USDA Mar Farm Prices - Apr 27

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The index of prices received by U.S. farmers

for their products in March was +3.4% From February, and +2.4% From

a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday.

March Prices Received Index Increased 3.4 Percent

The March Prices Received Index (Agricultural Production), at 94.8, increased

3.4 percent from February 2017. At 87.4, the Crop Production Index increased

0.9 percent. At 100.6, the Livestock Production Index increased 4.7 percent.

Producers received higher prices for broilers, cattle, and market eggs but

lower prices for milk, strawberries, and hogs. Compared with a year earlier,

the Prices Received Index is up 2.4 percent. The Crop Production Index

increased 6.5 percent and the Livestock Production Index is up 0.7 percent.

In addition to prices, the indexes are influenced by the monthly mix of

commodities producers market. Increased monthly movement of cattle,

strawberries, milk, and calves offset the decreased marketing of cotton,

apples, soybeans, and hay. The Food Commodities Index, at 100.4, increased

3.7 percent from the previous month and is up 3.2 percent from March 2016.

March Prices Paid Index Up 0.5 Percent

The March Prices Paid Index for Commodities and Services, Interest, Taxes,

and Farm Wage Rates (PPITW), at 106.4, is up 0.5 percent from February 2017

but is down 0.1 percent from March 2016. Higher prices in March for feeder

cattle, herbicides, nitrogen, and hay & forages more than offset lower prices

for LP gas, field crop seeds, other services, and mixed fertilizer.

Index Summary Table

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2015 2015 2016 2016

Index --------------------------------------------------------

1990-92=100 Feb Mar Feb Mar

=========================================================================

Prices Received 92.5 92.6 91.7 94.8

Prices Paid 106.3 106.5 105.9 106.4

Ratio 1/ 88 88 87 90

=========================================================================

1/ Ratio of index of prices received by farmers to index of prices paid by

farmers.

Write to Rodney Christian at csstat@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 27, 2017 15:19 ET (19:19 GMT)