BULLETIN NO.:   MGR-97-040
 
 TO:       All Reinsured Companies
   All Risk Management Field Offices
       
 FROM:     Kenneth D. Ackerman  /s/   12/19/97
     Administrator
 
 SUBJECT:  1998 Projected Market Prices for Corn, Grain Sorghum,
  Soybeans, Corn Silage and Malting Barley (Option A)
 
 
 The Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announces the following
 projected market prices, which are the maximum price elections
 for these 1998 crops: corn, hybrid corn seed, hybrid sorghum seed
 - $2.60 per bushel; grain sorghum - $2.30 per bushel; soybeans -
 $6.00 per bushel; and corn silage - $17.60 per ton.  The
 additional value price election for the malting barley option
 endorsement (option A) is $0.45.  These price elections are
 available to all producers who insure their 1998 crop(s) at
 levels above catastrophic coverage.  Price election choices must
 be made on or before the sales closing date for the crop in a
 county.
 
 The preliminary price elections were $2.45 per bushel for corn,
 $2.30 per bushel for grain sorghum, $5.80 per bushel for
 soybeans, and $16.70 per ton for corn silage.  When the maximum
 price election is higher than the preliminary price election,
 producers originally electing the preliminary price may be
 impacted by changes to subsidies and administrative fees.
 Exclusion of hail and fire provisions also may be affected. 
 
 The prices for catastrophic coverage are:  corn, hybrid corn seed,
 hybrid sorghum seed - $1.56 per bushel; grain sorghum- $1.38 per
 bushel; soybeans - $3.60 per bushel; and corn silage - $10.56 per
 ton.