Table 1. Comparison of Crop Prices, Loan Rates, and Net Contract Payment Rates 1997-2002.
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                                1997      1998      1999      2000      2001      2002
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Crop Prices

Corn ($/bu)                     2.51      2.39      2.37      2.42      2.46      2.49

Wheat ($/bu.)                   3.45      3.33      3.37      3.49      3.54      3.57

Cotton ($/lb.)                0.6812    0.6888    0.6894    0.6942    0.7005    0.7069

Sorghum ($/bu.)                 2.26      2.21      2.19      2.24      2.29      2.33

Soybeans ($/bu.)                6.53      5.87      5.91      5.92      5.97      6.01

Barley ($/bu.)                  2.40      2.25      2.26      2.32      2.34      2.36

Oats ($/bu.)                    1.60      1.54      1.54      1.56      1.58      1.59

Rice ($/cwt)                    9.84      9.31      9.30      9.33      9.37      9.39

Soybean Meal ($/ton)          190.50    176.10    177.20    179.50    181.90    183.40

All Hay ($/ton)               101.10     93.00     92.80     93.40     94.70     95.60

Loan Rates

Corn ($/bu)                     1.89      1.89      1.89      1.89      1.89      1.89

Wheat ($/bu.)                   2.58      2.58      2.58      2.58      2.58      2.58

Cotton ($/lb.)                0.5192    0.5192    0.5192    0.5192    0.5192    0.5192

Sorghum ($/bu.)                 1.74      1.75      1.75      1.74      1.72      1.74

Soybeans ($/bu.)                5.26      5.26      5.26      5.26      5.20      5.04

Barley ($/bu.)                  1.58      1.54      1.54      1.54      1.54      1.54

Oats ($/bu.)                    1.11      1.12      1.15      1.19      1.25      1.22

Rice ($/cwt)                    6.50      6.50      6.50      6.50      6.50      6.50

Net Contract Payment Rates

Corn ($/bu.)                    0.28      0.37      0.36      0.33      0.26      0.26

Wheat ($/bu.)                   0.61      0.65      0.63      0.58      0.47      0.46

Cotton ($/lb.)                  0.07      0.08      0.07      0.07      0.06      0.05

Sorghum ($/bu.)                 0.33      0.45      0.43      0.40      0.32      0.31

Barley ($/bu.)                  0.26      0.29      0.28      0.26      0.21      0.20

Oats ($/bu.)                    0.03      0.03      0.03      0.03      0.02      0.02

Rice ($/cwt)                    2.73      2.85      2.75      2.53      2.04      1.98
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Source: Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of
Missouri-Columbia and Iowa State University.