WASHINGTON — The preliminary national average price received by farmers for all wheat in March was $4.63 per bu, down 10c from $4.73 in February and down $1.08 from $5.71 in March 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its latest Agriculture Prices report.
The average price paid for winter wheat in March was $4.20 a bu, down 32c from $4.52 in February and down $1.07 from $5.27 in March 2009.
The average price paid for durum was $5.03 a bu, up 42c from $4.61 in February but down $2.37 from $7.40 in March 2009. Spring wheat other than durum averaged $5.13 a bu in March, up 8c from $5.05 in February but down $1.37 from $6.50 in March 2009.
The average price paid for rough rice was $14.60 a cwt, up 20c from $14.40 in February but down $1 from $15.60 in March 2009.
The March index of prices received for food grains was 171 compared with the 1990-92 base of 100, down slightly from a revised 172 in February and down 15% from 201 in March 2009.
The March index for feed grains was 151, down 1% from a revised 153 last month and down 11% from 169 in March 2009. The average price received for corn in March was $3.49 a bu, down 6c from $3.55 in February and down 36c from $3.85 in March 2009. Farmers received an average of $5.34 a cwt for grain sorghum in March, down 10c from $5.44 in February and down 3c from March 2009. The average price paid for oats in March was $2.12 a bu, down 16c from $2.28 in February and down 65c from $2.77 in March of the previous year.
The U.S.D.A. index of March prices received for oil-bearing crops was 163, down 3% from a revised 168 in February and down about 1% from 164 in March 2009. The national average price paid to farmers for soybeans was $9.16 a bu, down 25c from $9.41 in February but up 4c from March 2009.
The March index for dairy products was 116, down 5% from 122 in February but up 29% from 90 in March 2008. The average price paid for manufacturing grade milk in March was $13.80 a cwt, down 70c from $14.50 in February but up $2.70 from $11.10 in March 2009.
The egg and poultry index was 159, up 10% from a revised 145 in February and up 16% from 137 in March 2009. The average price paid to farmers for all eggs was $1.16 a dozen, up 24c from 92c in February and up 34c from 82c in March 2009.