent from 1995, to 156,000 hundredweight. The season average price of $15.20 was $7.90 less than 1995's $23.10 per hundredweight. Consequently, total crop value at 2,371,000 was less than half the 1995 value.