Presented by

 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Featured Story:

Governor Mary Fallin Issues Executive Order Addressing Oklahoma's Feral Hog Problem

 

Governor Mary Fallin issued an executive order Friday directing the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) to streamline the issuance of permits to exterminate feral hogs on private land.


She said her order will allow safe and responsible feral hog eradication in Oklahoma.


The governor also vetoed a measure that would have allowed the eradication of feral hogs on public land with spotlights at night without game warden notification or a hunting license, citing potential safety issues.


Fallin said Senate Bill 1142 contained several provisions -- such as eliminating the permitting requirement for those who want to exclusively shoot feral hogs, authorizing nighttime removal and allowing the use of certain technology to eradicate feral hogs -- that would endanger people on public hunting lands.


"We must be willing to employ every available method of elimination if we want to eradicate this destructive nuisance," said Fallin. "While research and experience have demonstrated that trapping feral swine proves to be the most effective method of eradication, private property owners should have, at their disposal, every tool available. As a result, I believe adjustments to current eradication practices should be made."


Fallin's Executive Order 2016-16 directs the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to develop rules that include:

- Authorizing landowners on private property to remove or attempt to remove feral swine at night, with the use of night-vision equipment, off-road vehicles to pursue or follow feral swine, as well as handheld or vehicle-mounted headlights or other powerful lights to pursue or follow feral swine. At no time, however, will pursuing feral hogs on public roadways or discharging firearms from a public roadway be allowed.

- Requiring private landowners to agree to provide advance notification to a game warden assigned to the county in which extermination efforts will occur before each attempt to remove feral hogs.

- Explaining how users may obtain information on feral hog eradication, such as a link to the agency's website.


The rules are to take effect Nov. 1.


There are an estimated 1.6 million feral hogs in Oklahoma. They are present in every county and are estimated to cause more than $1 billion in damage each year.


"Feral swine is an invasive species that inflicts significant damage on Oklahoma ranch and farmland, and can hurt or even kill domestic livestock and other wildlife," the governor wrote in her veto message. "Although I support the intent of this bill, which is to make it easier to remove or attempt to remove feral swine, the bill's real-world application to public property like state parks and Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) would create an unreasonable public safety threat and a conservation crisis.

 

 

Click here to read more about Gov. Fallin's decision to veto SB 1142 and find a link to the complete executive order.

Ok Farm Bureau Unhappy With Veto- Oklahoma Cattlemen Hoping for Good Results from Fallin Order

 

Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan says he is disappointed that Governor Mary Fallin refused to sign SB 1142- saying the bill would have provided 24/7 hunting rights to landowners for wild hogs.  

 

Buchanan says "Feral hogs are an invasive species, and should be treated as such. By giving the Department of Wildlife Conservation jurisdiction, the feral hog remains a game species."

 

Click here to read the entire statement from Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

 

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Cattlemen agree that wild hogs must be treated by the state of Oklahoma as an invasive species- but Michael Kelsey tells us that they are willing to see if the ODWC will follow the very precise direction of the Governor regarding rules that will allow landowners the ability to hunt feral swine on their land. 

 

Kelsey is not certain if the legislature will decide to pursue a veto override or not- he says they most certainly have that right- but given the politics of the budget and other issues that are very contentious- Fallin's Executive Order may have taken the wind out of the sails of any veto attempt. 

 

To read more from the Cattlemen- and to hear Michael Kelsey's comments to me on Friday afternoon- click here.

 

Cattle Placement Numbers Higher Than Expected in Latest Cattle on Feed Report

 

The USDA released its May Cattle on Feed report Friday, and Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, says that while marketings and the on-feed total were pretty close to pre-report estimates, the placements were surprisingly up 7.5 percent.


Year-over-year increases in the placement numbers were especially evident in the Southern Plains.


"Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas all had big placement numbers," Peel says. "I think there are a couple of things going on there. One is that really over the last couple of three years the Southern Plains has been lower; part of that was a drought impact - there was just less cattle available regionally, and because of tight numbers the Southern Plains just wasn't as competitive at bringing in cattle."


Despite the higher placement numbers, the Cattle on Feed report doesn't change Peel's outlook for the second half of the year.


"We knew this was coming. We saw the placements start year-over-year increases in February, now March and April," he says. "We've suggested since then that we're probably going to see year-over-year increases every month from here on for many months as we're working our way into bigger numbers in the industry.


"In fact, this larger placement number really makes sense relative to the fact that feedlots have marketed cattle pretty aggressively - certainly in April. They ramped up marketings, pulling cattle ahead, increasing the turnover rate, and the willingness to do that hinges in part on the overall economics that supports them buying replacement cattle."


Click here for a link to read the full USDA May Cattle on Feed report and hear Peel's full analysis of the report during the latest Beef Buzz.

Attorney General Pruitt Praises Victory in "Sue-and-Settle" Lawsuit

 

Attorney General Scott Pruitt on Friday released the following statement in response to the Obama administration's recent decision to abandon its efforts to list the lesser prairie chicken as an endangered species.


"The Obama administration's unlawful attempt to list the lesser prairie chicken as an endangered species was not based on sound science but a hastily put together effort by federal agencies, colluding with environmental groups, to engage in 'sue-and-settle' tactics designed to stifle oil and gas exploration in Oklahoma and other states," Attorney General Pruitt said. "That is why I brought suit challenging the listing, and arguing that science and facts-on-the-ground unequivocally prove the chicken is not endangered, and that the State's conservation efforts are working. I'm pleased to report that the federal government has finally realized the error of its ways and has ended its efforts to list the bird as endangered."


