The agricultural community can finally let go the collective breath its been holding, waiting on President Donald Trump's USDA Secretary nominee, former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, to be confirmed by the Senate Ag Committee. That day finally came yesterday, with a rather easy approval that garnered bipartisan support.

However, Perdue is only halfway to the finish line, still needing the Senate's full approval for confirmation.

"I'm pleased our Committee has made swift strides to move Governor Perdue's nomination closer to the finish line," said U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. "Our farmers and ranchers have been waiting too long for this important position to be filled. We need to get Governor Perdue down to USDA to get to work. Rural America is ready."

In this morning's Radio Oklahoma Ag Network's farm news, we feature comments from Senator James Lankford on the roadblock that Purdue faces as the Senate will have to make room on the docket for him as all of this coming week will likely be taken up by the confirmation fight for Supreme Court Justice nominee Neil Gorsuch- the Democratic leadership has vowed to fight to the bitter end over the Supreme Court pick altho we do see some Dems are willing to vote for him.

If Perdue does not get a vote this coming week on the Senate floor- we are looking at the last week of April at the earlier to get him confirmed- maybe even those early days of May.  It is widely expected once his name reaches the Senate floor- there will be no problem getting approval- it's getting there that is the major major problem.

I spoke with Senator James Lankford yesterday from his office in Washington to get his thoughts on Trump's nominee for US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who he had sat down with that morning to discuss his perspective on jump-starting trade relations for the ag industry.

According to Lankford, much of his conversation with the prospective trade representative centered around gaining access to Asia as well as Central and South America. He added that emphasis was placed on beating New Zealand and Australia in the Japanese market also.


"We spent a lot of time talking about his ag perspective, manufacturing perspective and how to actually open up markets in Asia," Lankford said about his meeting with Lighthizer. "Obviously, we're dealing with low commodity prices here in the United States and so it becomes exceptionally important to be able to open up additional markets and locations and be able to put our products out there."

One in nine Oklahoma exports is an agricultural commodity, including: wheat, beef, pork, and cotton. The total value of all agricultural exports from the state is valued at nearly two billion dollars, according to a release from the Senator's office.

To hear more about Senator Lankford's impressions of Lighthizer and his policy standpoints on items such as NAFTA and other trade agreements, you can listen to our conversation by clicking or tapping here.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt was cheered by Oklahoma Farm Bureau members this week during the 2017 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Congressional Action Tour in DC, as he explained the process of rolling back WOTUS, pledging he would work hard to be a partner with states and with stakeholders in developing environmental policies to protect our air and water.

I made contact with OFB President Tom Buchanan yesterday afternoon who said the group's visit to the EPA was one of the highlights of the whole trip.

Buchanan said that after a warm greeting from the now former Oklahoma Attorney General, Pruitt gave the farmers a tongue in cheek welcome to the EPA.

The delegation also had very productive meetings with the Congressional leaders of Oklahoma as well. You can hear Buchanan describing the events of the group's trip to me in our conversation from yesterday afternoon, by clicking here.

On a related subject, Scott Pruitt was also winning the praise of ag groups this week, after rejecting a petition submitted to the EPA requesting a ban on the use of Chlorpyrifos in agriculture.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall today applauded Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Pruitt's decision being quoted to say in a statement that, "Farmers nationwide depend on chlorpyrifos in managing their crops," and noted that, "chlorpyrifos has been used as a part of environmentally friendly IPM (integrated pest management) programs for nearly 50 years."

Click here for AFBF's complete statement regarding Pruitt's rejection of the petition.

Chuck Conner, president of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives added his praise too saying in a statement, "This action is victory for the use of science in regulating product use and for a responsive and predictable regulatory process. Hopefully the action today and the thorough review process that was used to arrive at it, can serve as a roadmap as the EPA moves forward in assessing other crop protectants in the review and registration process."

Click here to read Conner's full remarks about the decision on chlorpyrifos use in agriculture.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is applauding the re-establishment of the bipartisan Congressional Beef Caucus, announced earlier this week in Washington, DC. The Beef Caucus, supported by 35 Members of Congress strong, hailing from 21 different states and co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-28th District, Texas) and Kevin Yoder (R-3rd District, Kansas,) will organize and educate Members of Congress and their staff on policy issues that impact America's cattle and beef producers.


"On behalf of America's cattlemen and women, I want to thank Congressmen Cuellar, Yoder, and every other Member who has already joined the Congressional Beef Caucus - and I'd encourage every other Member of Congress to join today," said NCBA President Craig Uden, a fourth-generation cattleman from Nebraska. "From trade to taxes, and from federal lands to the farm bill, there are many issues that affect our ability to help provide the world's safest and most abundant food supply. The Beef Caucus will help us highlight those issues on Capitol Hill so lawmakers know how those policies affect cattle producers back home in their districts."


Republican caucus co-chair, Rep. Kevin Yoder insists that beef knows no political party, when it comes to building relationships to advance the industry.


"These ranchers and this economy are critical to all of our districts and to the strength and security of our country," Representative Yoder said in his remarks. "This is a jobs issue, it's an economic issue, but it's also an American values issue. This caucus is about our heritage. But it's also about our future."


You can listen to Uden and Yoder speak about the reestablishment of the caucus at a Capitol Hill news conference that was held Wednesday, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.


The only Oklahoma member on the Caucus- to this point- is third district congressman Frank Lucas- since his wife Lynda is the cattle person in their family- it's probably a good thing that the Roger Mills Republican said yes to the invite!

This week on SUNUP, OSU's Dr. Kim Anderson talks wheat prices with host, Lyndall Stout, who begs the question as to why wheat prices have continued to fall this week more than $0.50 from $3.83 to now $3.30.


"I think the biggest reason this has happened is probably the crop conditions in the US and around the world," Anderson hypothesized.


He adds that excess stocks both domestically and globally continue to weigh on markets as well. Meanwhile, Anderson says too that with the advantage of geographical convenience and the ability to sell at lower prices, the former Soviet Union states are absorbing more and more market share from the US, exporting to large wheat consumers like Egypt and the Asian markets.


You can watch their visit tomorrow or Sunday on SUNUP- but you can hear Kim's comments right now and check out more of SUNUP's line up of segments early, by clicking here.