Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
From: Ron Hays <ronphays@cox.net>
Date: 1/11/2018 6:24 AM
To: ron@ronhays.com



 
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network weekdays- if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click here for this morning's Farm news from Carson Horn on RON.
 
 
  
Let's Check the Markets!  



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.
 
 
Markets   
Finished cattle prices 
dropped about a $1 Wednesday compared to the last sale on FedCattleExchange.com - 711 cattle were offered, but only 401 actually sold with the weighted average price this week at $119.00. Click here to see their complete market results.
 
OKC West saw Yearling Steers down $10 to $15 from previous week yesterday- full details from this week are available here.

Day Two of Bellringer XXXI from Denver starts at 8AM Central Time- Details from the Superior Livestock Market website available here.   


Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
  
  
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futuresclick or tap here for the report posted yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
 
  
Okla Cash Grain:  
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture on Wednesday, January 10th.
  
  
Futures Wrap:  
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network - analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day.
  
Feeder Cattle Recap:  
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
  
Slaughter Cattle Recap: 
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA.
  
TCFA Feedlot Recap:  
Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
  


  
Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
  
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor

Carson Horn, Associate Farm Director and Editor 
  
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
  
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production

Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
 
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
   Thursday, January 11, 2018

Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 







Featured Story:
SteveRussellOklahoma Rep. Steve Russell Bashes Nutrition and Ag Programs in Latest Edition of His "Waste Watch" Series

Rep. Steve Russell of Oklahoma's 5th District released, Wednesday, the latest edition of his Waste Watch series, bashing programs in the Farm Bill. Russell identifies 10 examples of programs in the Farm Bill totaling $16.5 billion that he considers to be wasteful government spending.


Highlights of Russell's report includes claims of poor implementation and initiative by the USDA to update nutritional standards for the National School Lunch Program and that the department failed to stop fraudulent food stamps from being created.
 
 
Russell stated "From fraud to mismanagement to poorly conceived but well-funded programs, our nation must address these issues. We have ended up in significant national debt by one careless decision at a time and we can get out of it by one good decision at a time. Our latest edition is a good place to start as we approach the Farm Bill reauthorization."


However,
while he spends a lot of time in this report blasting waste in nutrition programs - Russell is also critical of the Beginning Farmer Program and a program that he says is helpful to major players in the ethanol industry.
 
 
Click here to read the full statement issued by his office in conjunction with the release of his latest Waste Watch report.

Sponsor Spotlight


It's great to have one of the premiere businesses in the cattle business partner with us in helping bring you our daily Farm and Ranch News Email- National Livestock Credit Corporation.  National Livestock has been around since 1932- and they have worked with livestock producers to help them secure credit and to buy or sell cattle through the National Livestock Commission Company.  

They also own and operate the Southern Oklahoma Livestock Market in Ada, Superior Livestock, which continues to operate independently and have a major stake in OKC West in El Reno. To learn more about how these folks can help you succeed in the cattle business, click here for their website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.


During the American Farm Bureau Federation National Convention held this week in Nashville, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson, took time to speak with me about his view on the recently passed tax reform bill and the impact he believes it will have when it comes to completing the Farm Bill on time.


In his view, Johnson says he believes President Trump's tax package that was just signed into law, will affect farmers in two ways.
 

"First of all, I think most farmers are going to be a little better off - personally on their farms. They're going to pay a little fewer in taxes then what they were before. So, that's the positive impact," Johnson said. "On the other side of the ledger, though, and the reason that we were opposed is because this tax bill began with the premise that it was going to add $1.5 trillion to the debt and to the deficit."


Citing PAYGO - a budget rule requiring that tax cuts as well as increases in entitlement and other mandatory spending must be covered by tax increases or cuts in mandatory spending - as a probable source of contention, Johnson says it's now very unlikely the Farm Bill will be completed on time.


