A36-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 2, 2003 Editor’s note: This is a month ly column from the Pennsylvania Ag Statistics Service (PASS), a field office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Ag riculture (PDA). The Website is www.usda.gov/nass/. SEE YOU AT AG PROGRESS DAYS If you are attending Ag Pro gress Days at Penn State from Aug. 19-21, please stop by our booth. This year, we will be in the Pennsylvania Department of Ag riculture building. We will be there all three days to provide in formation, discuss the use of NASS statistics, and personally thank you for helping with the recent Ag Census. We will have information about agricultural production, our confidentiality pledge to all survey respondents, lesson plans for math and agriculture, Intern et access, free mail and e-mail subscriptions, and more. Access To All Our Statistics For the latest details about acreage, forecasted yields, aver age prices, and crops in storage in Pennsylvania and around the nation, see www.usda.gov/nass/. Try the QuickSTATS button or see individual reports through the Search button where you can select the item of interest from the Commodity list. Please call us at (717) 787-3904 if you don’t have access to the Internet. For example, the acreage and yield information shown below is taken from the “Crop Produc tion” report issued around the 10th of each month with the lat est acreage and yield statistics. Another report of interest is the “Agricultural Prices” report is sued near the end of each month. 2003 Acreage In my May article, I discussed the June Acreage survey. The re sulting “Acreage” report was is sued June 30 with acreage for many crops across the nation. In Pennsylvania, growers ex pect to harvest 900,000 acres of grain corn or 3 percent more than last year, 365,000 soybean acres or 4 percent more, 4,000 sorghum acres or 33 percent more, 1.9 million acres of dry hay or 5.5 percent more, 3,700 tobac co acres (Maryland- and Pennsyl vania-type only) or 9 percent more, and 14,000 acres of pota toes, same as last year. Keystone small grain acreage is expected to be 160,000 wheat acres or 14 percent less than last year, 140,000 acres of oats (un changed from 2002) and 65,000 barley acres or 7 percent more. One item of national interest is that all harvested tobacco acres is estimated at 413,710 acres, down 3 percent from both the 2002 crop and 1 percent below the March Intentions report. If real ized, this would be the lowest harvested acreage since 1874. Crop Forecasts Last month I discussed NASS yield, forecast statistics. Here are the latest results for the 2003 crop in Pennsylvania. All yield forecasts assume normal growing conditions for the remainder of the season. As of July 1, Pennsylvania oat yield is expected to be 67 bushels, winter wheat 50 bushels, and bar ley 64 bushels per acre. After combining these yield forecasts with acreage statistics from the June Acreage Survey, Pennsylva nia wheat production is expected to be 20 percent below 2002, oat production up 10 percent, and NASS Agriculture Counts By Marc Tosiano Pa. State Statistician barley production down 6 percent from last year. Based on July 1 conditions, the Pennsylvania peach crop is ex pected to be 70 million pounds, up 17 percent from last year. Tart cherry production in Penn sylvania is forecast to be 5 per cent less than last year. However, at 218 million pounds, the na tional crop is about 3.5 times larger than 2002 but still 41 per cent lower than 2001. These pro duction swings are due mostly to the 2002 Michigan crop, which was devastated by unusual spring weather. Sweet cherry production in Pennsylvania is expected to be 4 percent below last year. Sweet com for fresh market at 15,900 harvested acres is 1 above last year but 7 percent below 2001. Sweet corn processors have contracted 1,200 acres in 2003 compared to 1,400 acres last year. Snap bean processors have contracted 8,400 acres, 11 per cent above last year’s 7,600 acres. Maple Syrup Pennsylvania’s 2003 maple syrup production came in at 48.000 gallons, down 13 percent from last year’s 55,000 gallons and 30 percent below the 69,000 gallons in 2001. Over the past 12 years, only 3 years produced less syrup: 40,000 gallons in 1993, 43.000 in 1995, and 47,000 in 2000. Sugarmakers set more taps this year, so the reduction in Pennsylvania syrup production was due to a lower yield per tap. There were 364,000 taps set dur ing 2003, 8 percent more that the 337,000 taps set last year. Each tap averaged 0.132 gallons of syrup per tap, down from the 0.163 gallons last year and 0.192 gallons