CROP HIGHLIGHTS 



The value of production in 1980 from corn silage, hay, potatoes and tobacco produced in Massachusetts 

 totaled $59.4 million. Corn silage at 19.4 million was the largest componet of the total with hay at $19.1 

 million a close second. 



CORN SILAGE 



Bay State farmers produced a record high silage crop in 1980 of 680,000 tons, 3 percent greater than the 

 record crop set the previous year. Corn silage was cut from 40,000 acres in 1980, with a yield of 17 tons 

 per acre. Both the acreage cut and yield equaled record high levels set in 1978 and 1979 respectively. 



HAY 



The production of hay totaled 258,000 tons in 1980. This was 9 percent below the 1979 total but 7 percent 

 above the 1970 level. Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures accounted for 25 percent of the total production in 

 1980. Alfalfa production of 65,000 tons in 1980 was cut from 27,000 acres at a rate of 2.4 tons per acre. 

 All other hay was cut from 92,000 acres at a rate of 2.1 tons per acre. 



POTATOES 



Potato production during 1980 totaled 748,000 hundredweight equaling the 1979 production. Both the acreage 

 and yield were unchanged from the previous year. Growers received an average price of $7.50 per hundred- 

 weight, almost $2.00 more than the 1979 average and the highest value during the past decade. The value of 

 production was $5.6 million, 34 percent higher than the previous year. 



TOBACCO 



Shade tobacco production in the Commonwealth during 1980 totaled 1.4 million pounds, 309,000 pounds more 

 than during the previous year. Area harvested in 1980 totaled 940,000 acres, 170 acres more than in 1979, 

 and halting the downward trend that began in 1974. Yield per acre in 1980 was 1,475 oounds compared with 

 1,400 pounds in 1979. Growers received an average of $9.80 per pound in 1980, compared with $8.50 in 1979. 



Havana Seed production totaled 480,000 pounds in 1980. This was 18 percent above the 1979 level and the 

 highest production since 1972. The value of the crop totaled $629,000, as the growers received an average 

 of $1.31 per pound. 



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