Senate Votes Overwhelmingly to Move 2012 Farm Bill to the Floor for Consideration  

The U.S. Senate cleared a procedural hurdle and voted to proceed to consideration of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 on a vote of 90-8. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Senator Pat Roberts, the Committee's Ranking Member, co-authored the bipartisan reform bill and will manage consideration of the bill on the Senate floor.   

"This bill represents commonsense and responsible reforms that will save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars while strengthening key initiatives that will allow our economy to continue growing and creating jobs," Stabenow said. "This bill has garnered widespread praise from hundreds of farm, food and conservation organizations for its common sense reforms, deficit reduction, and investments in our economic future."

News of the bill's move to the Senate floor was hailed by farm groups, including the National Corn Growers Association.

NCGA President Garry Niemeyer said, "The overwhelmingly positive vote on the floor reaffirms that Senators understand the importance of passing the 2012 Farm Bill this year.

"The 2012 Farm Bill creates the reforms needed to not only reduce the federal deficit but ensure a positive beginning for the next generation of America's farmers. We thank the Senate for their support and urge debate to begin quickly."

Click here for more on the bill's move to the Senate floor, and a link to a summary of the bill itself.  

You can read Garry Niemeyer's full statement by clicking here. 

Obama Administration Supports Senate Passage of 2012 Farm Bill 

In a press release issued by the White House, the Obama administration indicated its support for swift action on the new farm bill:

The Administration supports Senate passage of S. 3240, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, and looks forward to working with the Congress to address the important concerns described below prior to final passage.

The Administration greatly appreciates the Senate's bipartisan efforts to enact a farm bill. With authorization for farm- and food-related programs set to expire this year, it is critical that the Congress pass legislation that provides certainty for rural America and includes needed reforms and savings. The new farm bill should promote rural development, preserve a farm safety net, maintain strong nutrition programs, enhance conservation, honor our World Trade Organization commitments, and advance agricultural research. In light of the Nation's long-term fiscal challenge, the legislation should also contribute significantly to deficit reduction.   

The Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, S. 3240, makes meaningful progress toward the Administration's goals. Notable reforms include eliminating the direct payment system; tightening payment and eligibility requirements; strengthening access to healthy, affordable food; protecting emergency food aid programs and authorities; and increasing flexibility in the delivery of international food aid.

Click here to read more about the administration's position on the farm bill. 

Wheat Harvest Slows With Rain and Mild Temps- Plains Grains Calls Oklahoma 81% Complete

According to Plains Grains, Incorporated, the 2012 Hard Red Winter wheat harvest continues to roll despite rain across a wide area of the southern and central Great Plains over the past several days. Temperatures have also moderated adding to the slow dry down in those areas that received the moisture. Texas is now just short of 50% complete with harvest on a state wide basis, now cutting wheat from Amarillo north to the Oklahoma line and south past Lubbock (this area is nearing 30% complete).

Oklahoma producers were only able to reduce the remaining 25% yet to be cut in that state at the start of the week to 19% left (81% complete) at this writing. There is still a significant amount of irrigated wheat in the Oklahoma Panhandle that will need a few more days to mature and dry down.

Kansas progress was also slowed this week due to rain and likely be back into full swing by the weekend. One third of the Kansas crop has now been harvested this year, according to Plains Grains.   

Click here for more on the amount of harvest done as well as an  analysis of the quality factors reported by Plains Grains this week- as they indicated that protein levels took a jump higher in this latest report. 

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Wheat Commission also provided us with their latest harvest update specifically for the Sooner state on Thursday afternoon- their CEO, Mike Schulte, says that harvest has been slow moving and "has not changed much because of the weather conditions making it difficult for harvest this past week."

Click here for the specifics reported by the OWC on Thursday afternoon.

Finally, the day ten report on the Kansas Wheat harvest is also available- click here to check the continued expansion of harvest in the Sunflower state.  

Producers Encouraged to Scout, Treat Fields for Grasshoppers

From the Old Testament to Pixar's A Bug's Life, grasshoppers have always played the villain.

