AGRICULTURE

Farm Prices Fall: Lower lettuce, beef and cotton prices helped depress prices received by U.S. farmers by 0.7% between November and December, despite higher wheat and hog prices, the Agriculture Department said. The index, which measures prices paid to farmers for their crops and livestock, was down 3.5% from December, 1990. “Prices of lettuce and tomatoes fell sharply in response to ample supplies of both vegetables,” the department said. “Damage to lettuce from the whitefly in California has not been widespread thus far, and supplies from other states are larger than usual at the present time.”