Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Thursday, July 8, 2021
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Heading for the Finish Line- Oklahoma Wheat Commission Says 2021 Harvest 92% Done
- U.S. Beef and Pork Exports Put Pandemic Woes in the Rearview Mirror- May Numbers are Great
- Dr. Glenn Tonsor Expects Fewer Cattle Being Slaughtered And More Leverage For Feedlots Going Into The Third Quarter
- OCA Cheers Senator Inhofe's Efforts to Secure Funds to Battle Marijuana
- First-of-its-Kind Map Pulls From Various Data Sources to Highlight Broadband Needs
- A Season in Review: Producers Discuss Yields, Challenges of Late Wheat Harvest
- U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Announces Levi Strauss & Co and Their Legacy Brands as New Members
- Free Dam Safety Webinar Coming up on August 11, 9-11 a.m. Register Now!
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Heading for the Finish Line- Oklahoma Wheat Commission Says 2021 Harvest 92% Done |
Oklahoma Wheat harvest continues to move forward with producers facing challenges from Mother Nature, with continued rains in North Central and Panhandle regions of Oklahoma.
Since last week Oklahoma completion towards harvest has made slight progress moving from 85% complete to now 92% complete. In the Northern regions, producers in Garfield, Major, Alfalfa, Woodward, Woods, Ellis, counties are mostly finished, with the majority of wheat that is left to cut being in Grant, Kay and Noble counties. Meanwhile, the Panhandle has irrigated wheat fields still to be cut with overall harvest in that part of the state now 85% complete.
Yesterday afternoon- I sat down with Oklahoma Wheat Commission Executive Director Mike Schulte to discuss this report and the 2021 crop- click on the button below to hear our conversation.
Yields are still being reported as favorable ranging from the mid 40’s to mid 60’s for the most part across Northern Oklahoma. Producers with intensive management plans reporting yields in the mid 70’s to mid 80’s.
We have been hearing reports of sprout damage now also occurring in some fields in northern Oklahoma on what is remaining in the field and what has been harvested this past week. Sprout damage has ranged from 5% to 80% depending on field location, moisture levels and variety.
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Oklahoma AgCredit is a cooperative, owned by the members we serve. This ensures our customers’ needs come first. Our profit can only be used in two ways – retained to build our financial strength or passed on to members through our Patronage Program. Patronage is like an interest rebate and it basically reduces our members cost of borrowing. We have returned more than $53 million to our members since 1997.
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U.S. Beef and Pork Exports Put Pandemic Woes in the Rearview Mirror- May Numbers are Great |
Fueled by impressive growth in a wide range of destinations, U.S. beef and pork export value shattered previous records in May. Beef exports also reached a new volume high in May, while pork export volume was the third largest on record.
"The outstanding May performance is especially gratifying when you consider where red meat exports stood a year ago," noted USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. "The industry faced unprecedented, COVID-related obstacles at all levels of the supply chain, and a very uncertain international business climate. These challenges are still not behind us, but international demand has been very resilient and the U.S. industry has shown a tremendous commitment to serving its global customers."
While May beef exports were expected to far exceed last year's low totals, export volume soared to a record 133,440 metric tons (mt), up 68% from a year ago, and value increased 88% to $904.3 million. Driven by record-large exports to South Korea, continued growth in China and a strong rebound in Japan and Taiwan, May marked the third consecutive monthly value record for beef exports, which had never exceeded $800 million before March 2021. For January through May, exports reached 587,838 mt, up 15% from a year ago, while value increased 22% to $3.84 billion.
May pork exports totaled 283,617 mt, up 16% from a year ago and the third largest on record. Export value exceeded $800 million for the first time in May, climbing 31% to $813.2 million, led by the largest exports of the year to Mexico and strong growth in Central America, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and the Philippines. For January through May, pork exports were slightly below last year's record pace at 1.34 million mt, but export value increased 3% to $3.63 billion.
