Wisconsin Crop Industry: New Snapshot

By Jane Fyksen Crops Editor
Thursday, November 13, 2008 12:48 PM CST

Cash receipts from crops in Wisconsin last year totaled $2.65 billion n up 17 percent from the previous year. Corn was the driver, rising 27 percent to $1.74 billion. Soybean receipts, at $321 million, grew 15 percent. Total vegetable marketings rose 3 percent, with fresh market cabbage and processing sweet corn showing the greatest increases in the category. Higher receipts for cranberries n Wisconsin’s top fruit crop n helped grow the state’s total fruit marketings by 14 percent.

According to the newly released 2008 Wisconsin 2008 Agricultural Statistics book, Wisconsin producers spent $8.19 billion last year (9 percent more than in 2006). The biggest increase n 26 percent - was for fertilizer, lime and soil conditioners. Labor and feed expenditures were up 23 and 22 percent, respectively. On a per-farm basis, Wisconsin producers averaged $107,763 in expenses in 2007, below the national average of $125,648, but substantially more than their 2006 expenditure of $98,816.

So as not to give the impression that Wisconsin farmers are spending more than they’re making, farm cash receipts in total last year were $8.86 billion n a jump of 28 percent over 2006. Receipts from livestock, dairy and poultry comprise 70 percent of total marketings of all commodities. Crops are the remaining 30 percent.

As crop producers know all too well, inputs skyrocketed. This past spring, they were paying (nationwide): $342 per hundredweight for alfalfa seed (compared to $292 in 2007 and $286 in 2006); $184 for “biotech” corn (per 80,000 kernels), compared to $154 in 2007 and $137 in 2006; $115 for conventional corn (compared to $100 in 2007 and $95.10 in 2006); and $40 a bushel for biotech soybean seed (up from $36.70 in 2007 and $34.10 in 2006).

Fertilizer this past spring hurt the pocketbook of farmers in the North Central Region (which includes Wisconsin, and neighboring states). Prices (per ton) were: $769 for anhydrous (versus $536 in 2007 and $543 in 2006); $372 for “28 percent” (versus $270 in 2007 and $241 in 2006); $390 for ammonia sulfate (versus $269 in 2007 and $263 in 2006); $547 for urea (compared to $450 in 2007 and $368 in 2006); $779 for superphosphate (up from $09 in 2007 and $315 in 2006); and $562 for potash (compared to $277 in 2007 and $271 in 2006).

The values of farmland being sold for development have moderated over the past year. Sales data in 2007 shows fewer acres of ag land being diverted to other uses, and in many cases, sales were at lower rates than the previous two years.

Wisconsin land continuing in agriculture rose 5 percent to $3,518 an acre. Land without buildings and improvements continuing in ag sold for $3,135 last year. Vacant land being diverted to other uses jumped 16 percent to $11,948. The total value of all agricultural land sold in the state last year dropped 7 percent, from $4,711 in 2006 to $4,365. Fewer sales of land being diverted to other uses contributed to the decline in overall value.

By county, ag land continuing in ag use was valued the highest last year in Washington County. There were nine transactions representing 395 acres that brought on average $9,440 an acre. In contrast, farmland continuing in ag was the least expensive in Bayfield County last year, at $954 an acre (three transactions and 101 acres).

In Marathon County, No. 1 in milk production last year in the state, ag land continuing in ag sold for $2,010 an acre in 2007 (29 transactions and 1,584 acres). Clark County is No. 1 in number of dairy herds. Farmland there (continuing in agriculture) brought $1,700 on average last year (37 transactions and 2,371 acres).

Wisconsin set a record last year in corn for grain, at an all-time high of 442.8 million bushels. Last year was also a record-setter for cranberries, with 17,600 acres harvested n also an all-time high. There were also record lows set last year: 160,000 acres of oats harvested (off from the high of 2.987 million acres in 1945, and 30 percent fewer than 2006); 10.72 million bushels of oats harvested (off from the high in 1958 of 156.22 million, and down 26 percent from 2006); forage harvested (dry equivalent) of 2.85 million acres (high of 4.4 million in 1989); and acres of dry hay at 2.02 million (4.263 million being the record high back in ’44).

Harvested acres of potatoes in the state decreased for the eighth straight year, with producers harvesting 64,000 acres last year. The biggest potato producing county in the state is Portage, with 17,600 acres last year, followed by: Adams, 11,100; Langlade, 9,700; Waushara, 9,500; Juneau, 2,400; Oneida, 1,400; and Marathon, 1,000.

For processing vegetables, Wisconsin ranked second in harvested acreage and value, and third in production, last year. The state remained the top producer in the country for snap beans, contributing 35 percent of national production. Wisconsin stayed in second for processing carrots produced, and in third for sweet corn.

Wisconsin remained the top cranberry producing state with 3.83 million barrels n 58 percent of national production last year. The number of bearing acres of apples in the state fell to a five-year low of 5,500, down from 6,000 in both 2003 and 2004, 5,800 in 2005 and 5,700 in 2006.

The top-producing counties last year in corn for grain were, in order: Rock, Dane, Grant, Lafayette and Dodge. No. 1 Rock saw 174,000 acres planted, 165,000 harvested with an average yield of 156 bushels for total ’07 production of 25.75 million bushels. Rock is also No. 1 in soybeans, followed in order by Dane, Dodge and Grant.

In Rock County n the No. 1 corn grain producer - last year, farmland without buildings or other improvements, continuing in agriculture sold for $4,639 (22 transactions and 1,741 acres). Diverted to other uses, it averaged $17,145 (four transactions and 306 acres).

Top counties, in order, in corn silage were: Dane, Brown, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc and Grant. Grant County grows the most oats, Fond du Lac County the most winter wheat, and Marathon County the most barley.

As for all forage (dry equivalent) it’s Clark County that’s No. 1, with 381,000 tons (118,000 acres harvested last year with an average yield of 3.2 tons per acre). Grant is second, Marathon third, Dane fourth and Green fifth. Grant is on top in alfalfa through, followed by Clark, then Marathon, Dane and Green.

Wisconsin’s 198 ginseng growers reported selling 569,080 pounds of dry roots for export last year. The industry’s 25 deals, 17 of which are Wisconsin dealers, exported 587,769 pounds of dry roots. Exports from Wisconsin primarily go to Hong Kong. Sales volumes in the spring vary considerably between years. Wisconsin ginseng acres last year were 1,415 (which includes seedling, two, three and four-year-old gardens).

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