News

USDA price indices up on month

The USDA says the prices received and prices paid by farmers rose from January to February.

The index of prices received was up 4.9% on the month, with an 8.5% jump in the crop index cancelling out a 2.6% drop for livestock. Prices were higher for corn, cattle, milk, and lettuce, and lower for soybeans, broilers, market eggs, and strawberries. The index of dairy prices received for February was up 1.2% from January and 9.9% from February 2018. The all milk price of $16.80 per hundredweight was $.20 higher on the month and $1.50 on the year.

Month to month, marketings were up for cattle, milk, broilers, and greenhouse and nursery items, and down for corn, soybeans, wheat, and tobacco.

The index of prices paid was up 0.5% as increases for herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and nitrogen canceled out decreases for feeder pigs, feeder cattle, complete feeds, potash, and phosphate.

Year to year, the index of prices received is down 2%, while the index of prices paid was up 0.8%.