The Oklahoma Beef Council Board of Director convened last week on October 19th to consider the investment opportunities in Oklahoma, domestically through the Federation of State Beef Councils and internationally through the US Meat Export Federation.

After reviewing all these opportunities, the board voted to approve approximately $1.27 million dollars worth of investments for the 2018 fiscal year.

The funds approved in this budget and the correlating investment strategy will all go to advance the Beef Council's mission of engaging in programs that will support promotional, educational and research efforts on behalf of the beef industry here in the state.

"From programs working to educate Oklahoma consumers about beef and beef production to our first efforts in the China market, we feel we are delivering a plan of work for the Oklahoma beef checkoff that achieves our goal of serving Oklahoma's beef producers by working to strengthen beef demand." said Angie Meyer, Chairman for the Oklahoma Beef Council.

The largest portion of the approved budget has earmarked $369,000 for Federation of State Beef Councils programs that will help to fund national efforts in promotion, consumer information, industry information and research. In addition, this includes support of the 5-State Digital Marketing Campaign working to amplify national digital marketing efforts in high-population states.

In the latest crop progress report released Monday, October 23, 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture rated the US corn crop condition slightly better from a week ago, at 66 percent good to excellent, 23 percent fair and 11 percent poor to very poor. Corn is 38 percent harvested across the nation, well behind the average of 59 percent. The US soybean crop reached 70 percent harvested 

nationally, trailing the average of 73 percent. Pasture and rangeland for the US rates have improved some this past week, rated now at 8 percent very poor, 16 poor, 34 fair, 37 good and 5 excellent. For the complete USDA Crop Progress report, click here.


According to the weekly crop progress report from USDA, Oklahoma winter wheat planted reached 72 percent, down 13 points from normal. Winter wheat emerged reached 55 percent, down 8 points from normal. Canola planted reached 86 percent, down 8 points from normal. Canola emerged reached 51 percent, down 22 points from normal. Corn harvested reached 70 percent, down 15 points from normal. Sorghum mature reached 93 percent, unchanged from normal. Sorghum harvested reached 54 percent, down 8 points from normal. Cotton harvested reached 22 percent, down 5 points from the previous year but up 3 points from normal. Conditions of pasture and range were rated at 50 percent good to excellent, 42 fair, and 8 poor to very poor. To view the complete Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Kansas, winter wheat planted was 67 percent, behind 82 last year and 86 for the five-year average. Emerged was 41 percent, well behind 61 last year 63 average. Corn harvested was 65 percent, well behind 85 last year, and behind 82 average. Sorghum condition rated 2 percent very poor, 8 poor, 32 fair, 46 good, and 12 excellent. Harvested was 24 percent, well behind 54 last year and 45 average. Cotton condition rated 3 percent very poor, 8 poor, 29 fair, 55 good, and 5 excellent. Cotton harvested was 9 percent, near 8 both last year and average. Pasture and range conditions rated 4 percent very poor, 14 poor, 35 fair, 44 good, and 3 excellent. To view the complete Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Texas, winter wheat planted is rated this week at 70 percent complete, compared to 67 last year and 70 the average. Winter wheat emerged has reached 53 percent, ahead of last year by 12 and ahead of the average by 6. Currently, corn harvested is up 3 points this week from last at 83 percent, on par with the average. Cotton harvested is at 31 percent, ahead of the average by 3. Cotton's condition is rated 49 good to excellent, 35 fair, 16 poor to very poor. Meanwhile 80 percent of the state's sorghum crop has been harvested, ahead of the average by 5. Pasture and range conditions have remained unchanged from last week, rated at 44 percent good to excellent statewide, 36 fair and 20 percent poor to very poor. To view the complete Texas Crop Progress and Condition Report,click here.

Over the past several months now, the beef industry has watched more and more cattle placed on feed. The USDA is reporting that to be the same case in its latest Cattle on Feed report based on numbers as of October 1st. I caught up with Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel, for his initial reaction to the numbers in this report released Friday of last week.


He stated in his article in this week's Cow/Calf Corner newsletter, that "Counter-seasonally strong feeder cattle prices this fall indicated good demand despite growing feeder cattle supplies. The October Cattle on Feed report confirmed that much of that demand came from feedlots. September feedlot placements were up 13.5 percent year over year, more than generally expected ahead of the report. Marketings were up 2.9 percent over last year. Feedlot inventories for October 1 were pushed higher by the large placements to 5.4 percent above year ago levels. At 10.813 million head, the October on-feed inventory is the largest October inventory since 2012."

