Nevada Hay Prices            Nevada hay prices for December were down for All Hay, Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures, and All Other Hay. The All Hay price came in at $93.00 per ton with Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures at $91.00 per ton and All Other Hay at $103.00 per ton. November hay prices were $105.00 for All Hay, $103.00 for Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures, and $122.00 for All Other Hay. On the national level, All Other Hay price was up while Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures price, and All Hay was down. All Hay came in at $79.30 per ton, Alfalfa at $83.60 per ton, and All Other Hay at $71.40 per ton. November hay prices for the U. S. were $86.20 for All Hay, $94.00 for Alfalfa, and $67.80 for All Other Hay.                                                These prices are the result of our monthly Hay Prices Received By Farmers survey. Reporters include both producers and dealers. These prices represent average price at point of first sale for all grades and qualities sold. The average price concept is that price which would result from dividing the total dollars received by all farmers, before any marketing charges are deducted, by total quantity sold.

Hogs & Pigs Inventories

U.S. National Report

U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2004 was 60.5 million head. This was up slightly from December 1, 2003, but down 1 percent from September 1, 2004. Breeding inventory, at 5.97 million head, was down 1 percent from December 1, 2003, but up slightly from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 54.5 million head, was up slightly from last year, but 2 percent below last quarter.

Nevada State Report

Nevada’s inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2004 was 5,500 head. This was unchanged from December 1, 2003. Breeding inventory in the state remains constant from December 1, 2003, at 1,000 head.

Market hog inventory, at 4,500 head, unchanged from last year.

 

 

Alfalfa Seed Production Down

 

          Given continued water shortages in the Lovelock area and reduced contracting by seed dealers, Nevada alfalfa seed production remained well below the levels of earlier years. The average yield per acre was pretty good at 670 pounds per acre (clean seed basis). Average price was down to $1.10 per pound. Total production was up 8 percent from 2003 as there was more acreage harvested

 

ALFALFA SEED: Acreage, Yield, Production, Price and Value, Nevada, 1995-2004

 

  

 

December Weather Summary

 

           Pacific storms visited the State at the beginning and the end of the month. High pressure kept storms at bay through most of the month. Precipitation totaled well above normal in most areas with snow covering the northern half os the State. Accumulated snow pack at the end of the month was well above normal in the Sierra Nevada and eastern Nevada, but remained below normal in the Owyhee river basin. Temperatures averaged above normal statewide. Livestock feeding increased in response to the snow cover. Hay, onion, and potato shipping continued. Equipment maintenance was common and grower meetings were being held

 

Monthly Weather Summary for Selected Nevada Stations, December 2004

Station	Average Temperature	Departure from Normal-Temp	Total Precipitation	Departure from Normal-Precip
	--------degrees--------		-------inches------
Reno	34.9	1.3	1.71	.83
Winnemucca	31.1	1.5	.56	-.25
Elko	29.3	3.3	1.19	.26
Ely	28.6	2.8	0.54	.04
Las Vegas	49.2	2.2	2.10*	1.70

 

 

 

 

 

Nevada Mint Production

 

           Nevada mint growers produced 207,000 pounds of peppermint oil in 2004, up from 201,000 pounds in 2003. This is the largest production total estimated since we began making these estimates in 1998. The crop was valued at nearly 2.7 million dollars.

 

ALL MINT: Acreage, Production, Price, and Value, Nevada, 1998-2004