Johnson also touched on trade - specifically NAFTA and his thoughts about the need to modernize the trade agreement cherished by the ag industry. While he says President Trump is right in his belief that the US trade deficit should be addressed, he agrees that breaking from the treaty would have significant consequences for agriculture. He believes Trump is capable and willing to do that, giving him cause to think that Trump is not suited for handling such a delicate issue.
 
 
Click here to read the original story on our website, and listen to my complete interview with Johnson to hear more of his thoughts on these matters.
BUZZSo, Just How Big is the US Cow Herd? LMIC's Jim Robb Says It's Big, But Sees Growth Rate Starting to Moderate

One thing the beef industry will be looking for as we start the new year, is the official number on the US beef cow herd, to get an idea on how much it has grown over the past year. As we wait for the United States Department of Agriculture to release this figure in its Inventory report for January 1st, 2018, I reached out to Jim Robb, executive director of the Livestock Marketing Information Center, to get his thoughts on where those numbers might land.


"Well 2017 and 2018 are key transition points in terms of this cattle inventory cycle," Robb said. "The heifer slaughter has come up dramatically. Cow slaughter is also up. So, our general guess would be to put that January 1 inventory up 1.5 to 2 percent year-over-year and that's a slowing rate of growth, rather significantly."


Robb insists the first six to eight months of 2018 will be key to how production progresses long-term, but for now he says it seems to be moderating. Based on insights from USDA, Robb says industry-wide, we are approaching a herd size of approximately 32 million head. Not the largest that has been seen, but depending on cattle weights, it should be fairly manageable. Robb believes the industry will be able to produce near the same amount of beef per capita and net the same imports and exports in 2018 as seen in 2010. Looking ahead into 2018, though, Robb says the new year will continue to bring prosperity to producers, but perhaps not quite as much as 2017 did.


"Market-wise... we kind of had everything come together about as good as it could in 2017," he said. "We don't think we have to go back to 2016 calf prices. But, we do see with larger supplies - prices will be somewhat lower."


Listen to Robb and I postulate on the size of the US beef cow herd and its impact on markets, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.

Jason Bradley, agricultural economics consultant with the Noble Research Institute recently authored an article with some tips for producers on how to best manage their business finances - a very important component to any agricultural 
operation.


"Knowing what you usually spend on feed for the calves when backgrounding them, along with knowing the calves' potential gains gives you an idea of the next year's profitability," he writes. "Keeping financial records can also help you know when the monthly cost of repairing the old feed truck is becoming more than what it would cost to replace it."


Accurate and well-maintained record-keeping is also a useful tool for panning for the future. Inevitably, most family farms pass from one generation to the next. Having a well-kept system in place will ease the transition process and help in developing your operation's succession plan.


"Having current financial and production records in one place saves a lot of time and trouble for a new manager by showing them what is going on across the operation" Bradley says. "It also provides a picture of what operational resources are available, how they are being used and where they are.


"Hindsight is said to be 20/20, but that kind of clarity only comes from keeping sound records for your operation in order to prevent you from forgetting the little details that can make the biggest differences."
 
 
Click here to read the full article for more of Bradley's advice.

Sponsor Spotlight

 
Dating back to 1891, Stillwater Milling Company has been supplying ranchers with the highest quality feeds made from the highest quality ingredients.  Their full line of A & M Feeds can be delivered direct to your farm, found at their Agri-Center stores in Stillwater, Davis, Claremore and Perry or at more than 125 dealers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas.  

We appreciate Stillwater Milling Company's long time support of the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and we encourage you to click here to learn more about their products and services.



The Healthy Fields and Farm Economies Act a bipartisan bill introduced yesterday in the House by Representatives John Faso (R-NY) and Marcia Fudge (D-OH), will improve USDA conservation programs for American farmers and ensure the most efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars. Specifically, the bill strengthens federal conservation programs by authorizing and providing funding for the measurement, evaluation, and reporting of USDA conservation program outcomes.