in 2001. Similar to last year, temperatures were general ly too warm for good sap flow in Pennsylvania. Nationally, maple syrup pro duction in 2003 totaled 1.24 mil lion gallons, 11 percent below above the 2002 crop. There were 6.62 million taps set this year compared to 6.75 million taps last year. Each taps averaged .187 gallons of syrup compared to .206 gallons last year. In Pennsylvania, the value of the 2002 crop was $1.47 million, down from the $1.75 million in 2001. Nationally, the crop was valued at $38.4 million. Complete maple statistics are found in the 36-page June issue of the “Crop Production” report release June 11, 2003. It can be found at www.usda.gov/nass/; use the Search button and select Maple Syrup from the Commodi ty list. Farm Expenses It is no surprise to you that farm input costs always seem to go up. A recent report gives the agricultural community facts to back up that claim. In the Northeast, the overall average costs per farm increased by 1.7 percent from 2001 to 2002 while nationwide costs increased by 2 percent. The Northeast re gion includes the 11 states from Maryland to Maine. The top five Northeastern ex penses per farm for 2002 follow with the change from the previ ous year: 1) Feed costs essentially unchanged. 2) Farm services up 6 percent. 3) Labor up 4 percent. 4) Supplies and repairs up 3 per cent. 5) Improvements and con struction down 4 percent. See our Website for the complete report. A special “thank you” is ex tended to those of you that com pleted our surveys. Thanks again. Your help is essential to keep an accurate “ Agriculture Counts.” Caterpillar Equipment To Be Featured At National Pike Show BROWNSVILLE (Washington Co.) The National Pike Steam, Gas, Horse and Construction Equipment Show is featuring Caterpillar equipment and Penn sylvania built engines this year. Widely known as “the largest digging show in the USA,” the National Pike Show will take place August 8-10 at the show grounds located just off Route 40, 5 miles west of Brownsville, and 20 miles east of Washington. The show regularly features many operating Caterpillar trac tors, graders, scrapers, bulldozers and other vintage Cat machines. There will also be 20 or more shovels, draglines, backhoes and cranes, several powered by Cater pillar engines. Other attractions include the Rusty McGinness Erie Steam Shovel, engines and tractors, an tique farm tractors and equip- ment, antique cars and trucks, a large craft display and a flea market. Admission'is $4.00 per person, children under 12 free. Friday is PDA Releases Dates For Fall Graded Feeder Cattle Sales HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) The Pennsylvania Depart ment of Agriculture (PDA) has released the following dates for the Fall Pennsylvania Graded Feeder Cattle Sales. These dates have been selected so area producers can plan ahead to market their feeder cattle. Cattle will be sold in uniform lots according to USDA grade, weight, sex and breed or color. Some sales will not accept cattle with dairy breeding, yearlings, bulls or cattle with horns. Cattle that have been dehorned should be healed. Castrated males should be healed and guaranteed against stags. Personnel from the Livestock Division of the PDA Bureau of Market Development will grade the cattle for frame size and mus cle thickness, using USDA Feed er Cattle grading standards. Dates and locations are as fol lows: EIGHTY-FOUR AUCTION SALES, EIGHTY-FOUR (Wash ington County) Sale Date & Time: Friday, October 3, 2003 - 7:00 p.m. Cattle received: Friday, October 3, 2003 - 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Estimated headage: 700. No cattle with horns, dairy breeding or bulls will be accepted. Contact: Clair Kearns (724) 239-2124 Sale Bam: (724) 222-9965. MIDDLEBURG LIVESTOCK AUCTION, MIDDLEBURG (Snyder County) Sale Date & Time; Friday, October 3, 2003 - 7:00 p.m. Cattle received: Friday, Wheat Disease May Reduce State’s Harvest UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. As farmers across Pennsylvania begin to harvest their wheat crops, a specialist in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences warns that the state’s wheat is being threatened by a disease that could cause serious trouble for fanners already struggling after a difficult, wet spring. Erick DeWolf, assistant profes sor of plant pathology, said the state has been hit hard by a dis ease called Fusarium head blight, or “scab,” this season. He said the disease is likely to cause serious losses by limiting crop yields and may also result in grain that is contaminated with mycotoxins, or poisons