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Producers paid, made more in March 2017

The USDA says producers made and paid more in March than they did in February.

The index of prices received by producers was up 3.4% on the month with higher prices for cattle, broilers, and market eggs cancelling out lower prices for hogs, milk, and strawberries. The livestock index was up 4.7% from the previous month and the crop index was 0.9% higher.

The prices paid index was 0.5% higher. Prices were higher for feeder cattle, herbicides, nitrogen, and hay and forages, but lower for LP gas, field crop seeds, mixed fertilizer and other services.

Year to year, the received index was up 2.4% higher and the paid index was down 0.1%.