SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The number of cattle and calves in Illinois on Jan. 1 was 1.07 million head – the lowest cattle inventory on record for Illinois – according to a survey from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Illinois NASS and Illinois Department of Agriculture. This was 3 percent below the previous year’s count.

Beef cow inventory was down 6 percent from 2011 to 331,000 head, while milk cows gained 1 percent to reach 99,000 in Illinois, according to the survey, the results of which were published on Jan. 27.

“According to our beef count numbers in Illinois, it’s a 6 percent drop,” said Cimeron Frost, director of industry programs for the Illinois Beef Assoc. He said the driving factor behind the ongoing exodus of beef cattle from Illinois continues to be high commodity prices for row crops, which force cattle to compete for valuable acreage against corn and soybeans.

“More ground is being plowed up and put into crops, taking away from pasture. A lot of hay ground has been taken out of production,” said Frost, adding that higher input costs have kept many producers from realizing greater profits during this period of higher prices.

“The cow-calf guys and the feedlot guys’ input (prices) have gone up dramatically in the last couple of years. While the prices they are receiving for their cattle are greater, their profits are not a whole lot greater. Some feedlots are breaking even and for the cow-calf guys, it’s not as rosy as it might appear.”

All cattle and calves in the U.S. totaled 90.8 million head on Jan. 1, NASS reported, which was 2 percent below the January 2011 total and the smallest inventory since 1952.

“Part of the (U.S. decrease) is due to the drought out West that took a huge toll on cow-calf numbers. It’s already affecting prices and that will continue just because of the supply-demand factor,” said Frost.

The economic climate is not so bleak for some Illinois producers, according to Frost. “For Illinois, the cattle-on-feed stayed pretty consistent after a slightly-diminished last 20 years,” he said.

He noted the presence of DDG-producing (dried distillers grains) ethanol refineries and hoop-style containment buildings in Illinois that can feed cattle more efficiently than the open lots atypical of the Southwest as contributing factors. “We’re pretty excited about that,” Frost added.

NASS issued its Illinois Annual Crop Summary 2011 on Jan. 27, showing corn numbers remained steady while soybean numbers fell last year.

Production of corn for grain totaled 1.95 billion bushels in 2011, matching 2010 production, according to the report, with a final yield of 157 bushels per acre.

The state’s corn producers were hoping for a better year, confirmed Phil Thornton, a farmer who serves as value-enhanced project director for Illinois Corn. “The yields were down. It was a function of the weather,” he said. 

Wet conditions in 2011 caused late planting beyond the historical average, and high temperatures in the summer months pushed the crops into maturing more quickly. We’re just hoping for better weather (this) year.”

Thornton, who farms in central Illinois, said yields varied widely throughout the state, sometimes within the same reporting districts and individual fields. “There were areas of Illinois that had tremendous yields. Some farmers had the best yields they ever had. In other areas, in certain fields, it was just devastating,” he reported.

The final yield for Illinois’ soybean crop was 47 bushels per acre, 4.5 bushels below 2010 but one above the 2009 yield, according to NASS. In 2011 production totaled 416 million bushels, down 11 percent from 2010.

Though yields were down somewhat from 2010, Matt Hughes, a McLean County farmer who serves as chair of the Illinois Soybean Assoc. board of directors, was one of the lucky farmers who recorded his highest soybean yield ever.

“The numbers tell one story, but production is down because acreage is down, for the most part. Corn acres ate into them,” said Hughes, who farms in Funk’s Grove Township. “For me it was an unmatched year for soybeans. I think most farmers are pretty pleased with their numbers. They had some outstanding yields in the northern part of Illinois.”

Hughes found 2011 soybean yields remarkable because plants overcame drought conditions during August to flourish in central and northern Illinois.

“Normally those type conditions would have depressed our yields, but they held in there pretty good last year,” he said. “But if you go down to southern Illinois, they had a really wet spring and late planting. Yields were not as good. Overall, though, beans did really well under the conditions.”

Other highlights from the report included an improvement in the Illinois wheat crop over 2010, a decrease in sorghum numbers, increases in oat yields and potatoes harvested and a reduction in hay production.

In addition, fresh market sweet corn acreage harvested was down 11 percent to 6,700 acres, with production falling 16 percent from 2010. Snap bean acreage harvested declined by 35 percent, while pumpkin production increased by 22 percent over 2010 with producers harvesting 15,900 acres, or 5.2 million cwt.

The NASS 2011 Crop Summary for Illinois also noted farm real estate values increased to $5,700 per acre, while cropland rented for an average of $183 per acre, $14 more than in 2010.

As if anyone needed official confirmation, both precipitation and heat were above average in Illinois during 2011. According to the NASS Annual Weather Summary for Illinois – 2011, released on Jan. 23, Illinois recorded 45.38 inches of precipitation, greater than the historical average of 38.75 and more than the 41.06 inches that fell in 2010.

The most precipitation was recorded in the southeastern region of the state, where spring flooding contributed to the 64.68 inches accumulated. The figure shattered the historical average of 45.75 inches and the 2010 total of 36 inches.

Illinois averaged a year-round temperature of 53 degrees, up slightly from the historical average of 52.1 and 2010’s average of 52.8 degrees. The southwestern region of Illinois was the balmiest, with an average of 57.3 degrees.