Prospective Planting
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre)
Pennsylvania farmers are
responding well to market condi
tions and to the possibility of
another drought, says Penn State
economist George Greaser.
“Farmers are reacting to con
tinued strong commodity prices
for wheat and other small grains
by having planted more last fall
and planning to plant more
acreage in these crops this spring,”
says Greaser. “They are also
spreading the risk of drought loss
because small grains tend to be
drought resistant They also tend
to be short-season crops, so some
farmers may have the option of
double cropping with soybeans, if
moisture levels hold,” he says.
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PENNSYLVANIA
Geo. V. Seiple & Sons, Inc.
215-258-7146
EVERETT
Morris International Inc.
814-652-6101
LEWISBURG
Erdley Farm Equipment
717-524-2408
LYNNPORT
Kermit K. Kistler Inc,
215-298-2011
MARTINSBURG
Wineland Farm Equipment
814-793-2109
MILL HALL
Dotterer Equipment Inc.
717-726-3471
Greaser is responding to
USDA’s Highlights of Prospec
tive Plantings, based on a survey
by the Agricultural Statistics
Board of what 65,000 farmersl
plan to plant this year. Greaser is a
research associate in the depart
ment of agricultural economics.
“Since planting intentions are
not as high as the industry
expected, the market will be bul
lish. Trading and commodity
prices will be very volatile over
the next three months and will be
.dominated by the weather,”
Greaser says.
Nationally, farmers will plant
54 million acres in wheat. In
Pennsylvania, winter wheat pro
duction is up 26 percent as
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N£W. HOLLAND
A.B.C. Groff Inc.
717-354-4191
RINGTOWN
Ringtown Farm Equipment
717-889-3184
TUMHAN'NQQK
Bartron Supply Inc.
717-836-4011
ZIEGLERVILLE
Robert E. Little Inc.
215-287-9643
NEW JERSEY
SHILOH,
Robert G. Hampton
609-451-9520
WASHINGTON '
Frank Rymon & Sons Inc
201-689-1464
Stats Encouraging In Pennsylvania
to a national increase of
12 percent. But even with the
increase, there’s little danger of
flooding the market, says Greaser.
The 10-year high was in 1985
when U.S. fanners planted 65 mil
lion acres. Winter wheat was
planted last fall and will be
harvested in Pennsylvania during
June and July. “Pennsylvania far
mers will be looking at a fairly
decent commodity price for their
wheat,” he says.
Com crops will increase 8 per
cent nationally but will remain
stable in Pennsylvania. The report
projects that in Pennsylvania 1.48
million acres will be planted in
com—the same level as last year.
In 1987 the state had 1.55 million
e MU. ITS FITNESS
YOUCANMMK.
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Uncmar Farming, Saturday, April 15, 1989-A4l
acres planted in com.
“Many farmers assume that
there’ll be enough com from the
midwest and from their own pro
duction fo keep prices fairly rea
sonable,” says Greaser. Poultry
and hog farmers are especially
dependent on com, while dairy
farmers, who produce a lot of
Pennsylvania com, rely more on
protein feeds like soybeans and
soybean-mill alternatives.
“Farmers should expect a
strong commodity price for oats,”
he says. The report indicates that
state farmers intend to plant
300,000 acres in oats. Last year
they planted 290,000.
Other Pennsylvania projections
were 260,000 acres in soybeans,
up 13 percent from 230,000 acres
last year, and 80,000 acres in bar
ley, up 33 percent from 60,000
acres list year. These figures
reflect intentions to double-crop
barley and soybeans or wheat and
soybeans.
USDA’s Agricultural Statistics
Board will issue the next set of
crop projections May 11 and
another set in July. Thereafter,
during the harvest season, reports
will be issued monthly.
This month’s statistics can be
found under Market Reports on
PENpages, the College of Agri
culture’s public electronic infor
mation system. For information
about how to access PENpages,
contact your county Penn State
Cooperative Extension office.