Purdue News

March 5, 1999 Cash value of Indiana '98 grain crops down WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Indiana farmers produced more corn and soybeans last year, but the cash value of the state's principal crops was down about $500 million, according to data released by the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service. Indiana ranked ninth nationally in 1998 for the total value of principal crops, at $3.28 billion, but that was down 14 percent from 1997's $3.82 billion total value. "There was a drop in crop value pretty much across the board last year," said Ralph Gann, state statistician who is based at Purdue University. "This really highlights the crisis we have going on with low commodity prices." Despite planting 100,000 fewer acres of corn in 1998, Indiana farmers produced 58.9 million more bushels than in 1997. The value of Indiana's 1998 corn crop was estimated at almost $1.8 billion, $216 million less than in 1997. Last year, Indiana farmers planted 5.8 million acres of corn and harvested 5.55 million acres. Production totaled 760 million bushels, an average yield of 137 bushels per acre, up 15 bushels per acre from 1997. However, the average corn price for 1998 was $2.05 a bushel, off almost 50 cents. Similarly, the value of Indiana's soybean crop declined $261 million to $1.5 billion in 1998 despite a 4.65 million bushel increase in total soybean yield from 1997. Average price per bushel was off $1.24 from the 1997 average of $5.35. Indiana farmers planted 5.7 million acres to soybeans last year and harvested 5.6 million of those acres -- an increase of 300,000 harvested acres from 1997. That increase led to the production of more than 235 million bushels of soybeans across the state, an average yield of 42 bushels per acre. The value of Indiana's winter wheat crop declined more than $30 million, because of both lower production and lower prices. For 1998, winter wheat production was down 790,000 bushels from 1997 despite an increase of 20,000 harvested acres. The average yield in 1998 was 55 bushels per acre, compared to 58 bushels in 1997. Prices dropped an average of 78 cents per bushel to $3.18. The top corn-producing counties in the state were Jasper (21.2 million bushels), White (17.9 million bushels) and LaPorte (16.6 million bushels). Rounding out the top 10 were Clinton, Montgomery, Benton, Newton, Carroll, Pulaski, and Madison counties. The top soybean-producing counties were Montgomery (5.4 million bushels), Benton (5.3 million bushels), and Clinton (5.2 million bushels). Rounding out the top 10 counties were White, Jasper, Madison, Boone, Tippecanoe, Allen and Rush. The top winter wheat-producing counties were Allen (2 million bushels), Posey (1.9 million bushels), Knox (1.9 million bushels), and Gibson (1.7 million bushels). The others in the top 10 were Adams, Whitley, Randolph DeKalb, Wells and Wabash counties. Source: Ralph Gann, (765) 494-8371; nass-in@nass.usda.gov Writer: Jane Houin, (765) 494-2722; news_students@aes.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page