News

A little more profitable on the farm in February

The Index of Prices Paid to Farmers increased 3.1 percent in February from January.  Producers received higher prices for eggs, tomatoes, oranges and hay, lower prices for cattle, hogs, broilers and lettuce.

The overall Crop Index increased 2.4 percent from January.  Corn slipped 2 cents to average $3.79 per bushel, soybeans decreased 38 cents to $9.92, all-wheat was 35 cents lower at $5.89 per bushel while all-hay was up $3 at $155 per ton.  Sorghum grain was up 46 cents at $7.86 per ton.

The Livestock Index declined 4.2 percent in February.  Beef cattle were down $5 at $159 per hundredweight.  Hogs were down $7 at $50.40 per hundredweight.  Broilers slipped 6 cents to 54 cents per pound, turkeys increased 0.7 cents to average 66.9 cents per pound and eggs increased 34 cents to $1.41 per dozen.

The February all-milk price fell 80 cents to average $16.80 per hundredweight.  That is $8.10 below February of last year.  The February all-milk price ranged from $21.20 in Florida to $14.72 in California.  Florida also tied Virginia for the biggest price drop from January down $1.40.  The February milk-to-feed ratio is 2.02 compared to 2.09 in January and 2.59 a year ago.  The milk-to-feed ratio is the number of pounds of 16% mixed dairy feed equal to the price of a pound of milk.

Compared to February of 2014: the prices received by farmers are up 6.5 percent while prices paid are unchanged.

Read the full NASS report here: