ne-agri-facts
                           NEBRASKA AGRI-FACTS

                         Issued Twice Monthly by:

                  NEBRASKA Agricultural Statistics Service

           P.O. Box 81069             Location: 273 Federal Bldg
           Lincoln, NE 68501               Phone: (402) 437-5541
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 Nebraska Department of Agriculture   USDA, National Ag Statistics Service
 Merlyn Carlson, Director                David G. Loos, State Statistician
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Issue 16/2000               Released: 8/15/2000
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            JULY WEATHER SUMMARY

Rainfall during July averaged above normal for most of the eastern half of
Nebraska. However, the Southwest, areas in North Central, and Panhandle
counties received only 50-60% of normal precipitation for the month, with
severe drought conditions being noted in many extreme Southwestern
counties. Temperatures fluctuated throughout the month, with above normal
readings for the first two weeks and below normal averages for the last
half. These conditions lessened dryland crop stress in many eastern
counties and provided an improving environment for development of spring
planted crops. The final completion of wheat and oat harvests was slowed
due to rainfall, but both ended ahead of average.

      AUGUST 1, 2000 ESTIMATES AND COMPARATIVE DATA FOR NEBRASKA 
                          AND THE UNITED STATES

                           NEBRASKA                    UNITED STATES
 Classification     1998       1999    2000 1/    1998      1999     2000 1/
 Corn for Grain:
 For harvest  (1,000 Acres)
                   8,550     8,300     8,050    72,589   70,537     70,059
 Yield (Bushels)  *145.0     139.0     136.0     134.4    133.8      141.9
 Production (1,000 Bushels)
              *1,239,750 1,153,700 1,094,800 9,758,685 9,437,337 10,369,369
 Corn for Grain, Irrigated:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                   5,250     4,800     4,750       ---      ---        ---
 Yield (Bushels)  *161.3     159.4     161.0       ---      ---        ---
 Production (1,000 Bushels)
                 847,050   765,200   764,800       ---      ---        ---
 Corn for Grain, Non-Irrigated:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                   3,300     3,500     3,300       ---      ---        ---
 Yield (Bushels)  *119.0     111.0     100.0       ---      ---        ---
 Production (1,000 Bushels)
                *392,700   388,500   330,000       ---      ---        ---
 Soybeans for Beans:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                   3,750     4,250    *4,650    70,441   72,476     73,474
 Yield (Bushels)    44.0      42.5      42.0      38.9     36.5       40.7
 Production (1,000 Bushels)
                 165,000   180,625  *195,300  2,741,0142,642,908 *2,988,669
 Sorghum for Grain:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                     600       470       470     7,723    8,544      8,315
 Yield (Bushels)    94.0      91.0      78.0      67.3     69.7       69.5
 Production (1,000 Bushels)
                  56,400    42,770    36,660   519,933  595,166    577,831
 All Wheat:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                   1,800     1,800     1,750    59,002   53,909     54,445
 Yield (Bushels)    46.0     *48.0      36.0      43.2     42.7       41.6
 Production (1,000 Bushels)
                  82,800    86,400    63,000  2,547,3212,302,443 2,263,192
 Oats:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                      95        75        50     2,755    2,453      2,452
 Yield (Bushels)    56.0      62.0      42.0      60.2     59.6       62.3
 Production (1,000 Bushels)
                   5,320     4,650     2,100   165,981  146,218    152,745
 Alfalfa Hay:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                   1,400     1,400     1,350    23,672   23,985     23,767
 Yield (Tons)       3.75      3.70      3.00      3.48     3.50       3.32
 Production (1,000 Tons)
                   5,250     5,180     4,050    82,310   83,924     78,796
 All Other Hay:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                   1,800     1,800     1,750    36,404   39,175     38,424
 Yield (Tons)       1.35      1.35      1.00      1.91     1.92       1.94
 Production (1,000 Tons)
                   2,430     2,430     1,750    69,470   75,153     74,459
 All Hay:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                   3,200     3,200     3,100    60,076   63,160     62,191
 Yield (Tons)      *2.40      2.38      1.87      2.53     2.52       2.46
 Production (1,000 Tons)
                   7,680     7,610     5,800   151,780  159,077    153,255
 Beans, Dry Edible:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                   188.0     187.0     160.0   1,917.7  1,877.0    1,508.6
 Yield (Pounds)    1,950     2,000     1,900     1,586    1,770      1,630
 Production (1,000 Cwt.)
                   3,666     3,740     3,040    30,418   33,230     25,764
 Sugar Beets:
 For harvest (1,000 Acres)
                    47.4      66.2      62.1   1,450.7  1,527.3    1,504.0
 Yield (Tons)       19.7      19.0      19.0      22.4     21.9       22.7
 Production (1,000 Tons)
                     934     1,258     1,180    32,499   33,420     34,117

1/ Forecast. * Record.

      WINTER WHEAT -- ACREAGE, YIELD AND PRODUCTION -- SELECTED STATES

                Area Harvested     Yield per Acre          Production
     State       1999    2000* 1999 ------2000------    1999       2000*
                                    July 1 August 1*
                  1,000 acres         Bushels            1,000 bushels
 Colorado        2,400   2,350 43.0  30.0     30.0     103,200     70,500
 Kansas          9,200   9,300 47.0  39.0     39.0     432,400    362,700
 Missouri          920   1,000 48.0  52.0     53.0      44,160     53,000
 Montana           970   1,350 38.0  35.0     35.0      36,860     47,250
 NEBRASKA        1,800   1,750 48.0  38.0     36.0      86,400     63,000
 Oklahoma        4,300   4,300 35.0  34.0     34.0     150,500    146,200
 South Dakota    1,260   1,280 47.0  44.0     44.0      59,220     56,320
 Texas           3,400   2,500 36.0  29.0     29.0     122,400     72,500
 Washington      1,670   1,800 58.0  69.0     71.0      96,860    127,800
 United States  35,572  35,401 47.8  44.9     45.0   1,699,989  1,594,321

* Forecast as of August 1, 2000.

           CORN AND SOYBEAN YIELD AND PRODUCTION, SELECTED STATES

                             CORN                                   SOYBEANS
   State   Yield per                                 Yield per         
              Acre              Production             Acre             Production
           1999 2000*   1998      1999       2000*   1999 2000*   1998      1999     2000*
            Bushels           1,000 bushels           Bushels         1,000 bushels
 Illinois 140.0 158.0 1,473,450 1,491,000  1,745,900 42.0 48.0    464,200  443,100   492,000
 Indiana  132.0 155.0   760,350   748,440    860,250 39.0 46.0    231,000  216,450   260,360
 Iowa     149.0 155.0 1,769,000 1,758,200  1,860,000 44.5 49.0    496,800  478,375   516,950
 Kansas   141.0 143.0   418,950   420,180    464,750 28.0 32.0     75,000   78,400    91,200
 Minnesota150.0 154.0 1,032,750   990,000  1,016,400 41.0 42.0    285,600  282,900   298,200
 Missouri  97.0 139.0   285,000   247,350    396,150 27.5 41.0    170,000  147,125   209,100
 NEBRASKA 139.0 136.0 1,239,750 1,153,700  1,094,800 42.5 42.0    165,000  180,625   195,300
 Ohio     126.0 142.0   470,940   403,200    468,600 36.0 41.0    193,160  162,000   179,990
 S.Dakota 113.0 100.0   429,550   367,250    395,000 36.0 33.0    132,600  146,520   140,250
 U.S.     133.8 141.9 9,758,685 9,437,337 10,369,369 36.5 40.7  2,741,014 2,642,908 2,988,669

* Forecast as of August 1, 2000.

 DRY EDIBLE BEANS: AREA PLANTED AND HARVESTED, YIELD, PRODUCTION, BY STATE
         AND UNITED STATES, 1998-1999 AND FORECASTED AUGUST 1, 2000

            Planted Acres     Harvested      Yield         Production
   State                        Acres
              1999    2000    1999   2000   1999   2000  1998   1999   2000
              1,000 acres     1,000 acres     Pounds        1,000 Cwt.
 California  135.0   130.0   132.0   112.0  1,970 2,000  1,554  2,600  2,240
 Colorado    155.0   120.0   145.0   110.0  1,900 1,850  2,868  2,755  2,035
 Idaho       105.0    90.0   103.0    88.0  2,050 2,000  2,112  2,112  1,760
 Michigan    350.0   320.0   350.0   295.0  2,100 1,700  4,425  7,350  5,015
 NEBRASKA    210.0   170.0   187.0   160.0  2,000 1,900  3,666  3,740  3,040
 N.Dakota    630.0   580.0   570.0   490.0  1,450 1,280  9,798  8,265  6,272
 U.S.      2,023.0 1,767.0 1,877.0 1,580.6  1,770 1,630 30,418 33,230 25,764

