This week on SUNUP, OSU Extension livestock marketing specialist Dr. Derrell Peel discusses rising concerns about currently dry conditions, the impending La Nina, and how producers are handling it.
Dr. Peel says that the current dry conditions are typical for this time of year, and reminds people that forage conditions have been unusually good up to this point.
“But as you look around, now, we are getting very dry, and producers are becoming more and more concerned about it. Water supplies are getting lower, not critically low, yet, but producers are concerned and paying attention to conditions going forward,” he said.
With the window for planting winter wheat for grazing slipping away and La Nina looming in the forecast, producers are already considering the potential for dry conditions next spring as well.
Dr. Peel says that producers are in better shape than it seems, though because hay supply in the state is plentiful. He said, “We had a reasonably good hay year this year, and we also carried over a lot of hay from last year. Total hay supplies in Oklahoma are very good, and that’s going to work well going into the winter.”
He said that feeder cattle markets seem to be recovering from the summer slump, and calf prices are moving counter seasonally. “They normally go down to an early November or October low, but we are actually moving back higher,” he observed. “Even without the demand for stocker cattle for wheat pastures, the markets are still reflecting the fact that numbers overall are pretty tight. The bigger feeder cattle didn’t drop as far anyways, and they normally move up this time of the year. All in all, we are probably looking at higher prices as we move into the fourth quarter of the year.”
Dr. Peel will be speaking at the Rural Economic Outlook Conference slated for Wednesday, October 16, 2024, and held on the Oklahoma State University Campus in the Conoco Phillips Alumni Center.
Lunch will be served during the conference, so there is a need for pre-registration. The cost is $50 until October 9, when the fee increases to $75. To see the Lineup and get registered, click here.
This week on SUNUP:
- Amanda Silva, OSU Extension small grains specialist, discusses how the worsening drought conditions are impacting both pasture and grain-only wheat planting.
- Brian Arnall, OSU Extension soil nutrient specialist, has soil fertility advice during these dry planting conditions.
- Wes Lee, OSU Extension Mesonet agricultural coordinator, says these warmer and dryer fall conditions could become the new norm for Oklahoma. State climatologist Gary McManus predicts more of the same during the weeks ahead.
- Derrell Peel, OSU Extension livestock marketing specialist, explains why calf markets are increasing in the fall months.
- SUNUP has information on two unwanted pesticide disposal dates.
- Rodney Jones, OSU Extension ag finance specialist, previews the upcoming 2024 Rural Economic Outlook Conference.
- Mark Johnson, OSU Extension beef cattle breeding specialist, discusses the biological lag time for your cattle operation when retaining heifers.
- Finally, Dave Lalman, OSU Extension beef cattle specialist, uses one piece of paper and a business card to illustrate the uniqueness of ruminants in converting resources into food.