As summer approaches, agricultural producers in the Southern Great Plains should expect this particular insect to play its usual rogue role. Without a cold winter or cool spring, much of the grasshopper population has lived through the early stages of its life cycle. Agricultural experts at The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation say pastures and fields are likely to be bustling with young grasshoppers (nymphs) that are ready to do damage.

"Grasshoppers can quickly devastate a field," said David Annis, soils and crops consultant at the Noble Foundation. "Grass and forage producers need to be aware that this will be a potential problem this season." 

Click here for more from the Noble Foundation on what could be a banner year for grasshoppers.

Senator Coburn Offers Amendments To 2012 Farm Bill for Floor Consideration

Oklahoma's junior Senator, Dr. Tom Coburn, greeted this morning's overwhelmingly positive vote to move the 2012 Farm Bill to the Senate floor by offering three amendments to the measure.  All are focused on lowering federal expenditures.

Coburn's first amendment, 2186, was coauthored with Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL). This amendment would reduce the level of federal premium support for crop insurance participants with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) over $750,000 by 15 percentage points for all buy-up policies beyond catastrophic coverage.

The second amendment, 2214, would prohibit the use of public funds for political party conventions and would require the return of previously distributed funds to the Treasury for deficit reduction.

The third amendment offered by Coburn, 2225, would prohibit federal tax cheats from receiving federal farm subsidies.

The Environmental Working Group lauded Coburn's amendments along with others like them.

"The federal government cannot justify providing extraordinarily costly subsidies to the most profitable and financially secure farm businesses that can easily afford to share more of the cost of their crop insurance," said Craig Cox, senior vice president of agriculture and natural resources at EWG. 

You can read more about Coburn's amendments by clicking here.

More from the EWG is available by clicking here. 

Anderson Says Wheat Market 'Catching Its Breath' In Weekly SUNUP Preview

Wheat prices climb 20 cents this week after sliding lower for the past couple of weeks. In a preview of this week's SUNUP program, OSU Small Grain Marketing Specialist Kim Anderson, says the markets are treading water.

"The market's just kind of catching its breath and evaluating what's going on out in the world. We talked about the European Union and the Euro problems and those are still going on. China this week, they lowered their interest rates trying to get their economy going a little better than it was. The wheat harvest in Oklahoma and Kansas is coming in less than was expected and I think that helped put the brakes on prices."

He said the WASDE report to be released next Tuesday might hold some surprises, but if prerelease numbers hold true, they portend a mixed bag of ending stocks in the grain market with wheat higher than expected, corn way up and soybeans down.

"If these numbers come in as the average of these estimates indicate, I think we'll see some stability in prices. Our wheat prices may go down with harvest pressure as they go up, but I think these numbers are going to help support our prices."

Click here for more of Kim's Friday preview of his SUNUP interview and to check out the rundown for this weekend's show.

SUNUP airs on OETA at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Telling the Beef Industry Story- ANCW President Tammi Didlot of Oklahoma

The President of the American National Cattlewomen calls Oklahoma home, but Tammi Didlot has not seen a lot of home this year as she has traveled from coast to coast and over to Hawaii as well- meeting with cattle ladies from across the country and encouraging them to focus on telling the cattle industry story to consumers. Didlot talked with us at the Oklahoma Beef Ambassador contest on Thursday in Stillwater- and we feature her thoughts on telling the cattle industry story on today's Beef Buzz. 

Didlot says that so often, we assume that everyone knows and understands the story of how beef goes from "the pasture to the plate" but the truth is that very few consumers have any idea at all. "You can't assume that people just know" about where their beef comes from. And she acknowledges that most consumers don't really care, as long as they are comfortable with the fact that it is safe for their families to eat- and offers lots of nutrition- and tastes good.

Read more about Tammi's first several months in the office of President of the ANCW- and hear our visit with her from yesterday- click here for our Beef Buzz featuring Tammi Didlot, ANCW National President.