Beef Buzz News
TCFA Chairman Jason Hitch Following Dad Paul's Advice- the World is Run By Those Who Show Up
Mon, 27 Oct 2014 03:36:11 CDT
Oklahoma City is hosting the 2014 Texas Cattle Feeders Association- and while Texas is in their name- the organization represents New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas feedlots. Their Chairman for 2014 is Jason Hitch of Hitch Enterprises based in Guymon, Oklahoma. Jason says he has been involved in industry issues ever since returning to Guymon from college after obtaining his law degree- heeding his dad's mantra- "the world is run by those who show up."
Jason, along with his brother Chris, are the Co-CEOs of Hitch Enterprises. Jason serves as Chairman of the Board and Chris is the President. Hitch Enterprises now farms 30,000 acres in the Oklahoma Panhandle, and additional Hitch-owned family entities include Hitch Commodities, Hitch Mills, Hitch Cattle Co., Hitch AgriBusiness, Hitch Ranch, Hitch Farms and Hitch Consulting Service.
Their dad, Paul Hitch, led the company into the pork business in 1997 with the launch of Hitch Pork Producers, Inc., to further diversify the family operations. Hitch currently markets 280,000 hogs per year from a 15,000-sow farrow-to-finish operation.
Farm Director Ron Hays talked with Jason about the feedlot end of the business- both what is going on at the Hitch feedyards, as well as what is happening across the three state area covered by the TCFA. In the case of Hitch- they operate two feedlots, with a one time capacity of 111,000 head.
Jason Hitch told Hays that they have chosen for now, anyway, not to operate the feedlots at full capacity, as the capital requirements are more than he feels comfortable in carrying. With the high price of cattle, the price tag of a yearling that might enter their feedlot is approaching two thousand dollars.
Hitch says that the profitability of the feedlot business has been tremendous thus far in 2014, but that with higher break even costs coming because of the rising cost of replacement cattle to go into feedlots- the breakevens for cattle that will finish in early 2015 is north of $1.70- and while those cattle may make money, it will be a stretch.
Hitch also spoke of industry concerns of working with regulators like the EPA. Jason says that "the EPA has not been a friend for some time now" when it comes to animal agriculture, with the latest attempt to make a much harder to stay in business being the proposed Waters of the US rule.
And Hitch and Hays also talked about the worry of price discovery in today's cattle business. Cash markets are getting thinner and thinner- and they may not be there much longer as a way to establish a price for grid and formulda marketed cattle, which are two of the main ways Hitch feedlot cattle are marketed. Hitch says "for awhile, when the cash index was unreported in pork, we switched to board pricing and something like that could work in cattle as well." Hitch says TCFA and other cattle groups are working together in looking at ways that will produce options to cash for price discovery.
The Hays-Hitch interview is featured in today's Beef Buzz, looking at some of the keys that Jason planned to talk about in his Chairman's Address in the opening general session of the TCFA's annual meeting on Monday in Oklahoma City.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
Ron Hays Beef Buzzes with Jason Hitch, Chairman of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association
right-click to download mp3
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Beef News
January Cattle on Feed Report Three Percent Under Year Ago- Derrell Peel Says Tighter Supplies Will Be Around for Awhile Mon, 23 Jan 2023 05:15:04 CST
Derrell Peel Talks Latest Cattle on Feed Report- Showing Fewer Cattle on Feed, Lighter Placements and Stronger Marketings. Mon, 26 Dec 2022 08:19:00 CST
Kara Lee with Certified Angus Beef Tells Cattlemen 'Cut the Bull' Fri, 23 Dec 2022 14:30:39 CST
Beef Checkoff Utilizes Digital Marketing Techniques to Interact with Consumers Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:02:51 CST
Beef Checkoff Research, Education, and Promotion Efforts Point Consumers to Beef Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:15:46 CST
OSU Economist Derrell Peel Expects US Beef Export Strength to Continue Into the New Year Tue, 20 Dec 2022 08:00:35 CST
NPPC's Michael Formica Feeling Positive About Supreme Courts Upcoming Proposition 12 Decision Mon, 05 Dec 2022 10:08:27 CST
NCBA Fights to Improve Marketing Options for Cattle Producers Fri, 02 Dec 2022 09:58:28 CST
Chinese Consumers Continue to Grow Appetite for U.S. Beef Thu, 01 Dec 2022 09:23:49 CST
Merck Creates Value for Producers and Consumers with Technology and Biopharmaceuticals Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:55:28 CST
NCBA’s Todd Wilkinson Ready to Fight Back Against Regulatory Overreach in the Cattle Industry Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:13:33 CST
NCBA and PLC Call ESA Listing Plan of Lesser Prairie Chicken Punitive for Cattle Producers in Southern Plains Wed, 23 Nov 2022 14:51:02 CST
November Cattle on Feed Report Confirms October Pattern of Lower Placements and Tighter Cattle Numbers in Feedlots Tue, 22 Nov 2022 05:07:02 CST
Turning the Corner- OSU's Derrell Peel Sees Tighter Cattle Inventories into 2023 in Latest Cattle on Feed Report Mon, 21 Nov 2022 04:36:33 CST
Turning the Corner- OSU's Derrell Peel Sees Tighter Cattle Inventories into 2023 in Latest Cattle on Feed Report Mon, 21 Nov 2022 04:27:40 CST
Midterm Elections to Set Stage for What Can Be Expected in 2023 Farm Bill Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:13:57 CST
USMEF's Dan Halstrom Remains Cautiously Optimistic about Strong Beef Demand Going Forward Thu, 03 Nov 2022 09:35:46 CDT
Economic Factors Create Hesitancy in Beef Plant Expansion Plans Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:03:34 CDT
NCBA's Mike Simone Says Consumer Interest in Fake Meat is on the Decline Tue, 01 Nov 2022 11:41:02 CDT
Beef Remains Valued Product for Consumers as it Allows Them to Stretch their Dollar Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:15:56 CDT
Hugh Aljoe Provides Methods to Begin and Maintain Good Land Stewardship Fri, 28 Oct 2022 09:30:13 CDT
Implement Soil Health Practices Now to Increase Forage Production when Rains Come Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:14:07 CDT
Third Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 Promotes the Beef Industry on a National Level Wed, 26 Oct 2022 15:32:23 CDT
Latest Cattle on Feed Report from USDA Implies Fewer Pounds of Beef Available in 2023 Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:17:53 CDT
OSU's Derrell Peel- Lower Placements and Smaller On Feed Number Highlight October Cattle on Feed Report Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:45:37 CDT
Beef Checkoff Research Continues to Share Beef Sustainability Story with Consumers Fri, 21 Oct 2022 09:23:36 CDT
Beef Checkoff Research Works to Ensure Consumers Beef is a Product They Can Trust Thu, 20 Oct 2022 13:44:44 CDT
Odds for Significant Wheat Pasture Going Lower Daily in the Southern Plains Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:35:46 CDT
NCBA Weighs in on California's Proposition 12 Tue, 18 Oct 2022 11:32:24 CDT
2022 Stockyards Steak Out Takes Oklahoma Beef to the Next Level Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:09:07 CDT
Holding Onto Your Cow Herd a Little Longer is Projected to Pay Off, says Randy Blach Fri, 14 Oct 2022 08:14:05 CDT
Randy Blach Confident in Better Cattle Market Conditions Down the Road Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:43:02 CDT
No Imports or Exports Would Result in a Smaller U.S. Beef Cattle Industry Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:11:15 CDT
Derrell Peel Explains Why International Trade of Beef is Valuable Tue, 11 Oct 2022 08:19:29 CDT
Animal Agriculture Hopeful for a Win as U.S. Supreme Court Looks at California's Proposition 12 Mon, 10 Oct 2022 09:26:17 CDT
