Pacific Regional Wheat Forecast
The California winter wheat production forecast, at 480 thousand tons, is 41 percent below last year. The 200 thousand acres expected to be harvested for grain is also 41 percent below last year. The yield is expected to average 2.40 tons per acre, unchanged from last year.
California’s Durum wheat production is forecast at 165 thousand tons, down 18 percent from last year. The yield is forecast at 3.00 tons per acre, unchanged from 2013.
United States winter wheat production is forecast at 41.4 million tons, down 2 percent from the May 1 forecast and down 10 percent from 2013. Based on June 1 conditions, the United States yield is forecast at 1.27 tons per acre, down 0.15 tons from last year.
As of June 1, thirty percent of the winter wheat crop in the 18 major producing States was rated in good to excellent condition, 2 percentage points below the same week in 2013. Nationally, 79 percent of the winter wheat crop was headed by June 1, slightly ahead of the 5-year average pace.
The U.S. estimate for Durum wheat production for states other than Arizona and California will not be available until July 11, 2014.
Sweet Potatoes
California’s 2013 sweet potato production, at 6.84 million cwt, is up 11 percent from 2012. Harvested acreage is estimated at 19.0 thousand acres, 1 percent above 2012. The yield, at 360 cwt, per acre is 5 percent above 2012.
Nationally, the production of sweet potatoes in 2013 totaled 24.8 million cwt, unchanged from the Crop Production 2013 Summary released in January 2014 but down 6 percent from the previous year. Growers harvested 113,200 acres, down 11 percent from 2012. Yield per acre, at a record high 219 cwt, is unchanged from January but up 10 cwt from the previous year.
United States Farm Labor for April
There were 688,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation’s farms and ranches during the week of April 6-12, 2014, down 7 percent from the April 2013 reference week. Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 540,000 during the week of January 12-18, 2014, down 9 percent from the January 2013 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $12.00 per hour during the April 2014 reference week, up 1 percent from the April 2013 reference week. Field workers received an average of $11.01 per hour, an increase of 1 percent. Livestock workers earned $11.35 per hour, down 10 cents. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $11.11 per hour, was up 4 cents from the 2013 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 40.2
June 1 Fall Potato Stocks
The 13 major potato States held 46.5 million cwt of potatoes in storage June 1, 2014, up 7 percent from 2 years ago. Potatoes in storage accounted for 12 percent of the 2013 fall storage States’ production, down slightly from 2 years earlier. Potato disappearance, at 344 million cwt, was up 2 percent from June 1, 2012. Season-to-date shrink and loss, at 27.6 million cwt, was up 7 percent from the same date in 2012. Processors in the 9 major States used 21.1 million cwt of potatoes during the month of May, up 21 percent from last year, and up 13 percent from May 2012.
United States Cotton Ginning
A total of 12.5 million running bales were ginned during the 2013 season, down 25 percent from the 2012 season.
There were 610 active cotton gins during the 2013 season, down from the 671 gins that operated in 2012. Thirty-six percent of the gins processed more than 20,000 running bales compared with 52 percent the previous season.
United States Prices Received Index
The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in May, at 114 percent, based on 2011=100, decreased 1 point (0.9 percent) from April. The Crop Index is up 1 point (1.0 percent) but the Livestock Index decreased 1 point (0.8 percent). Producers received lower prices for hogs, milk, eggs, and cattle. Prices were higher for broilers, oranges and strawberries. 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 cattle, hay, sweet corn, and broilers offset the decreased marketing of soybeans, hogs, calves, and apples.
The preliminary All Farm Products Index is up 4 points (3.6 percent) from May 2013. The Food Commodities Index, at 124, was unchanged from last month but increased 14 points (13 percent) from May 2013.
The May All Crops index, at 98, increased 1.0 percent from April but is 10 percent below May 2013. Index increases for fruit & tree nut production more than offset the index decreases for oilseeds & grains and vegetable & melon production.
The May Food Grains index, at 103, is 4.0 percent higher than the previous month but 2.8 percent lower than a year ago. The May price for all wheat, at $7.14 per bushel, is up 32 cents from April but 54 cents below May 2013.
The May Feed Grains index, at 79, is unchanged from last month but 32 percent below a year ago. The corn price, at $4.71 per bushel, is unchanged from last month but $2.26 below May 2013. Sorghum grain, at $8.25 per cwt, is 30 cents below April and $3.15 below May last year.
The May Other Crops Index, at 107, is up 4.9 percent from last month and 0.9 percent above May 2013. The all hay price, at $202.00 per ton, is $11.00 higher than April but down $1.00 from last May. The price for upland cotton, at 80.7 cents per pound, is up 0.2 cents from April and 2.4 cents above last May.
California Field Crop Prices
Mid-May prices received by California farmers were above the previous month for fall potatoes and other hay, but unchanged for spring potatoes and alfalfa hay. Prices were below the previous month for all potatoes.
The mid-month prices for wheat, barley and dry edible beans were not published to avoid possible disclosure of individual operations. There were insufficient sales to establish a mid-month price for upland cotton lint.
Sugarbeets
California’s 2013 sugarbeet production is estimated at 1.08 million tons, 1 percent above 2012. Planted acreage is estimated at 24.5 thousand acres, unchanged from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 24.3 thousand acres, down slightly from last year. The yield is at 44.4 tons per acre, 2 percent above 2012.
Nationally, the production of sugarbeets for the 2013 crop year remains at 32.8 million tons, unchanged from the January end-of-season estimate but 7 percent below 2012. Planted area totaled 1.23 million acres and harvested area totaled 1.15 million acres, both unchanged from the previous estimate. The final U.S. yield is 28.4 tons per acre.
Sugarcane
Hawaii’s 2013 production of sugarcane for sugar and seed is revised to 1.40 million tons, down 1 percent from the March estimate and 7 percent above 2012. Area harvested for sugar and seed production totaled 17.7 thousand acres, up 200 acres from March and 2 percent above the previous year. Yield for sugar and seed is estimated at 78.9 tons per acre, down 3.8 tons per acre from 2012.
Nationally, the production of sugarcane for sugar and seed in 2013 is revised to 30.8 million tons, down 4 percent from both the March estimate and the previous year. Area harvested for sugar and seed production totaled 910.8 thousand acres for the 2013 crop year, up 5,200 acres from March and 1 percent above the previous year. Yield for sugar and seed is estimated at 33.8 tons per acre, down 1.8 tons from the previous estimate and down 1.9 tons from 2012.