Milk prices continue to decline
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Prices received by New York producers for milk sold during March were down from a month earlier, according to Steve Ropel. Ropel is the Director of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Office. The price of corn, apples, hay, eggs and wheat also decreased. The price of potatoes increased. Many previous month prices were revised due to more complete sales information. Dairy farmers in the Empire State received an average of $11.20 per hundredweight of milk sold during March, down $1.00 from February and $6.80 less than March a year ago. Poultry producers received an average of 62.2 cents per dozen eggs sold, down 1.1 cents from February and 68.8 cents lower than last year. Grain corn, at $3.82 per bushel, was down 74 cents from February and decreased $2.12 from last year. Potatoes, at $13.90 per hundredweight, were up 20 cents from February but down $2.50 from last year at this time. Hay averaged $126 per ton, down $3 from February, but up $5 from March, 2008. Apples, at 25.9 cents per hundredweight, were down 7.2 cents from last year at this time. Wheat, at $5.02 per bushel, was down $1.30 from February and down $3.82 from last year. The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in March, at 126 percent, based on 1990-92=100, was unchanged from February. The Crop Index is up 1 point (0.7 percent) but the Livestock Index decreased 1 point (0.9 percent). Producers received higher prices for corn, lettuce, snap beans and tomatoes, and lower prices for broilers, soybeans, strawberries and celery. In addition to prices, the overall index is also affected by the seasonal change based on a three-year average mix of commodities producers sell. Increased monthly marketing of strawberries, broilers, soybeans, and milk offset decreased marketing of cattle, corn, cotton and oranges. The information in this release is available by free email subscription from New York reports at www.nass.usda.gov/ny.
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