Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Thursday, April 15, 2021
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Cattle Chute Demos Back Inside and Twice Daily at the Oklahoma City Farm Show
- Aging Research Facilities Threaten Agricultural Innovation
- U.S. Meat Export Federation CEO Expects Good Year For Exports
- Oklahoma Credit Outlook Improves
- Total Quality Management - A Foundational Approach of the Beef Quality Assurance Program
- Trade Expansion, Labor Reform and Disease Prevention Among Top Issues During NPPC’s Legislative Action Conference
- NCBA Endorses Introduction of House Companion HAULS Act
- Introducing Aubrie Tucker of the Elgin FFA Chapter, Your 2021 Southwest Area Star in Agribusiness.
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Cattle Chute Demos Back Inside and Twice Daily at the Oklahoma City Farm Show
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The 2021 Oklahoma City Farm Show kicks off a three day run today- opening from 9 am to 5 pm Thursday and Friday and then 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday in the giant Bennett Event Center on the OKC Fairgrounds. One of the popular features among cattle producers that returns is the Cattle Chute Demos. For the second year in a row- the weather won't impact the twice a day live demo- as the Demonstrations have been moved in to the Centennial Building just steps away from the Bennett Center.
For those who attend- there will be a drawing at each of the six sessions over the three days for five hundred dollars in show bucks that can be used towards the purchase of a cattle chute or other products from any of the vendors participating in the Demo.
I talked with Priefert Sales Rep Joey Gamble, who has helped organize the Demos this year- and he says it is a great way for a cattle producer to see how a chute processes cattle with a side by side comparison in real time.
Gamble says that the number of companies who are showing off their Squeeze Chutes is down this year- because the industry has seen unprecedented demand over the last year as ranchers have cleaned out the supply of these type products that are in the pipeline- leaving a backlog of orders as manufacturers have struggled to keep up with the demand in 2020 and now into 2021.
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The Oklahoma Cotton Council is proud to serve the cotton producers and those who are a part of the cotton industry in Oklahoma- promoting and protecting their interests. In Recent Years- cotton acreage has grown in Oklahoma- and today we are the third largest Cotton State in the US- based on Acres Planted.
The Oklahoma Cotton Council works for the cotton farmer in the areas of research, advocacy and education. Follow the Oklahoma Cotton Council on Facebook.
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Aging Research Facilities Threaten Agricultural Innovation
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When a deep freeze settled across Oklahoma in mid-February, the greenhouse sheltering Oklahoma State University’s wheat breeding program showed its age in the worst way.
Constructed in the 1960s, the facility’s heating system failed, pipes froze, and 70% of the hybrid plants inside succumbed to crippling cold. The loss was catastrophic and exemplified a need to reinvest in the crumbling infrastructure of agricultural research.
“My technicians were working hard to save the plants with space heaters, but the greenhouse still got down in the mid-20s, said Brett Carver, regents professor and OSU wheat genetics chair in agriculture. “If I spend money to buy new heaters, we’re not really making things better. We’re putting band-aids on major wounds here.”
Greenhouses protect genetic wheat stocks that are too risky to be planted in the field, but Carver learned the hard way that OSU doesn’t have the capability anymore to offset harsh outdoor conditions. Hundreds of experimental lines are required to make 1,000 different cross combinations that produce one new wheat variety every year. After February’s devastating freeze, important development has been delayed, and Carver and his team must start over.
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U.S. Meat Export Federation CEO Expects Good Year For Exports
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When compared to a year ago, U.S. meat exports for the first part of 2021 are lower but Dan Halstrom, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation said that was expected.
He recently spoke with Radio Oklahoma Agriculture Network Associate Farm Director and Editor KC Sheperd.
Halstrom told Sheperd he is optimistic about export growth in 2021.
With large numbers in the first quarter of 2020, we knew there would be a drop this year, Halstrom said.
But for the year, on beef, we are still looking at 10 to 11 percent growth, which would be a new record, he said.
For pork, we are looking at only 1 or two percent, he said.
Japan continued to show strong growth, he said.
Same story with China where the U.S. sold 8,600 tons of beef in February of this year compared to 530 tons a year ago, he said.
The demand is very strong as long as we can get it shipped, he added.
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For our farmers who have either- always have had cotton on their farms- or those who have more recently have added the fiber crop to their operations- we have a new daily report starting to be heard on several of our Radio Stations- It's Called Cotton Talk- and we appreciate the Oklahoma Cotton Council for their support in making this a reality.