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Dr. Glenn Tonsor Expects Fewer Cattle Being Slaughtered And More Leverage For Feedlots Going Into The Third Quarter |
Before the Fourth of July, livestock market economist Dr. Derrell Peel said we were on the cusp of being current in feedlot country.
Kansas State University agricultural economics professor, Glynn Tonsor, believes we are just about there.
For the third quarter, the forecast is 2.5% lower slaughter than we had in 2020, Tonsor said. This corresponds to a $1.18 cash prices, compared to the $1.24 we are currently at.
Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, Tonsor said he expects nearly 4% fewer cattle slaughtered compared to 2021.
Tonsor said we are on pace for reductions in slaughter numbers, and he anticipates fewer cattle going through the system as 2021 progresses.
There is a big “if” to this, he said. It all depends on if strong beef demand is maintained. This is often signaled by robust cutout prices, he added.
“There is certainly room for live fed cattle prices to come up with that if fewer cattle enter the system,” Tonsor said. “That is where my words of caution come in. I would like to see us retain strong cutout price which would enable those fewer head to be worth more.”
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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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OCA Cheers Senator Inhofe's Efforts to Secure Funds to Battle Marijuana |
The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association has released a statement offering their reaction to word from Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe's office that he is working to secure funding to battle illegal marijuana production and trafficking in the state.
OCA's Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey told the Oklahoma Farm Report "OCA is very grateful to Senator Inhofe for recognizing the urgent need for funding to combat the explosive illegal growth of marijuana in Oklahoma. OCA members are on the front lines in this rural Oklahoma battle against illegal growers who have no regard for neighbors, livestock or the environment. As our members gear up for our Annual Convention to discuss this issue and make policy, it is reassuring to have friends like Senator Inhofe providing much needed support."
According to Senator Inhofe's office, the Senator has requested four million dollars that would be provided to the OK Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control.
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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
The vision of the Oklahoma Beef Council is to be a positive difference for Oklahoma's farming and ranching families and the greater beef community and its mission is to enhance beef demand by strengthening consumer trust and exceeding consumer expectations. To learn more, visit www.oklabeef.org. Also, don't forget to like its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oklabeef for stories on Oklahoma's ranching families and great beef recipes.
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First-of-its-Kind Map Pulls From Various Data Sources to Highlight Broadband Needs |
A new digital map from the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration provides more detail about broadband needs across the country than any other publicly available resource. Tapping into data aggregated at the county, census tract, and census block level from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Communications Commission, M-Lab, Ookla and Microsoft, the map shows the many parts of the country reporting connection speeds that fall below the FCC’s current benchmark for fixed broadband service of 25 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload.
Farmers, ranchers and others who live in rural communities struggle everyday with poor connection speeds, which slow down their work on the business end of the farm, school work, and their ability to download and share important documents – and so much more.
“A reliable and speedy broadband connection is also critical to farmers’ use of precision agriculture to farm as sustainably and efficiently as possible. Without high-speed internet, farmers cannot collect key data or analyze it to determine the exact amount of fertilizer to apply, how much water their crops need or the precise amount of herbicides or pesticides they should use,” explained Ryan Yates, managing director of public policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation.
NTIA’s new map can help officials determine where to focus government funding and public-private partnership efforts to enhance broadband.
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A Season in Review: Producers Discuss Yields, Challenges of Late Wheat Harvest |
It was an unusual wheat harvest for producers across the state in 2021. After surviving a couple late spring freezes, most began cutting well past last year’s completion date. In late May, Oklahoma weather took a wet and humid turn that delayed combines by a couple weeks. A few farmers weighed in on an overview of the year.
Bo Ferrell and his family, hailing from Byron, spent 10 days harvesting the WestBred varieties 4303, 4515 and 4458, along with Doublestop, a two-gene Clearfield wheat variety that allows producers to spray for cheat and rye. Yields ranged from 45 bushels to 80 bushels per acre, with averages between 60 and 65.
