Farm Prices Dip in December

Prices farmers get for raw products ended 1990 with a 0.7% decline from November to December, the Agriculture Department said Monday.

Lower prices were reported for milk, hogs and lettuce, although higher prices for cattle, peanuts and eggs helped ease the decline of the other commodities.

However, the department’s Agricultural Statistics Board said fruit and vegetable prices were recorded before freezing cold hit California Dec. 21.

Record high monthly prices were reported for cattle, but hog prices were down again, the report said.

“Oats and wheat were each at their lowest level for the month of December since 1972,” it said. “Corn increased slightly from November while the soybean price decreased slightly.”