Click on the Button below to listen to our most recent report
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Oklahoma Credit Outlook Improves
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Saying Oklahoma state government has done well managing its finances during the pandemic, Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings has revised the state’s outlook from negative to stable, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel announced today.
S&P had placed the state on negative outlook at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. With the revision announcement, the state’s current credit rating of AA was affirmed.
Treasurer McDaniel said the outlook change is encouraging and should help the state reduce interest costs on future bond issues.
“State leaders have exercised fiscal discipline during the pandemic,” McDaniel said. “This announcement from a widely respected independent source is welcome news.”
The S&P outlook change also anticipates responsible decision-making will continue.
The report states the revision is based, in part, on “the expectation that Oklahoma’s legislative and executive branches will reach consensus on actions to restore and maintain structural balance in future budgets and sustain a commitment to rebuilding reserves.”
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network weekdays-
if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click below for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays and KC Sheperd on RON.
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Sponsor Spotlight
National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures.
National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.
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Total Quality Management - A Foundational Approach of the Beef Quality Assurance Program
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One aspect of “quality” is providing products that meet or exceed expectations and established requirements. Established product requirements in the beef industry may differ somewhat from one segment of the industry to the next, but there are some common expectations fundamental to each.
The commercial cow/calf operator sells weaned calves, cull cows and bulls. Weaned calves should possess performance, health and potential carcass characteristics that satisfy stocker operators and cattle feeders, while meeting food safety requirements. Culled breeding stock must meet the food safety and carcass characteristic requirement of market cow and market bull processors.
As products of stocker operations, feeder cattle should meet the requirements of cattle feeders for performance, health, potential carcass characteristics and food safety. Fed cattle must meet the expectations of beef processors for health, carcass attributes and food safety. Commodity beef products must meet requirements of beef purveyors for fat cover, marbling, carcass size, safety, and lack of defects such as injection site blemishes, dark cutters, etc. Beef sold to the consumer, must meet expectations for both food safety and eating satisfaction.
The common theme is that quality in the beef industry includes and goes well beyond food safety. Animal performance, health, carcass characteristics and eating satisfaction, are often the result of various and cumulative management decisions, many of which go all the way back to the cow/calf operation.
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Trade Expansion, Labor Reform and Disease Prevention Among Top Issues During NPPC’s Legislative Action Conference
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Expanding market access to Vietnam, visa reform to address a livestock agriculture labor shortage and foreign animal disease prevention are the focus of the National Pork Producers Council’s (NPPC) Legislative Action Conference (LAC) this week. Pork producers from across the country are gathering virtually to address these and other issues with lawmakers.
“Trade remains crucial to the continued success of the U.S. pork industry, and Vietnam represents a significant market for our producers,” said NPPC President Jen Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms in West Des Moines, Iowa. “Vietnam’s domestic pork production industry is struggling with African swine fever, yet unwarranted tariff and non-tariff barriers restrict the United States from supplying this major pork-consuming nation with affordable, high-quality pork.”
During LAC this week, NPPC members are urging lawmakers to sign a letter co-sponsored by Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, seeking her support for enhanced Vietnamese market access for U.S. pork. A copy of the letter is available here.
Domestic pork consumption in Vietnam is greater than 2.5 million metric tons (MT) per year, more than Mexico, where the United States exported 688,252 MT, valued at $1.1 billion in 2020. Last year, U.S. pork producers only exported 25,183 MT to Vietnam, valued at $54 million.
Additionally, NPPC is advocating for meaningful labor reform. Pork producers offer jobs with good pay and benefits, but most Americans do not live near our hog farms or harvest facilities and rural populations continue to decline, causing the U.S. pork industry to be largely dependent on foreign-born workers. Unfortunately, current visa programs fail to meet the workforce needs of pork producers and other year-round livestock farmers. NPPC is urging Congress to address labor reform that both opens the H-2A visa program to year-round labor, without a cap, and provides legal status for agricultural workers already in the country.
