No. 493 July 1, 1966
INDIANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
STATISTICAL REPORTING SERVICE
COOPERATING WITH
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Department of Agricultural Statistics
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907
This is one of 223 similar statistical reports prepared by the Indiana Crop and
Livestock Reporting Service at Purdue University, and released by the Crop
Reporting Board of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Such basic facts about
agriculture have been made available for 100 years. Yes, this is the Centennial
Year of crop and livestock reporting in the United States as well as the Sesqui-
centennial Year for Indiana as a state.
INDIANA
The July 1 production forecast of Indiana's crops for 1966 indicated larger production
of corn, wheat and oats. Smaller production was indicated for barley, rye, hay, tobacco,
apples and peaches.
Corn yield, estimated at 93 bushels per acre based on July 1 prospects, is only 1
bushel below the record yield of 94 bushels per acre set in 1965. Indiana's corn yield
is expected to be the highest in the Nation in 1966, as it was in 1965. The 5,272,000 acres
expected to be harvested for grain in 1966 exceeds 1965 by 6 percent, and average by
15 percent. With present prospects, this year's production of corn will be the highest
of record. Corn was planted on time but development has been slower than usual this
season.
Wheat production during 1966 is expected to total 42,640,000 bushels, up 8 percent
from last year, but 8 percent below average. The 1966 acreage of wheat for harvest
in Indiana is 1,040,000 acres, 10 percent below 1965 and 19 percent below average. The
yield is expected to total 41 bushels per acre, up from the 34 bushels per acre yield last
year and up from the 36.2 bushels per acre average yield. Development of the wheat
crop was later than both 1965 and the 1960-64 average, as the cool month of May
slowed growth.
The 1966 production of oats, forecast at 21,240,000 bushels is 22 percent greater than
last year but 31 percent less than average. Acres for harvest totaled 360,000 acres, up
7 percent from last year but down 38 percent from average. Yield is expected to be
59 bushels per acre compared with 52 bushels per acre last year and the average yield
of 52.8 bushels per acre.
Barley production is estimated at 680,000 bushels, down 1 percent from 1965 and less
than half of average. Barley acreage is expected to total 17,000 acres, 6 percent less
than 1965 and 56 percent less than average. Rye production, estimated at 735,000 bushels,
is down 6 percent from last year and 36 percent from average.
Soybean acres for harvest as beans in 1966 is estimated at 2,928,000 acres, down 1
percent from last year but up 10 percent from average. The first forecast of production
will be made in August. The crop has been developing slowly, with only a few reports
of fields blooming by July 2, when usually about 5% are blooming by this date.
Corn stocks on farms on July 1 totaled 116,889,000 bushels, up 49 percent from July 1,
1965 and up 9 percent from average. Wheat stocks (old crop) on farms totaled 393,000
bushels, down from last year by 24 percent but up 80 percent from average. Oats stocks
(old crop) in on-farm positions totaled 2,621,000 bushels, 3 percent below last year and
55 percent below average. Soybean stocks on farms totaled 2,071,000 bushels, up 4 percent from July 1, 1965 but down 39 percent from average. Barley stocks on farms
amounted to 34,000 bushels, less than half of a year ago, and rye holdings at 23,000
bushels is less than three-fourths of July 1,1965.
Hay production is expected to total 2,412,000 tons, down by 12 percent from last year
and off 3 percent from average. Of this, alfalfa hay is expected to make up 1,410,000
tons, and clover and timothy mixtures another 838,000 tons. The 1966 alfalfa production
is 20 percent below last year but the clover-timothy crop is 7 percent above the previous
year.
Commercial apple production is forecast at one million bushels, down 46 percent
from 1965 and 45 percent from average. Peach production, forecast at 110,000 bushels,