In 2014, the Attorney General's Office filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service alleging the USFWS engaged in "sue and settle" tactics when the agency agreed to settle a lawsuit with a national environmental group over the listing of the status of several animal specials, including the Lesser Prairie Chicken.


In September, a U.S. District Judge ruled the USFWS failed to make a proper evaluation of state conservation plans when determining whether the bird should receive protection under the Endangered Species Act.

 

 

Damp Conditions Delay Oklahoma Wheat Harvest, But Yield and Quality Estimates Still Look Strong

 

Combines are on the move in Texas, already making their way to the Waco area and even further north. That can only mean one thing for Oklahoma wheat producers - harvest is quickly approaching!


In fact, Oklahoma Wheat Commision Executive Director Mike Schulte says some wheat in the southwest corner of the state is ready to go, but the recent cool and damp weather has farmers in a standstill. With more rain in the forecast, he is hopeful to get the Oklahoma harvest underway before too much moisture has a negative effect on the crop.


"We know that there are places in southwest Oklahoma that would be harvesting right now today on the earlier varieties," Schulte says. "Like I said, with moisture predicted all for next week, I think producers are a little bit on edge because there are severe storms predicted for Monday and Tuesday."


Looking at projected numbers for the 2016 wheat harvest, Schulte says the National Grain and Feed Association estimates released recently are very similar to the numbers he and area extension agents are predicting. 


"I think that number being 130.6 million bushel average for the state figured at 34 bushel average on a little more than 3.8 million acres harvested is really pretty much right on target," he says. "I think maybe they were a little bit lower on the yield average than I would have been. I think particularly in northern Oklahoma, some of the yields were lower than what I am predicting based on what some of the other extension people are predicting as of today."   


Although there has been some hail damage reported in the northern areas of the state, Schulte says there is still a lot of good wheat to cut. 


"Things really look good in north-central and northern Oklahoma," he says. "I think we've got some potential for a lot of 45-50 bushel wheat; I think there's even some potential for 80 bushel wheat as of today in some of those regions where you've had really good managers who've been intensive on their management practices.


Listen to Schulte's full outlook for the fast-approaching wheat harvest.

Want to Have the Latest Energy News Delivered to Your Inbox Daily?

U.S. Grains Council Assessment Mission Finds Japan Taking Steps Toward Ratification of TPP

 

U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Director of Trade Policy and Biotechnology Floyd Gaibler traveled to Japan last week to assess the economic and political environment for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and share results of two USGC studies on the agreement with local stakeholders.


The country initiated efforts to ratify TPP earlier this year, prompting the engagement with Japanese industry on the Council's work to examine likely impacts on Japanese feed grains and livestock production, and in turn, U.S. exports of feed grains.


The Council commissioned two separate studies on TPP's impact in Japan, both demonstrating that while the agreement provides many improvements on Japanese agricultural trade access, the potential impact on livestock and its feed demand through improved import access would be small.


Gaibler presented the results of these two studies to local stakeholders and met with officials to learn about the various domestic government support measures being considered to aid the country's transition to a net exporter of high-value food products, such as Wagyu beef.


"The studies were well received by all meeting participants, and there was a general consensus of agreement in their estimated impacts," Gaibler said. "However, we also saw that Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has developed a set of domestic measures to provide stabilization for existing farmer operations and act as a buffer for the anticipated TPP impacts."

 

Click here to read more about Japan's efforts to ratify the TPP.

More on Bayer- Monsanto Deal Impact- and John Deere Sees Sales Slip by Eight Percent

 

If Monsanto should chose to accept the proposed acquisition presented by Bayer AG, the deal would put 83 percent of U.S. corn seed sales and 70 percent of the global pesticide market under the control of three consolidating companies. 

 

The Wall Street Journal reports that would raise fears from the agricultural sector at a time when farmers face heavy pressure after three years of sliding crop prices. The National Farmers Union has long opposed such mergers as President Roger Johnson says if the deal were to be accepted; there will "almost certainly" be much less competition in the marketplace. Johnson says the lack of competition would mean "farmers will end up paying higher prices than they otherwise would be paying." 

 

Combining Monsanto's top position in crop seeds with Bayer's much broader pesticide portfolio would lead to 28 percent of worldwide pesticide sales, 36 percent of the U.S. corn seed market and 28 percent of soybeans, according to Morgan Stanley estimates.

 

**********

 

Meanwhile- Through the first half of the fiscal year, John Deere reports sales are down eight percent while earning are 30 percent lower. Net income attributable to Deere & Company was $495.4 million for the second quarter ending April 30th, compared with $690.5 million for the same period last year.  

 

For the first six months of the year, net income attributable to Deere & Company was $749.8 million compared with $1.07 billion last year. Company CEO Samuel Allen says the second quarter performance reflects the continuing downturn in the global farm economy. Further, Allen says that while the company expects lower results this year, "Deere is continuing to perform at a much higher level than in previous downturns."

 

Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment,  American Farmers & Ranchers, Stillwater Milling Company, Oklahoma AgCredit,  the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, Pioneer Cellular, Farm Assure and  KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis- at NO Charge!

 

 

We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.   

 Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com  

 

 

God Bless! You can reach us at the following:  

 

 

 

Oklahoma Farm Bureau is Proud to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Ron Hays Daily Farm and Ranch News Email