DRY EDIBLE BEANS: AREA PLANTED, BY COMMERCIAL CLASS FOR THE FIVE MAJOR BEAN CLASSES,
        STATE, AND UNITED STATES, 1999 AND FORECASTED AUGUST 1, 2000

                 Great                 Light Red
    State      Northern       Pinto      Kidney      Navy        Black
              1999   2000  1999  2000  1999  2000 1999   2000  1999  2000
                                  1,000 acres
 California    ---   ---    ---   ---    8.0  11.0   ---   ---    1.0   1.0
 Colorado      ---   0.6  125.0  100.0  15.0  11.7   ---   ---    1.2   0.7
 Idaho         6.6   7.2   31.2   30.9   0.8   1.7   5.1   7.4    4.8   1.1
 Michigan      ---   ---    9.0   18.0  17.0  19.0 150.0 120.0  108.0  90.0
 NEBRASKA    115.0 110.0   60.0   39.0  19.0  15.0   7.0   3.0    7.0   1.0
 North Dakota  ---   ---  363.0  370.0   ---   --- 195.0 160.0   41.0  26.0
 United
 States      133.5 128.5  705.2  673.3  90.5  83.8 440.3 358.0  186.3 132.7

    NEBRASKA -- ACREAGE, YIELD AND PRODUCTION BY DISTRICT, 1999-2000 1/

                                    CORN FOR GRAIN

 District  Acres Planted       Acres      Yield per        Production
                             Harvested    Harv. Acre
            1999    2000   1999    2000   1999  2000      1999        2000
                    1,000 acres            Bushels          1,000 bushels
 Northwest  350.0   375.0   321.0   340.0 126.0 127.0    40,455.8    43,180.0
 North      370.0   365.0   342.0   335.0 141.2 144.0    48,292.8    48,240.0
 Northeast1,540.0 1,500.0 1,473.5 1,430.0 130.0 128.0   191,560.4   183,040.0
 Central  1,150.0 1,110.0 1,106.0 1,060.0 148.4 141.0   164,157.7   149,460.0
 East     2,085.0 2,010.0 2,039.0 1,950.0 140.8 141.4   287,106.1   275,810.0
 Southwest  960.0   975.0   925.5   930.0 140.7 143.0   130,237.6   132,990.0
 South      985.0   920.0   965.0   895.0 147.9 144.0   142,716.6   128,880.0
 Southeast1,160.0 1,145.0 1,128.0 1,110.0 132.2 120.0   149,173.0   133,200.0
 NEBRASKA 8,600.0 8,400.0 8,300.0 8,050.0 139.0 136.0 1,153,700.0 1,094,800.0

                                  SOYBEANS FOR BEANS

 District  Acres Planted       Acres      Yield per        Production
                             Harvested    Harv. Acre
              1999    2000   1999    2000  1999  2000      1999        2000
                    1,000 acres             Bushels          1,000 bushels
 Northwest     2.0     5.0     1.0     4.0 32.5  30.0        32.5       120.0
 North       150.0   160.0   148.0   158.0 48.6  46.0     7,200.0     7,268.0
 Northeast 1,175.0 1,250.0 1,160.0 1,240.0 39.3  40.0    45,600.0    49,600.0
 Central     234.0   275.0   232.0   271.0 47.3  41.0    10,980.0    11,111.0
 East      1,403.0 1,500.0 1,390.0 1,490.0 43.9  42.9    61,057.5    63,976.0
 Southwest    58.0    95.0    55.0    92.0 48.3  45.0     2,655.0     4,140.0
 South       292.0   375.0   289.0   365.0 51.9  49.0    15,000.0    17,885.0
 Southeast   986.0 1,040.0   975.0 1,030.0 39.1  40.0    38,100.0    41,200.0
 NEBRASKA  4,300.0 4,700.0 4,250.0 4,650.0 42.5  42.0   180,625.0   195,300.0
 
