The US Department of Agriculture Small Grains 2016 Summary saw the Oklahoma wheat crop production nudged up from the August Crop production estimates, with USDA finding more acres harvested while trimming the final yield per acre by a bushel. The 136.5 million bushels of winter wheat produced in Oklahoma in 2016 was the largest total crop since the 155.4 million bushels were raised in 2012. The 2016 crop was a record yield per acre, but slipped from forty bushels an acre to 39 bushels per acre in this final analysis from USDA.

The government did find 200,000 more acres of harvested wheat in the state with 3.5 million acres as the final harvested acreage number for the growing season. That was a drop of 300,000 acres from the 2015 crop in harvested area, but the yield thirteen bushels per acre better in 2016 versus 2015 meant that the overall crop was 38% larger in 2016 versus 2015 when total production was 98.8 million bushels. Oklahoma was one of twenty states growing winter wheat that ended up with a record yield in 2016.


Uncle Sam also found 100,000 more acres of harvested wheat in Kansas compared to the August report, with 8.2 million acres combined in Kansas this year, with a 57 bushel per acre yield- which was also a yield for the Sunflower state. Total production in Kansas came in for 2016 at 467.4 million bushels total. Kansas and Oklahoma were the top two winter wheat producing states in 2016, followed by Washington, Montana and Colorado.

Our neighbor to the south- Texas- saw the final USDA numbers drop the yield per acre by two bushels from 34 to 32 BPA- that dropped the final Texas wheat crop to 89.6 million bushels in 2016- down 5.7 million bushels from the August Crop Production report.

Click here for more details from the Small Grains Summary released this past Friday.


One other USDA report released Friday that had Oklahoma numbers was the quarterly Hogs and Pigs report- nationally two percent more hogs and pigs from September first of a year ago at 70.85 million head- Oklahoma is the seventh largest hog state with 2.2 million hogs as of September first- and continues to be the fifth largest breeding hog state, with 455,000 sows as of September first.

When it comes to piggies- Iowa should get electoral votes based on hog numbers instead of people numbers- they now have 22 million hogs and pigs in Iowa as of September first- easily the number one hog state in the US in all categories.

 

In an important announcement, Superior Livestock Auction's wholly owned subsidiary, Fed Cattle Exchange received good news yesterday when an announcement came from the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) determining that livestock traded in this format meet the definition of a "negotiated purchase" since negotiation occurs as buyers can bid on the livestock offered and sellers can accept or refuse the final bid. Therefore, beginning October 5, 2016, the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service will begin including Fed Cattle Exchange transactions in National and Regional direct negotiated slaughter cattle reports.

The goal of the Fed Cattle Exchange is to provide the industry with more transactions to consider when determining the average cash price of market-ready fed cattle. By increasing transparency in the cash cattle market the industry hopes to reduce volatility in futures contracts. The need for assistance in fed cattle price discovery is very evident. Competitive bidding is the most effective means of determining market value and more open negotiated trading of fed cattle is beneficial to the entire beef industry.

Click here for continued reading, and for a complete look at USDA's announcement.

 

Today at 11:00 AM, the 2016 edition of the Express Ranches Ranchers Bull Sale will be happening- over 1,800 to sell- including 331 Angus Bulls, 34 Hereford Bulls and 475 Registered and Commercial Bred Females.

Click here for the Ranchers Bull Sale Page- they now have the sale book online, videos online, performance data for the Angus and Hereford Bulls and the Sale Day Sale Book Supplement.

The sale is happening at the ranch in Yukon and can be seen on Superior Livestock Productions on DISH Network Channel 232 and Superior Click to Bid- and also on Live Auctions.TV.

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As a transition period between summer and fall, Mother Nature often provides Oklahoma with a wildly varying tale to tell during September. This year was no exception. At first glance, a description of Oklahoma's weather during September seems fairly straightforward - a toasty month with an abundance of moisture in the west and too little in the east.


The state's weather story is never quite that simple, of course. Far northwestern Oklahoma was actually the driest region of the state, and parts of eastern Oklahoma enjoyed a surplus. That disparate rainfall pattern put a halt to budding dry conditions across parts of western Oklahoma, but intensified drought across eastern sections of the state. According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average rainfall total was 3.14 inches, 0.39 inches below normal. Regionally, the Panhandle suffered its 18th driest September at more than an inch below normal, west central Oklahoma saw bountiful moisture for their 16th wettest, and east central Oklahoma plunged more than 2 inches below normal to rank as their 35th driest.

Click here for more on the month of September's weather from Gary McManus and his Oklahoma Mesonet Ticker.

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According to the former President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Mike Spradling, "Oklahoma agriculture lost one of its best and most senior out rider today with the passing of retired Oklahoma Farm Bureau's field staff Robin Landrum. He always said he rode for the brand and that he did. He will be dearly missed by his Farm Bureau family."

Robin always provided the big smile and handshake when we caught up with him at the Farm Bureau events as well as things like the Tulsa Farm Show where he was representing the organization. As Mike says- he will be misssed.