No. 509 November 1, 1967
INDIANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPAKTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
STATISTICAL REPORTING SERVICE
Cooperating with
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907
INDIANA
Temperatures varied around the normal mark during the month of October, but precipitation was 1.60 inches above normal. Although the additional moisture was beneficial in recharging subsoil moisture, it has caused considerable delay in corn harvest.
Farmers have not been able to start cribbing their corn as ears are still too high in
moisture.
Corn production is expected to total 457,470,000 bushels, 16 percent above last year,
and 29 percent above average. The November 1 yield at 85 bushels per acre is 1
bushel below last month's estimate, but is 7 bushels above the 1966 yield and 3.2
bushels above average. As of November 1, less than 15 percent of the 1967 crop had
been harvested.
Soybean production is estimated at 71,050,000 bushels, 3 percent below the 1966
production and 4 percent below average. The yield is forecast at 25 bushels per acre,
below both the 26 bushel yield last year and the 27.2 bushel average yield. By November 1, 20 percent of the crop remained for harvest compared to 10 percent remaining
for both a year ago and average.
Sorghum grain production, estimated at 780,000 bushels, is 42 percent more than
last year and 29 percent more than average. The yield forecast at 65 bushels per
acre is 10 bushels above the 1966 yield, but almost 1 bushel below the average yield.
Winter wheat seeding lagged behind the 1966 rate and that of average by about 5
percentage points on November 1. Excessive topsoil moisture and the slow progress
of soybean harvest contributed to delays in seeding of overwintering grains.
Pasture condition on November 1, was rated at 77 percent of normal compared to
78 percent last year and the November 1 average rating of 73 percent.
Tobacco production is estimated at 14,455,000 pounds on November 1. This is 3
percent less than last year, and 8 percent less than average. Tobacco yield is estimated at 2,450 pounds per acre, 70 pounds less than the yield during 1966, but 374 pounds
above the 5-year average.
Potato production in Indiana is estimated at 2,025,000 cwt., 16 percent above the
1966 production and 11 percent above average.
Apple production is estimated at 75.6 million pounds, up 42 percent from last year,
but down 4 percent from average.
October milk production in Indiana totaled 198 million pounds, 7 percent below the
1966 production and 23 percent below average. October egg production totaled 208
million eggs, up 2 percent from last year. The rate of lay per 100 layers at 1,711 eggs
was 2 percent less than the 1,748 eggs per 100 layers during October 1966. The number of layers at 12.1 million birds was 5 percent more than during October 1966.
UNITED STATES
Total crop prospects declined slightly during October. Weather hampered harvest
in the important North Central Region and reduced prospective outturn of late harvested crops. Reduced prospects for corn, soybeans, sorghum grain, cotton, rice, peanuts, and sweetpotatoes more than offset improved prospects for dry beans, potatoes, tobacco, and sugar crops.
The "all crops" production index declined slightly (0.5 percent) from a month
earlier. At 117, the index is a record high—5 points (4 percent) above last year and
2 points (2 percent) above 1965. The composite index of "yield per acre", covering
28 leading crops, declined 1 point to 122—the same as last year.
Prospects for both corn and sorghum grain declined some from a month earlier.
Most of the decline in expected production of corn occurred in the East North Central
States where above normal October rains delayed harvest and caused considerable
lodging. Total corn production is still expected to be a record high. Although most
of the sorghum grain crop in the important producing States matured before the first
killing frost, some late fields were damaged resulting in reduced test weights and
yields.
October brought generally favorable fall harvest weather to most areas of the