Report: State farm production expenditures up from 2006 Arkansas farm production expenditures totaled $ 5. 94 billion last year - an 8 percent increase from 2006, according to information released by the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, cooperating with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. It was released Sept. 23. Average expenditures per farm also rose 8 percent last year, to $ 127, 742, from the prior year's figure. The largest increase in average expenditures, at 48 percent, was for fertilizer, lime and soil conditioners, followed by a 30-percent increase for interest, a 23-percent increase for rent and a 21-percent increase for tractors and self-propelled farm machinery. Decreases occurred in livestock, poultry and related expenses, at 27 percent lower than 2006, and farm supplies and repairs, which decreased 4 percent from 2006. The only expenditures that did not change were miscellaneous capital expenses and trucks and autos. Nationally, total farm production expenditures increased 9 percent last year to $ 260 trillion from the 2006 figure of $ 238 trillion. USDA to collect, publish county-level data on land rental rates As directed by the new Farm Bill, the U. S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS ) will, for the first time, collect and publish countylevel data regarding the cash rental rates producers pay for cropland and pastureland.
The Farm Service Agency and other USDA agencies rely on cash-rent data to administer commodity, credit, conservation, disaster and loan programs, according to Becky Cross, director of the NASS Arkansas Field Office.
Until this year, NASS only published this information at the national and state levels, but there is a great interest in the county-level data, according to Cross.
County-level data will be of particular use in the Farm Service Agency's administration of the Conservation Reserve Program by allowing its programs to reflect the prevailing rental rates in each community, according to Cross.
The demand for countrylevel cash-rent information will require NASS to greatly expand its data collection effort, according to Cross.
Producers will be reached in several ways. Questions will be included in four of NASS's regular surveys: the biannual cattle survey, the biannual sheep and goats survey, the quarterly crops / stocks survey, and the annual acreage and production survey. In addition, a separate cash-rent survey has been mailed to some producers not covered by one of the other surveys. Producers may report information a variety of ways, including by fax, the Internet, mail or through a phone interview with a NASS representative. Confidentiality of all responses is protected by federal law. The target date for release of the cash-rent data is next April. For more information, contact the NASS Arkansas Field Office at 800-327-2970. Hog, pig inventory up from last September Arkansas inventory of all hogs and pigs Sept. 1 totaled 315, 000 heads, up 9 percent from last Sept. 1, according to the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service quarterly hog and pig report. Breeding hog inventory, at 95, 000 heads, and market hog inventory, at 220, 000 heads, were also both up from the previous year. For the June-August 2008 quarter, the pig crop totaled 485, 000 heads, up 9 percent from the same quarter last year. Sows farrowed during the third quarter were 50, 000 heads, up 5, 000 heads from the previous quarter, and represented 53 percent of the breeding herd. Arkansas hog producers intend to have 46, 000 sows farrowed during the September-November 2008 quarter. The average number of pigs saved per litter for the June-August 2008 quarter was 9. 7 heads, unchanged from the same period last year. Man receives animal science award Keith Lusby, head of the department of animal science at the University of Arkansas, presented a Friend of the Department award to Weldon Wynn of Star City Sept. 11 on Senior Citizens Day at the Lincoln County Fair. Lusby said Wynn was being recognized for his service to his community, the beef cattle industry and the animal science programs of the University of Arkansas. Wynn owns and operates Wynn Beefmaster Farms and Wynn Rice and Soybean Farm. He and his wife, Carolyn, owned and operated Wynn Insurance Agency in Star City for many years, which is now located in Pine Bluff. He was recently appointed by the U. S. secretary of agriculture to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board. Wynn served on the board of directors of the Bank of Star City and is now on the board of directors at Pine Bluff National Bank. He has been emcee of the National Beef Cook-Off, a National Beef Ambassador judge, past president and active member of the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association, member of the University of Arkansas Animal Science 2000 Advisory Council, and past president, treasurer and fair manager of the Lincoln County Fair, among other activities. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in education from the University of Arkansas, where he also did his graduate work. He has received many local and regional awards, including Arkansas Fair Managers Hall of Fame (2000 ). Corn production forecast to be second largest in state history Corn for grain production is forecast at 74. 3 million bushels, unchanged from last month's forecast, but down 25 percent from last year, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service's Arkansas Crop Production Report. If realized, this will be the second-largest corn crop in Arkansas history, behind only last year's record high production of 99. 1 million bushels. Based on conditions as of Sept. 1, yield is expected to average 165 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month, but down three bushels per acre from last year. Producers expect to harvest 450, 000 acres of corn for grain, down 24 percent from last year. Weed team wins championship The University of Arkansas Weed Team, sponsored by the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, won another championship at the Southern Regional Weed Science Contest Aug. 6 at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Arkansas students won the first-, second- and thirdplace awards for individuals with the highest scores. The Arkansas team, coached by Nilda Burgos and Jason Norsworthy, retained the coveted Broken Hoe Trophy as the team earned its 22 nd win in 27 years since the contest's inception. Landon Ries won the first place individual award and posted the high scores in Math (calibration ) and Organic Peanut Production Problem. Sanjeev Bangarwa won second place individual and had the high score on Weed ID and Herbicide Symptomology. Ean Alcober won third place individual. Robbie Rorie had the high score on Atrazine Herbicide Problem with Peanuts. In another event, graduate student Eduardo Kawakami won first place in a poster competition at the Plant Growth Regulator Society of America annual meeting Aug. 3-7 in San Francisco.
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