“We saw a little bit of Italian rye grass, but rye is our biggest battle,” Ferrell said. “We were pretty pleased with this year’s yields. Our market strategy depends on the year, and this year we sold some and stored some.”
From Waukomis, Karen Eifert Jones and her husband harvested wheat for 15 days in June, working mostly with milling varieties, including WestBred 4515 and 4269 as well as several from Oklahoma State University. As one of a dwindling number of canola producers in the state, canola is a critical element of their crop rotation.
“Last year was a home run year that God gave us with almost 100-bushel-to-the-acre wheat,” Jones said. “That wheat was harvested after planting canola on it the year before. We couldn’t raise one without the other—they depend on each other.”
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U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Announces Levi Strauss & Co and Their Legacy Brands as New Members |
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol welcomes new members Levi Strauss & Co and their legacy brands Levi’s®, Dockers®, Denizen® by Levi’s®, and Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™
More than 90 percent of Levi Strauss & Co’s products are cotton-based. The company has committed to sourcing 100 percent more sustainably grown cotton focusing on decreasing water use, cutting carbon emissions, and reducing fertilizer and pesticide use. This corporate commitment to more sustainable and resilient cotton sourcing is part of a broader internal initiative designed to move the company toward a more sustainable and circular product strategy.
“At Levi Strauss & Co., the quality and sustainability of the cotton we use is critical to our business and important to our customers,” said Jeffrey Hogue, Chief Sustainability Officer, Levi Strauss & Co. “Membership in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will be an important step and a key partnership in our efforts to source 100 percent more sustainably grown cotton.”
The Trust Protocol will aid Levi Strauss & Co.’s efforts by providing verified data on sustainability practices from U.S. cotton growers and access to aggregate year-over-year data on critical metrics including water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss and land use efficiency. Levi Strauss & Co will also participate in the pilot phase of the Protocol Credit Management System which provides its members with complete supply chain transparency through use of TextileGenesis’ blockchain technology.
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Free Dam Safety Webinar Coming up on August 11, 9-11 a.m. Register Now! |
The Oklahoma Water Resources Board Dam Safety Program is pleased to invite you to a free webinar on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. CST.
This webinar provides an overview of the dam inspection process and how a proper inspection can elongate the life of the structure. Concepts covered include completing the inspection forms, dam condition assessment discussion, hydraulic adequacy, and its relationship with inspections. OWRB will cover funding opportunities available for public dam owners.
The targeted outcome of this session is to raise the level of awareness, interest and understanding of the dam safety process and how a quality inspection can elongate the life of the structure. OWRB will also discuss funding opportunities available for public owners.
In the webinar representatives from the OWRB and Freese and Nichols will discuss the dam inspection process, dam condition assessment definitions, and hydraulic adequacy of dams. OWRB staff will also provide information about available funding opportunities for eligible dam improvement projects.
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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 dropped again on Wednesday July 7th- Choice Beef was down $1.78 while Select Beef dropped $1.23.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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OKC West in El Reno had a light run this week after the Fourth of July holiday of 2,713 head- all sold on Wednesday July 7th.
Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 6.00-8.00 higher. Feeder heifers traded 2.00-5.00 higher. Demand good. Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested this week for a trend.
According to Manager Bill Barnhart's comments on Facebook- Buyers were aggressive on the limited numbers as the market recovered much of what was lost last week.
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
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
Emile Mittelstaedt, Farm News Intern and Email Editor
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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 Ron Hays sits down with Sam Knipp, who has been communicating to farmers and ranchers in Kansas and Oklahoma as a farm broadcaster and ag journalist since the 1970s- Most recently, he has been a part of the broadcast and journalism team for the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network- but before that, Sam worked for farmers and ranchers in Public Relations and Communications for the Kansas Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the American Farmers and Ranchers. He's a farm boy from western Kansas, who after over 40 years in service to agriculture, is retiring July 2, 2021. Our conversation with Sam Knipp is powered by Banc First.
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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