produced by fungi. Caterpillar tractors and equipment will be featured at this year’s National Pike Steam, Gas, Horse and Con struction Equipment Show in Washington Co., August 8-10. Shown above, from left, are a 1926 Caterpillar 5 ton tractor and a 1927 Caterpillar 60 tractor, both pulling old scrapers. Senior Citizens Day with seniors admitted for $2.00. There are several eating areas, daily enter tainment, plenty of shade, free parking, and free primitive October 3, 2003 - 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Estimated headage: 300 to 400. Contact: BUI Weist (570) 837-2222 or Larry Benfer (570) 837-5638. Sale Barn; (570) 837-2222, INDIANA FARMER’S LIVE STOCK MARKET, HOMER CITY (Indiana County) Sale Date & Time: Saturday, October 4, 2003 - 7:00 p.m. Cattle Re ceived: Saturday, October 4,2003 - 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Estimated headage: 400. Contact: Becky Lipsi (724) 397-4087. Sale Barn: (724)479-2600. PENNSYLVANIA LIVE STOCK AUCTION, WAYNES BURG (Greene County) Sale Date & Time: Wednesday, Octo ber 8, 2003 - 10:30 a.m. Cattle re ceived: Tuesday, October 7, 2003 - 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Estimated headage: 1000. No bulls or year lings wiU be graded. Contact: Joe Friend (301) 746-8178. Sale Barn: (724) 627-9585. CENTRAL PA LIVESTOCK COOP - FEEDER CALF & YEARLING SALE: BELLE VILLE LIVESTOCK AUC TION, BELLEVILLE (Mifflin County) Sale Date & Time: Friday, October 17, 2003 - 7:00 p.m. Cattle received: Friday, Oc tober 17, 2003 - 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Estimated headage; 300 to 350. Contact: Brian Click (717) 935-2146. Sale Day: (717) 935-2146. BEDFORD CATTLEMEN’S ASSOC. BEDFORD COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, BEDFORD “Scab affects the heads and grain of the developing crop di rectly, resulting in moldy, shriv eled kernels and severely reduced yields,” DeWolf said. “In addi tion, the fungus.that causes scab also can produce significant lev els of mycotoxins in the diseased grain, and federal regulations prohibit that grain’s use in flour.” “The severe disease observed in some fields this season is un usual in Pennsylvania,” DeWolf said. “It can occur if rainy-humid weather prevails during the grain’s latter, flowering growth stages when the wheat is most susceptible to infection as it did during late May and June in the state.” camping. For more information, call Lou McMaster, (724) 356-2307, or Bob Kelly, (724) 796-1377. Web site: www.nationalpike.com. (Bedford County) Sale Date & Time: Saturday, October 18, 2003 - 1:00 p.m. Cattle Received: Fri day, October 17, 2003 - 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Estimated headage: 200. Contact: Dave Miller (814) 623-2321, Daryl Diehl (814) 735-4683, Bethany Fritz (814) 733-0109, or Joe Cogan (814) 652-9275. WESTMORELAND COUN TY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOC., WESTMORELAND COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, GREENS BURG (Westmoreland County) Sale Date & Time: Saturday, October 18, 2003 - 6:30 p.m. Cat tle received: Saturday, October 18, 2003 - 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Estimated headage: 200. No cat tle with horns, dairy breeding or bulls will be accepted. Contact: Dustin Heeter (724) 837-1402 or Conrad Dovovan (724) 593-6230. MIDDLEBURG LIVESTOCK AUCTION, MIDDLEBURG (Snyder County) Sale Date & Time: Friday, October 31, 2003 - 7:00 p.m. Cattle received: Friday, October 31, 2003 - 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Estimated headage: 300 to 400. Contact: Bill Weist (717) 837-2222 or Larry Benfer (717) 837-5638. Sale Barn: (717) 837-2222. -SPECIAL NOTE: This will be a sale for pre-condi tioned cattle. Additional information about these sales are available by call ing Mark Butcher, Livestock Di vision, PDA Bureau of Market Development at (717) 787-5319 or available on the internet at www.agriculture.state.pa.us De Wolf said little can be done to prevent the disease at this time, but growers can help reduce the impact of scab by harvesting wheat as quickly as possible to limit exposure to additional rains that could allow the disease to further damage the crop. “Wheat producers may want to increase the airflow on com bines,” he said. “That will sepa rate the lighter diseased kernels from healthy ones and limit the number of diseased kernels re tained by the harvester. Produc ers also may want to consider harvesting grain at 20 percent moisture, then artificially drying and cleaning the grain to en hance quality this season.
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