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Bill to Eliminate Restrictions on Hunting of Feral Hogs Clears Senate 40 to 0- Ready for Governor's Signature

The measure that allows Oklahoma landowners to remove feral hogs from their property at any time, day or night, has now cleared both sides of the Oklahoma State Capitol and is headed for the desk of Governor Mary Fallin to be signed into law. Making that happen this week was the Senate accepting the amendments passed in the House on SB 1142- the Senate providing that approval by a unanimous vote. The bill eliminates all requirements and restrictions on the removal of feral hogs in Oklahoma. 


After the Senate vote, Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan issued the following statement: 


"Oklahoma Farm Bureau is proud of the efforts of Sen. Nathan Dahm, Rep. Sean Roberts and the Oklahoma Senate in passing SB 1142. The measure eliminates all previous restrictions on the removal of feral hogs, allowing landowners to remove the invasive species - without a permit - at any time, day or night, throughout the year.


"Feral hogs are costly and harmful to Oklahoma farms, ranches, private and public land, and ecosystems. SB 1142 gives our farmers, ranchers and landowners the ability to further protect their property from the species.


"Although hunting is responsible for eliminating less than 5 percent of Oklahoma's feral hog population, the invasive animals must be removed from the Oklahoma landscape. As the state's largest general farm organization, we support removing feral hogs through any means possible and look forward to implementing any additional measures to eliminate the species in our state."

Kansas Wheat Crop is Predicted Fourteen Percent Larger than 2015 Harvest at 382.4 Million Bushels 

 
It's all good in the largest wheat producing state in the US.  The Winter Wheat Crop Tour- which primarily offers an early measurement of the Kansas Wheat Crop found lots of good things- calculated yields were higher than anticipated, disease pressure was lower than expected, and the three days of the tour had some of the best weather so far this spring. The three-day average was 48.6 bushels an acre, nearly a 13 bushel increase from last year.


The official tour projection for total production numbers of hard red winter wheat to be harvested in Kansas is 382.4 million bushels. This number is calculated based on the average of estimated predictions from tour participants who gathered information from 655 fields across the state. The production estimate for 2016 is fourteen percent higher than the 334.4 million bushels produced in 2015, while it is 55% higher than the drought damaged crop of 2014, when Kansas produced just 246.4 million bushels.


According to Kansas Wheat officials, even though the crop is about 10 days to two weeks ahead of average, harvest still won't begin for 30 to 45 days. A lot can happen during that time, and none of it is good. The wheat still needs additional moisture and cool temperatures to realize that yield potential.

Click here to read more- and keep in mind that the USDA will offer their take on the 2016 Winter Wheat Crop next Tuesday, May 10th at 11:00 AM central.

USDA Enrolls 800,000 Acres into the Conservation Reserve Program During 49th Sign Up Period of This Legacy Program

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Thursday the enrollment of more than 800,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through the program's 49th sign up period. Through CRP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) helps farmers offset the costs of restoring, enhancing and protecting certain grasses, shrubs and trees that improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and strengthen wildlife habitat. Farmers' and ranchers' participation in CRP continues to provide numerous benefits to our nation, including helping reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and providing resiliency to future weather changes.


"The Conservation Reserve Program provides nearly $2 billion annually to land owners - dollars that make their way into local economies, supporting small businesses and creating jobs. When these direct benefits are taken together with the resulting economic activity, the benefits related to CRP are estimated at $3.1 billion annually," said Vilsack. "Over the past 30 years, CRP has created major environmental improvements throughout the countryside. The program has removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere equal to removing nine million cars from the road annually, and prevented 600 million dump trucks of soil from erosion. With today's announcement, USDA is continuing these achievements by maximizing conservation benefits within the limitations provided by law."


This was one of the most selective sign-up periods in CRP's 30-year history, with a record high Environmental Benefits Index cut-off and the lowest-percentage of applications accepted. The high bar means that the per-acre conservation benefits are being maximized and that acres enrolled address multiple conservation priorities simultaneously.


A nationwide acreage limit was established for this program in the 2014 Farm Bill, capping the total number of acres that may be enrolled at 24 million for fiscal years 2017 and 2018. At the same time, USDA has experienced a record demand from farmers and ranchers interested in participating in the voluntary program. As of March 2016, 23.8 million acres were enrolled in CRP, with 1.7 million acres set to expire this fall.

Read more about the CRP program's success.

Twenty Five Percent of State's Agriculture Production Treading Water

The evidence of drought is clear above ground. Lakes, rivers and creeks will be low, or completely dry. Wildlife will struggle to survive, and plants, including crops, will not grow.


