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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Featured Story:

Bayer Makes the Offer- Wants to Acquire Monsanto for $62 Billion

 

 

After several weeks of speculation that someone would be officially bidding for Monsanto- the offer has arrived. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Corn and Soybean Planting on Schedule With Five-Year Average, Local Wheat Looks Good

 

The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture crop progress report has corn planting 86 percent complete nationally. That's up 11 percent over last week and nearly right on par with the five-year average of 85 percent. USDA reported 60 percent of the crop has emerged in the top 18 states that plant 93 percent of the nation's corn acres. Emergence was 9 points behind last year but 17 points higher than last week. Soybean planting has reached 56 percent. That's a gain of 20 points over last week and four points ahead of average. 


The Oklahoma wheat and canola crops continue to look strong this year. In the weekly crop progress report from USDA, the wheat crop condition rated 57 percent good and 9 percent excellent condition, 28 percent fair and only 6 percent percent poor to very poor. This year's crop looks to be in much better condition than last year's, with a 20 point increase in the good category. Winter wheat headed reached 99 percent complete, slightly above normal for this time of year. More than half of the state's canola crop is rated good or excellent. Row crop seeding is ahead of schedule with 38 percent planted. Seventy-five percent of corn was seeded by Sunday, down 13 points from normal. 

Winter wheat harvest is underway in Texas, but wet conditions across many areas have delayed cutting. Forty-seven percent of the wheat crop is rated in good to excellent condition, with 41 percent of the crop in fair condition and 13 percent in poor to very poor condition. The wheat crop is 6 percent harvested, up 3 points from last year, but down 4 points from the average. Corn planting gained only 1 point with 79 percent of the crop planted and 65 percent emerged. Sorghum was 72 percent planted, soybeans were 65 percent, cotton was 31 percent done and peanuts were 50 percent planted. 

The Kansas wheat crop rated 59 percent good to excellent, 33 percent fair and only 8 percent poor to very poor condition. Winter wheat headed was 96 percent, near 92 last year, but ahead of the five-year average of 83. Corn planting was at 90 percent, ahead of 82 last year, but near the 88 average. Sixty-one percent of the corn crop is emerged. Soybean planting was at 21 percent complete, cotton planting was six percent and sorghum was at six percent. 

 

 

Click here for links to the complete USDA Crop Progress report and each state's individual report.

OSU Livestock Market Economist Derrell Peel Sees Improving Cattle Industry Conditions in Last Friday's Cattle on Feed Report

 

On a weekly basis, Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his economic analysis of the beef cattle industry. This week Dr. Peel looks at last Friday's Cattle on Feed Report and where we stand in the southern plains with pasture and range conditions.


"Feedlot inventories on May 1 were 10.78 million head in feedlots over 1000 head capacity.  This is up 1.3 percent from May 2015.  Placements in April were 107.5 percent of year ago levels; the third straight monthly increase in feedlot placements.  April marketings were 101.2 percent of last year. The contrast between last year and this year in the feedlot industry is telling.  In 2016, it is clear that feedlots are building inventories; placing more cattle in the face of larger feeder cattle supplies.  Marketings are also higher now and turnover rates have increased.  One year ago, placements were low but feedlot inventories were steady because marketings were slow and feedlot turnover was sluggish. 
 

"Though feedlot inventories are now above year earlier levels and climbing, the industry is in better shape; leaner and more agile going into larger cattle supplies for the remainder of the year.  Cattle slaughter is up 2.7 percent for the year to date but is up 4.4 percent year over year in the past six weeks.  Seasonally, the largest cattle slaughter will occur in the next month but feedlots have pulled cattle ahead in April and May which will temper seasonal slaughter peaks in June.  More importantly, aggressive feedlot marketings have brought carcass weights down dramatically. In the latest carcass data, steer carcass weights, at 862 pounds, dropped below year earlier levels for the first time since June, 2014.  Overall cattle carcass weights, with steers, cows and bulls all down year over year, are below year earlier levels for the first time since the last week of 2013. Heifer carcass weights remain slightly above year ago levels but have also fallen sharply in the past few weeks.