                                   SORGHUM FOR GRAIN

 District  Acres Planted       Acres      Yield per        Production
                             Harvested    Harv. Acre
            1999    2000   1999    2000   1999  2000    1999        2000
                    1,000 acres            Bushels        1,000 bushels
 Northwest   11.0     9.0     2.4     2.0 55.0  50.0       132.0       100.0
 North        6.3     8.0     1.7     3.0 73.5  70.0       125.0       210.0
 Northeast    9.7    12.0     1.5     2.0 68.3  72.0       102.5       144.0
 Central     16.5    20.0     4.9     6.0 72.7  65.0       356.0       390.0
 East        62.5    63.0    58.3    60.0 93.5  90.0     5,453.9     5,400.0
 Southwest   48.0    30.0    30.2    17.0 84.6  55.0     2,553.6       935.0
 South       79.0    85.0    68.0    75.0 98.4  75.0     6,689.0     5,625.0
 Southeast  317.0   323.0   303.0   305.0 90.3  78.2    27,358.0    23,856.0
 NEBRASKA   550.0   550.0   470.0   470.0 91.0  78.0    42,770.0    36,660.0

                                        WHEAT

  District   Acres Planted   Acres Harvested  Yield per     Production
                                             Harv. Acre
             1999     2000    1999    2000   1999  2000   1999      2000
                      1,000 acres              Bushels     1,000 bushels
 Northwest   895.0    815.0   756.4   771.0   43.4 36.9  32,836.3  28,487.0
 North        15.0     12.0    13.5    11.0   45.4 33.0     613.5     363.0
 Northeast     3.0      3.0     2.4     2.5   47.5 29.0     114.1      73.0
 Central      27.0     30.0    25.7    26.5   52.9 35.0   1,358.4     928.0
 East         30.0     30.0    28.8    29.0   47.3 31.0   1,363.5     899.0
 Southwest   635.0    600.0   595.8   580.0   51.8 36.0  30,839.6  20,880.0
 South       215.0    200.0   205.0   180.0   54.3 39.0  11,139.5   7,020.0
 Southeast   180.0    160.0   172.4   150.0   47.2 29.0   8,135.1   4,350.0
 NEBRASKA  2,000.0  1,850.0 1,800.0 1,750.0   48.0 36.0  86,400.0  63,000.0

1/ Preliminary estimates 1999 and forecast as of August 1, 2000. NOTE:
Planted acres are for all purposes.

                      2000 CROPLAND CASH RENTS HIGHER

The U.S. cropland cash rent in 2000 was up $2.50 from last year at $70.00
per acre. The Lake, Corn Belt, and Northern Plains, which account for the
majority of cash rented cropland acreage, increased slightly from 1999. The
Lake region was up $3.00 per acre while the Corn Belt increased by $2.00
and the Northern Plains was up $1.00. The Pacific region with its diverse
agriculture had the largest increase of $14.00 per acre.

Cash rents for cropland were mixed with the majority of States showing
increases while other States held at the same level or dropped slightly.
Western States of Arizona, Idaho, California, Oregon, and Washington all
showed irrigated cropland exceeding $120 per acre. California again had the
highest cash rent for irrigated cropland at $300 per acre. The major corn
producing States of Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa had all cropland rents rise
to $117, $100, and $115 per acre respectively. States in the Cornbelt and
Northern Plains all showed slight increases in cropland cash rents or
remained about the same.

Pasture cash rents dropped from $8.90 to $8.50 per acre primarily due to
drought conditions experienced across the Southwest. Regions most affected
by the dry spell were the Southern Plains and Pacific each dropping $1.00
per acre while the Mountain region dropped $0.30. Pasture rents in the Corn
Belt, Delta, and Northeast also declined from the previous year. The
Southeast and Appalachian regions increased to $17.20 and $18.00. Texas,
Oklahoma, and Louisiana pasture rents declined by $0.90, $0.50 and $1.50
per acre while States in the Northern Plains all showed increases except
for Kansas which decreased by $0.50. Wisconsin again had the highest
pasture rent at $38, unchanged from last year.