Alyssa Charney, policy specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition said, "The Healthy Fields and Farm Economies Act will ensure that American family farmers are getting the absolute best conservation programs and practice recommendations from USDA. Thanks to this bill, USDA will finally be able to point to hard data showing just how successful conservation efforts have been."


Federal conservation programs play a significant role in protecting and enhancing our shared natural resources, as well improving farms' long-term sustainability. However, because USDA has historically lacked the ability to report on the conservation outcomes of these programs, they have increasingly been threatened with budget cuts and even wholesale elimination. With new evaluation and reporting tools in place, USDA will be able to prove the effectiveness of popular conservation programs; and when programs aren't working well, they'll be able to identify the issues and come up with targeted solutions quickly.
 

To read more about this bill and how it will improve and strengthen federal conservation programs, click or tap here.
 
Want to Have the Latest Energy News Delivered to Your Inbox Daily?
 

Award winning broadcast journalist Jerry Bohnen has spent years learning and understanding how to cover the energy business here in the southern plains- Click to subscribe to his daily update of top Energy News.

 



Dr. Glenn Selk of OSU offered producers some herd health advice this week on preparing a "calving-kit" prior to calving season, so you're ready to go when calves start hitting the ground this spring.


He says start with a "walk-through" of pens, chutes, and calving stalls, making sure that all are clean dry, strong, safe, and functioning correctly.


Next, develop your calving "protocols" - your plan of what to do, when to do it, who to call for help (along with phone numbers), and how to know when you need help. Share these protocols with your family and helpers. Incorporate your local veterinarian suggestions into your protocols as well. In addition, make sure you are fully stocked on necessary supplies.

"The stockmen should always have in their medicine chest the following: disposable obstetrical sleeves, non- irritant antiseptic, lubricant, obstetrical chains (60 inch and/or two 30 inch chains), two obstetrical handles, mechanical calf pullers and injectable antibiotics," Selk writes. "Also have a tincture of iodine solution that can be used to treat navels of newborns shortly after birth. Many lubricants have been used and one of the best lubricants is probably the simplest: non detergent soap and warm water. Don't forget the simple things like a good flashlight and extra batteries and some old towels or a roll of paper towels."


Keep it all together and handy for the taking at a moment's notice. You can read more of Selk's advice and see an example of his calving protocols by clicking here, to jump to his article up on our website.
CalendarChecking Our Calendar- AFR and Grain Sorghum Meetings in Enid Tomorrow, Red River Conference Next Week


The 2018 edition of the Agrifest Farm Show in Enid is ready to kick off- and the hard charging cold front moving across Oklahoma will mean a good heavy coat will be needed if you are headed to the show this weekend.

On Friday- two groups are planning events around the farm show- American Farmers & Ranchers will be holding a Farm and Ranch Forum starting shortly after 9 am in the Board Meeting Room on the north side of the Chisholm Trail Expo Center facility- attend and you can hear from OSU President Burns Hargis and Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe.

At 11 AM in the Hoover Building on the Garfield County Fairgrounds- the Oklahoma Grain Sorghum Growers will be holding their annual meeting- several speakers are on their agenda- including Third District Congressman Frank Lucas. More details can be found here.

Next week- Altus is the place to be as the two day Red River Crops Conference is being hosted jointly by OSU and Texas Agrilife Extension- Cotton is the featured topic on the 17th and all other crops on the 18th.  Click or tap here to read more about the topics being covered at this year's event.  


There are a lot of other events and meetings happening in the days ahead as well- click here for our complete calendar as found on our website- and remember- if you are involved in a meeting we don't yet have on our calendar- email me and we will get it listed!

Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, American Farmers & RanchersOklahoma Beef Council, Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National StockyardsOklahoma Farm Bureau, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma AgCredit,  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 also appreciate our Market Links Sponsor - OKC West Livestock!
 
 
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.   
 

 
God Bless! You can reach us at the following:  
 
phone: 405-473-6144
 

 



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