The composite index has averaged 57.1 percent for the first 10 months of the year.

For all of 1987, the index averaged 57.6 percent.

But the market was slow to boom; the index averaged 15.53, 15.23 and 18.40 in those three years.

The overall index of prices paid to farmers in May averaged 151 percent of a 1977 base used for comparison.

The index averaged 49.1 percent for the first six months.

The index has averaged a gain of 0.4 percent a month so far this year.

The overall index of prices paid to farmers in March averaged 149 percent of a 1977 base that was used for comparison.

Mr. Bretz noted that the managers' index had averaged 49.3 percent for the first 10 months of the year.

By comparison, the index averaged 19.13 during the last six years.

For the first four months of 1988, the index has averaged 55.1 percent.