When asked if he was surprised by the outcome of this report, he replied, "A little bit. We knew it was going to be a bigger number and honestly in recent days, analysts have had quite a bit of discussion about just how much bigger. I don't think in one sense it was a total shock and there were a couple of analysts on record that were predicting it to be this high. But nevertheless, I think the market reaction will be a little bearish."

Peel believes feedlots are still managing to stay relatively current, moving cattle through the pipeline at a fairly brisk pace. He says that the front-end may be a bit larger than the back-end right now as more cattle become available, but at the moment carcass weights remain small, indicating that feedlots have a handle on the situation and are effectively moderating total beef production this way.


You can read more or listen to Peel offer his complete analysis of this month's Cattle on Feed report, by clicking here to jump over to yesterday's Beef Buzz.

Four Oklahoma beef producers connected with the Organization for Competitive Markets and R-CALF USA  filed action on Monday with the Oklahoma Supreme Court in an attempt to block the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture from legally certifying the Oklahoma Beef Checkoff Program referendum, being championed by the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association.

Former Kirkpatrick Foundation staffer Brian Jones has set up his own law practice and is the legal counsel of record for the producers, Linda and Bryan Best, Dennis Sweat and John Johnson.

Claims by the referendum's opponents, paint the funds that are currently collected by the National Beef Checkoff, and those potentially collected should the referendum pass - as a tax, which they argue would be unfairly imposed. They assert the voting and petition process under which the OCA initiated this referendum, have been improperly executed and are now appealing to the Supreme Court to enter a declaratory judgement and prohibit the program's implementation.

According to a statement released, yesterday, by R-CALF, "the legal documents filed with the Oklahoma Supreme Court outline a series of constitutional and legal irregularities relating to both the petition signature gathering and election processes."

After word broke on Monday afternoon that R-Calf and the Organization for Competitive Markets had filed litigation with the Oklahoma Supreme Court in an effort to either stop the Oklahoma Beef Checkoff Referendum or to invalidate the results of the vote if it happens on November first- several ag groups offered a statement expressing confidence that the process leading up to the Checkoff Vote has been properly done.

The following statement is from a coalition of Oklahoma Agriculture organizations who support the Oklahoma Beef Referendum: 

The Oklahoma Agriculture community is confident in the process used by cattle producers and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture in preparation for the upcoming referendum. We stand against an effort led by radical activist organizations and their anti-agriculture agenda.

 

Oklahoma Farm Bureau

AFR

Oklahoma Limousin Breeders Association

Oklahoma Maine Anjou Association

Oklahoma Charolais Association

Oklahoma Simmental Cattle Association

It was indicated to us that several more livestock related groups are expected to sign onto to this statement on Tuesday.

Earlier, a group of Oklahoma cattle industry leaders had issued a statement, anticipating the litigation by the out of state groups. Click here for that statement- 

The Commissioners of the Land Office started this week off yesterday with a lease auction in Burns Flat. They continue their travels around the state today in Lawton at the Great Plains Technology Center.

Today's lease auction will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.

The roadshow will continue and finish up for the week Wednesday, making a stop in Enid at the Garfield County Fairgrounds. This auction will also begin at 10:00 a.m.

The CLO's final school land lease auction will happen next week in Shawnee.

Click here for the flyer that details all of the auctions for 2017.
 

 

Meanwhile- Four Oklahoma FFA Chapters are in the running for a National Championship in one of two categories in what is being called the National FFA Premiere Chapter Awards. The national FFA recognizes the top chapters with innovative activities in each of the three divisions: growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. The top ten chapters in each division receive a National FFA Premier Chapter Award plaque. Of those top ten in each division, a top premier chapter will be chosen in each division. Only 3-star chapters are eligible for premier chapter awards.

Oklahoma has two of the ten finalists in the Growing Leaders and Building Communities categories. In the Building Communities category, the Stillwater and Timberlake FFA Chapters are both competing, while in the Growing Leaders category- two chapters that are only a few miles apart in northeastern Oklahoma are two of the ten national finalists. The Oologah and Claremore FFA Chapters both qualified and will do battle with one another and eight other chapters from around the country to be the national winner.  

Click or tap here to read more about the Premiere Chapter competition and a chance to hear from the President of the Claremore Chapter about their program of work.