Irrigation provided from underground water sources steps in to save the day for many agricultural producers in the Great Plains. However, they are discovering underground water sources are equally affected by drought as the nation's largest underground source of freshwater in the country, the Ogallala Aquifer, is drying up at an alarming rate.


"There is a tremendous amount of agricultural production coming out of this aquifer," said Jason Warren, associate professor in Oklahoma State University's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.


In attempt to save the Ogallala Aquifer, OSU is teaming up with seven other universities, as well as the USDA-Agricultural Research Service for innovative research and Extension activities aimed at addressing the challenges. Led by Colorado State University, the consortium recently received a $10 million USDA Water for Agriculture Challenge Area CAP grant.


Spanning nearly 174,000 square miles, the Ogallala Aquifer is the primary water source for the region, including nearly all of Nebraska and sections of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the aquifer's overall water level dropped by 36 million acre-feet.

Click here to read more about the Ogallala Aquifer research efforts.

Red Meat Exports Move Higher in March; First-Quarter Volumes Up 2 Percent

March exports of both U.S. beef and pork increased year-over-year in volume, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). March export values were lower than a year ago but trended upward, with both reaching a 2016 high.


Beef exports totaled 89,482 metric tons (mt) in March, up 3 percent from a year ago and pushing first-quarter volume to 254,986 mt - up 2 percent. March export value was $483.3 million, down 8 percent from a year ago but the highest since December. For the first quarter, export value was $1.36 billion - down 13 percent from the same period last year.


March pork exports were the largest in 11 months at 195,898 mt, up 3 percent year-over-year. First-quarter exports reached 534,321 mt, up 2 percent. March export value ($480.4 million) was down 3 percent from a year ago but the highest since May 2015. First-quarter export value totaled $1.3 billion, 9 percent below last year's pace.


"Exports showed an encouraging level of improvement in March, especially to our key Asian markets," said USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng. "The U.S. pork industry is now better positioned to capitalize on strong demand in China. Pork exports to Japan were also higher, though we are still in a very tough battle for market share as Japan's imports from Europe increased at a faster pace. On the beef side, exports continued to perform well in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. So while U.S. exports continue to recover from a down year in 2015, volumes are on track for improvement in most markets this year."

Find more about the first-quarter meat exports here.

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Meet Oklahoma FFA's New President Cale Jahn

Cale Jahn grew up like a lot of rural Oklahoma kids raising cattle and wheat on his family's farm near Elgin, but he is now taking on a very special role as he becomes the next president of the Oklahoma FFA Association. 


Growing up, Jahn showed cattle and participated in public speaking and livestock judging. He even built a trailer his senior year as part of an ag mechanics project. He says he admired older FFA members who were active in leadership roles and hoped to one day follow in their footsteps. He had the opportunity to serve as the Oklahoma FFA Secretary this past year and called it a very humbling experience.


"Throughout the entire year, it so fascinating to see the impact we have and to be able to serve the members that make Oklahoma FFA what it is," he says.


As a veteran state officer with a year at Oklahoma State University under his belt, Jahn says he is looking forward to mentoring the new officers, who will begin college in the fall. He is most excited about the team's diversity and what that means for reaching new FFA members.

Click here to read more about the this bright, young leader.

Jahn will join me for the weekly In the Field segment on KWTV News9 in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday morning at 6:40 a.m.

Dr. Joe Paschal Talks Tips for Choosing the Right Cattle Breed for Your Operation

Environment, production practices and goals all play into one of the most-asked questions in ranching: "What breed of cattle should I raise? Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Livestock Specialist Dr. Joe Paschal talked about the options - ranging from the purebred business to commercial crossbred cattle - during the TSCRA Convention's School for Successful Ranching last month. 


With more than 75 purebred breeds registered in the U.S. today, Paschal says he encourages producers to really narrow in on the specific breed characteristics.


"What we try to do is group those breeds into five or six different breed groups, based on their production, and then sort of where their level of performance is today," Paschal says. "For example, in mature size, maybe in hot climate adaptability or marbling, so you can say if I want a high-marbling breed, I need to pick out of this group. If I want a breed that is adapted to very hot temperatures, then I need to pick out of this breed group.


"Or maybe I need both because I'm going to produce high-marbling cattle in hot climate, so maybe I need to pick breeds out of each and cross them."


Paschal says a straight breeding program with a registered breed - even if you don't register your cattle - will work very well, but issues could arise when producers begin crossbreeding without putting a plan together first.


"It's not just about hybrid vigor, it's about the breeds of cattle that go into the cross that's going to make profitability a real thing," he says.

Listen to Paschal's other suggestions for choosing a cattle breed during the latest edition of the Beef Buzz.

The Bonus Round: Hall- Coyote Ranch Production Sale on Saturday, Itty Bitty Drought and Kim's SUNUP Convo

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