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NCBA Endorses Introduction of House Companion HAULS Act
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Yesterday, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) endorsed the Haulers of Agriculture and Livestock Safety (HAULS) Act of 2021. Introduced in the House by Rep. Rose (R-TN-06) and Rep. Soto (D-FL-09), the bipartisan bill would deliver much-needed flexibility for livestock haulers. The House bill introduced this week is a companion to S.792, which NCBA worked to get introduced
“In times of crisis and in times of normalcy, livestock haulers are a critical part of the supply chain keeping grocery stores stocked with beef. The full year of disruption due to COVID-19 has only underscored the need for further flexibility in livestock hauling regulations,” said NCBA President Jerry Bohn. “NCBA is encouraged by the bipartisan and bicameral support for this commonsense legislation. Livestock haulers don’t need more regulatory hoops to jump through - they need the freedom and flexibility to continue transporting animals safely and humanely.”
Current hours-of-service (HOS) rules allow for 11 hours of drive time, 14 hours of on-duty time, and then require 10 consecutive hours of rest. When transporting livestock, there is a real need for further flexibility beyond the current hours-of-service. Unlike drivers moving consumer goods, livestock haulers cannot simply idle or unload their trucks when drive time hours run out without jeopardizing animal health and welfare.
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Introducing Aubrie Tucker of the Elgin FFA Chapter, Your 2021 Southwest Area Star in Agribusiness
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Introducing Aubrie Tucker of the Elgin FFA Chapter, Your 2021 Southwest Area Star in Agribusiness.
During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report is spotlighting the twenty Area Stars of Oklahoma FFA that are among the highest achievers in the organization.
The stars come from the five areas in four categories- Star in Ag Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness and Star in Production Agriculture.
This week, we spotlight the five area stars in Agribusiness for 2021.
One Star Finalist featured in the coming days from each of the categories, will be named the State Star Award Winner during the 95th Oklahoma State FFA Convention coming up April 27, and 28th in Oklahoma City.
This week, our coverage of the 2021 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists continues with Agribusiness competitor Aubrie Tucker of the Elgin FFA chapter representing the Southwest Area.
Tucker’s project is a farmer’s market venue where she sells beef and vegetables grown on her family farm and ranch.
I have enjoyed gardening since I was a child, she said.
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OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.
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Today's First Look:
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
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Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices continue to go higher- Choice Beef was up $2.80 and Select Beef was up 77 cents on Wednesday April 14th.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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OKC West in El Reno had 8,114 head of cattle this week- and a definite lower market was established.
Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 4.00-7.00 lower. Feeder heifers traded 2.00-5.00 lower, however few trades that were green and good in condition sold with good demand. Quality average to attractive. Demand light. Several days of the CME Feeder and Live Cattle contracts closing lower had buyers very cautious. Steer calves that were long weaned, thin fleshed and suitable for grazing sold steady to 2.00 higher. Heifer calves lightly tested on a weaned basis few 1.00-3.00 lower. Demand mostly moderate to good. New crop or unweaned fleshy calves sold with very limited to light demand.
Click below for the complete closing report.
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Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futures - click below for the latest update on the Livestock and Grain Futures Trade..
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Okla Cash Grain:
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture- The report available after the close of the Futures Trade for that day.
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Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor
KC Sheperd, Associate Farm Director and Editor
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production
Sam Knipp, Farm News Editor
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
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Rural Oklahoma is full of some of the greatest success stories throughout the entire state and is the main reason Oklahoma is on track to become a top 10 state.
The Road to Rural Prosperity will dive into these stories each week, bringing you insight into the great things happening in and to rural Oklahoma. We will bring you stories covering rural life, agriculture, energy, healthcare, tourism, and politics affecting rural America.
The Road to Rural Prosperity is here to tell stories about rural America, for rural America.
Host KC Sheperd sat down with Dr. Brett Carver, Regents Professor
Wheat Genetics Chair in Agriculture, Wheat Breeding and Genetics in his office on the Oklahoma State University campus in Stillwater and talked about a variety of subjects- all relating back to his passion for breeding wheat. He offered his take on how the 2021 wheat crop has handled the historic freeze the southern plains dealt with in February of this year, reviewed the wheat varieties that have come out of his program and looked ahead to what might be coming next.
To find out more about our full series of Podcasts on The Road to Rural Prosperity- click or tap here.
To hear this podcast, you can click here or tap below:
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program, Great Plains Kubota, Stillwater Milling Company, Oklahoma Cotton Council, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, Union Mutual Insurance, the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, 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 invite you to check out our website at the link below too that includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.
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God Bless!
Reach Out To Us:
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Tim West
President/General Manager
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
2401 Exchange Avenue,
Suite F
Oklahoma City, OK 73108
405.317.6361
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Ron Hays
Director of Farm Programming
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
405.473.6144
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