PACIFIC REGION WHEAT FORECAST
Wheat
California farmers are expected to produce 480,000 tons of winter wheat in 2014, down 41 percent from last year. Harvested acres are estimated at 200,000, resulting in a yield of 2.40 tons per acre. In California, producers are expected to harvest a record low acreage due to exceptional drought in the winter wheat growing area.
Durum wheat production in California is forecast at 173,000 tons, down 14 percent from 2013. Harvested acres are estimated at 55,000, with a yield of 3.15 tons per acre. The Durum wheat harvest was expected to begin in Southern California by mid-May.
United States winter wheat production is forecast at 42.1 million tons, down 9 percent from 2013. As of May 1, the yield is forecast at 1.29 tons per acre, down 9 percent from last year. Expected grain area is forecast at 32.6 million acres, up 1 percent from last year.
The United States estimate for Durum wheat production for states other than Arizona and California will not be available until July 11, 2014.
CALIFORNIA FIELD CROP PRICES – APRIL 2014
Mid-April prices received by California farmers were above March for alfalfa hay. Prices for all potatoes and fall potatoes were below the previous month. The mid-April price for other hay was unchanged from March.
There were insufficient sales to establish a mid-month price for wheat, barley, spring potatoes and cotton lint. Prices for dry edible beans were withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
HAWAII TARO PRODUCTION
Hawaii taro production for the 2013 crop year is estimated at 3.10 million pounds, down 11 percent from the previous year but unchanged from the previous forecast. Area in crop, at 400 acres, is unchanged from 2012.
UNITED STATES PRICES RECEIVED INDEX
The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in April, at 115 percent, based on 2011=100, increased 4 points (3.6 percent) from March. The Crop Index is up 4 points (4.3 percent) and the Livestock Index increased 4 points (3.1 percent). Producers received higher prices for hogs, corn, soybeans, and broilers and lower prices for oranges, barley, and peanuts. In addition to prices, the overall index is also affected by the seasonal change based on a 3-year average mix of commodities producers sell. Increased monthly movement of milk, broilers, and oranges offset the decreased marketing of corn, soybeans, hay, and wheat.
The preliminary All Farm Products Index is up 8 points (7.5 percent) from April 2013. The Food Commodities Index, at 125, increased 3 points (2.5 percent) from last month and increased 18 points (17 percent) from April 2013.
The April All Crops index, at 98, increased 4.3 percent from March, but is 8.4 percent below April 2013. The index increase for oilseeds & grains more than offset the index decrease for fruit & tree nut production.
The April Food Grains Index at 101, is 3.1 percent above the previous month, but 4.7 percent below a year ago. The April price for all wheat, at $230.67 per bushel, is up $5.67 cents from March, but down $26.33 cents from April 2013.
The April Feed Grains Index, at 79, is up 3.9 percent from last month, but 32 percent below a year ago. The corn price, at $168.93 per bushel, is up $7.86 cents from last month, but $80.00 below April 2013. Sorghum grain, at $8.41 per cwt, is 17 cents above March, but $3.19 below April last year.
The April Other Crops Index, at 102, is up 4.1 percent from last month, but unchanged from April 2013. The all hay price, at up $191 per ton, is up $18.00 from March, but $4.00 less than last April. The price for upland cotton, at 80.7 cents per pound, is up 1.3 cents from March and 2.3 cents higher than last April.
SPRING POTATOES
California spring potato production is forecast at 10.0 million cwt, down 8 percent from last year. Harvest had begun in some areas and yields were forecast lower than in last year.
Nationally, production for 2014 is forecast at 21.0 million cwt, down 5 percent from 2013. Planted area is forecast at 73,800 acres, a 2 percent decrease from March intentions. Area for harvest is forecast at 72,300 acres, down 1 percent from the previous year. The average yield forecast, at 290 cwt per acre, is down 14 cwt from 2013.
HAY STOCKS ON FARMS
Stocks of hay on California farms as of May 1, 2014 totaled 140 tons. This is 7 percent of the December 1 stocks, 56 percent below May 1, 2013 and is a record low. Nevada hay stocks were estimated at 45,000 tons, a decrease of 68 percent from a year ago.
All hay stored on United States farms May 1, 2014 totaled 19.2 million tons, up 35 percent from a year ago. This is the third lowest May 1 stocks level since 1989. Disappearance from December 1, 2013 – May 1, 2014 totaled 70.1 million tons, compared with 62.4 million tons for the same period a year earlier.
May 1 hay stocks levels were record-lows in California, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
May 1 hay stocks were up from 2013 as improved weather conditions lead to larger production totals in many States when compared with drought conditions in 2012. However, several regions saw declines in stocks levels when compared to a year ago due to lower production in the Southeast, drought conditions in the West and Southern Plains, and a cold, wet spring in the Northeast and parts of the Midwest.
2013 COTTON PRODUCTION
California farmers produced 333,000 bales (480 lb. net weight) of upland cotton in 2013, 34 percent less than the 508,000 bales produced in 2012. Harvested acreage, at 92,000, was 35 percent below the 141,000 acres harvested the previous year. The average yield was 1,737 pounds per acre, 8 pounds above 2012.
American-Pima producers planted 187,000 acres, down 17 percent from last year. Harvested area, at 186,000 acres, is down 17 percent from last year. Production is estimated at 610,000 bales (480-pound), down 19 percent from last year. The average yield is estimated at 1,574 pounds per acre, down 40 pounds from 2012.
All cotton production in the United States is estimated at 12.9 million 480-pound bales, down 25 percent from the 2012 crop. The yield for all cotton is estimated at 821 pounds per acre, down 66 pounds from the previous year’s record high yield.
United States upland cotton production is estimated at 12.3 million 480-pound bales, down 26 percent from the 2012 crop. The yield for upland cotton is estimated at 802 pounds per acre, down 67 pounds from 2012. Record high yields are estimated in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
American Pima production in the United States is estimated at 634,200 bales (480-pounds), down 19 percent from 2012. The yield is estimated at 1,527 pounds per acre, down 54 pounds from the previous season.
United States cottonseed production in 2013 totaled 4.20 million tons, down 26 percent from the previous year. Sales to oil mills accounted for 49 percent of the disposition. The remaining 51 percent will be used for seed, feed, exports and various other uses.
View the Pacific Region Field Crop Review (.pdf).