 

 

Read Dr. Peel's complete analysis here.

Policymakers, Retailers Influence Production Agriculture

 

Written by Evan Whitley, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

 

 

 

 

Click here to read more about what Evan sees as some of the changing influences on American production agriculture.

 

Oklahoma Quality Beef Network's Gant Mourer Says Value-Added Programs Really Do Pay Off

 

The Oklahoma Quality Beef Network is a joint project of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association to help producers improve the quality of their cattle and better access value-added marketing programs. OSU Extension Beef Value Enhancement Specialist Gant Mourer says that value was seen this past fall and winter when feeder cattle prices collapsed.


"It was a really hard year, and every week, as we approached December, it seemed to get harder and harder and a lot of us went through that," he says. "But what we found is pre-conditioning these cattle, we still maintain the value of those animals."


Mourer says that while most producers still lost money during the down trending market conditions, those who participated in a value-added program mitigated their losses.


"Just simply hanging on to that calf for 45 days and not managing them at all, not weaning them, not doing anything with them - we lost about $250 a head over that short period of time," he says. "But through these management practices and marketing that way - or being a reputable producer - we only lost about $100 a head. So we saw about $100 to $150 a head value in a down market year."


Mourer says there are many choices when it comes to choosing a pre-conditioning program. He suggests working with a veterinarian to identify appropriate vaccination protocols. 


OQBN is starting to set dates for 2016 sales. Mourer says producers looking to qualify for the program can find specific information at http://www.oqbn.okstate.edu/.


Hear more about the benefits of the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network during the latest Beef Buzz.

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USDA Leading U.S. Ethanol Trade Mission To Mexico

 

USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse is leading a U.S. ethanol mission to Mexico on May 24-25 to explore trade opportunities between the two countries.


The mission participants include representatives from the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and the U.S. Grains Council who will attend meetings with government officials, legislators and the Mexican private industry.


As USDA explained, mission members will share their experiences with both ethanol production and the development of renewable fuels policies, with the goal of demonstrating how Mexico can implement its own renewable fuels program.


State-owned oil company PEMEX has plans to begin selling E6 (5.8 percent) ethanol-blended gasoline in selected cities in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi and Veracruz. Implementation of a nationwide E6 fuel option in Mexico would create a potential market for 790 million gallons of ethanol (3 billion liters).


"Mexico, with the right policies in place, has the potential to achieve similar benefits producing ethanol from sugarcane," Scuse said in a statement. "We view this as a partnership that can provide benefits for both Mexico and the United States."

 

Read more about the planned mission, including comments from the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and the U.S. Grains Council.

Upcoming Noble Foundation Seminar Focuses on Veterinary Feed Directive

 

A new federal regulation that affects livestock producers, veterinarians and the feed industry is set to take full effect on Jan. 1, 2017.


To help prepare all parties impacted by this regulation, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation will host a Veterinary Feed Directive seminar from 1-5 p.m., Thursday, June 16, at the Noble Foundation Kruse Auditorium.


"Implementation of the Veterinary Feed Directive is a significant event in the livestock industry," said Bryan Nichols, livestock consultant. "Producers, veterinarians and livestock feed providers all must be aware of the implications of this regulation before it comes into full effect so the transition can be as seamless as possible."


To help provide understanding into the various facets of the new regulation, the Noble Foundation has put together a group of expert speakers that represents academia, the veterinary community and the feed industry.


Speakers include:

- L.D. Barker, D.V.M., veterinarian: Obtaining a Veterinary Feed Directive from Your Veterinarian.

- Brian Lubbers, D.V.M., Ph.D., Kansas State University Microbial Surveillance Lab director: Antibiotic Regulations and Resistance in Cattle Production.

- Richard Sellers, American Feed Industry Association senior vice president of public policy and education: Veterinary Feed Directive and the Feed Industry.


"This topic has generated a lot of questions," Nichols said. "This is a great opportunity to hear from experts in multiple fields who can answer many of those questions."

Click here for registration information.

Boxed Beef Prices Shoot Higher- Ed Czerwein Explains All

 

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