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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.
FedCattleExchange.com has 166 head of cattle on their showlist for the Wednesday,
March 21st sale of finished cattle - click here to jump to the website.
Oklahoma National Stockyards saw lower prices pretty much across the board on Monday- Click or tap here for the complete USDA report as of Mid Session for March 19
Joplin Regional Stockyards also reported lower prices for both stockers and yearlings- click here for their March 19 report.
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 futures- click or tap here for the report posted yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
Okla Cash Grain:
Futures Wrap:
Feeder Cattle Recap:
Slaughter Cattle Recap:
TCFA Feedlot Recap:
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
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Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
On This First Day of Spring- Happy Ag Day!
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Howdy Neighbors!
Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
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 Gallagher Remains Top Wheat Variety for Third Consecutive Year, According to Latest USDA Variety Report
According to the latest "Oklahoma Variety Report" from USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, the top six leading wheat varieties planted in the state for the 2018 season were developed by OSU. The Gallagher variety, again held the top spot for the third consecutive year. Bentley saw a bit of an increase this year while a slight decline in Doublestop CL Plus put the two varieties in a tie for second place. Iba appears on the list next with the old standby varieties of Duster and Endurance listed in the fifth and six spots.
"The roots of success continue to be firmly anchored with several other up-and-coming OSU varieties being adopted by Oklahoma wheat producers," stated a release by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. "Thanks to wheat improvement programs like the one at OSU, producers continue to have improved options of wheat varieties to plant. Whether it is improved stress or pest tolerance or increased yields, at the level of end-use quality expected by our food industry, the Oklahoma Wheat Improvement Team at OSU is working to develop varieties that are meeting producers' changing needs."
Since the release of this report, we had the chance to speak with Head of the OSU Wheat Improvement Team, Dr. Brett Carver, about the varieties he and his team have made available to farmers. You can listen to that complete interview for Dr. Carver's insights, and read more about these top six varieties by clicking here.
The OWC states that varieties released by OSU continue to feature such traits as high grain yield with or without grazing; heat and drought tolerance; resistance to multiple fungal and viral diseases; resistance to aphids and Hessian fly; and high quality for both milling and baking characteristics.
Most importantly, though, OSU wheat varieties are locally adapted but globally marketed.
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Sponsor Spotlight
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Talk to a local team who understands agriculture. Talk to Oklahoma AgCredit. Financing rural Oklahoma. Equal housing lender.
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Oklahoma Farm Service Agency Executive Director Scott Biggs Addresses Farmers Ahead of Ag Day
In case you didn't know, today is National Agriculture Day! Each year, this day is designated to celebrate the accomplishments of agriculture. In observance of this special day - our State Executive Director for the Oklahoma Farm Service Agency Scott Biggs, addressed farmers and ranchers in an open letter yesterday, pointing out all that his office does to help farmers be their most productive.
"This year's theme, Agriculture: Food for Life, spotlights the hard work of American farmers, ranchers and foresters who diligently work to provide food, fiber and more to the United States and countries around the world," Biggs wrote. "To ensure a prosperous future for American agriculture, FSA provides continuous support to agriculturalists across the country.
Biggs called FSA, rural America's engine for economic growth, job creation and development. Not a bad comparison considering that in fiscal year 2017, USDA Farm Loan programs provided $6 billion in support to producers across America, the second highest total in FSA history. Among many other programs - FSA also distributed billions of dollars to producers through its Conservation Reserve Program, the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs and through extensive assistance funding to aid in times of disaster.
Click here to read Biggs' entire op-ed piece and learn more about all that FSA has to offer farmers to assist them in their operations - and to all the farmers and ranchers out there - Happy National Agriculture Day to you! MEANWHILE- in our nation's Capitol- USDA Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue will welcome Vice President Mike Pence to the USDA this morning as they pay tribute to farmers and ranchers on this National Ag Day 2018. |
In this week's Crop Progress Report released by USDA on Monday, March 19, 2018, winter wheat jointing in Oklahoma reached 21 percent, down 8 points from normal. Wheat's condition is rated this week, 66 percent poor to very poor, 29 fair and 5 percent good to excellent. Canola blooming reached 6 percent, down 1 point from normal. Canola conditions are rated this week, 69 percent poor to very poor, 27 fair and 4 good to excellent. Conditions of pasture and range were rated at 45 percent poor to very poor, 42 fair and 13 good to excellent. To see the complete crop progress report, click or tap
Winter wheat's condition in Kansas this week rated 17 percent very poor, 38 poor, 34 fair, 10 good, and 1 excellent. To see the complete crop progress report, click or tap here.
Wheat producers in Texas, meanwhile, continue irrigating in areas of the High Plains due to little to no precipitation. Wheat's condition there is rated this week 10 percent good to excellent, 30 fair and 60 poor to very poor. Corn planted is 35 percent complete this week, up 9 points from last week and behind the previous year by 5. Sorghum planted is at 25 percent complete this week, up 7 points from the week before and on par with last year at this time. Pasture and range conditions are rated at 29 percent good to excellent, 39 fair and 32 poor to very poor. To see the complete crop progress report, click or tap here.
Compared to a week ago- the Oklahoma Poor to Very Poor number is six points better than the 72% poor to very poor- while the Kansas crop declines by 5 points(50% last week- 55% this week) and the Texas crop worsens by 7 percentage points (53% last week- 60% this week)
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Mexico's Beef Industry Shows Notable Growth, Expansion Over Last Decade, Derrell Peel Explains
Inspired by his immediate surroundings, OSU's Derrell Peel, whom has been traveling the past few days in parts of the northern region of Mexico, examined the growth and changes that have developed in the nation's cattle and beef industry over the last decade this week in his most recent article for the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter.
Since its rapid growth in recent years, Peel says the most notable aspect of Mexico's current beef industry is its expansion of beef exports. Although growth in Argentina may bump Mexico from its position this year - Mexican beef exports, have ranked tenth in the world since 2015. He attributes this growth to expanded feedlot production, increased federally-inspected slaughter and, most importantly, adoption of boxed beef fabricating technology.
Currently, the US makes up 89 percent of Mexico's beef export business, and likewise, Mexico is an important beef importer from the US. However, Mexico is now attempting to develop a more diverse set of exports markets, partly the result of natural market growth and partly the result of uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policy and NAFTA. Mexico is attempting to regain access to Russia and to expand beef exports to China as well as expanded exports to Muslim markets with Halal certification.
According to Peel, Mexico is also a significant exporter of feeder cattle, despite some recent decreases. But Peel says continued growth in Mexico's beef production may ultimately lead to fewer live cattle exports from the country.
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Sponsor Spotlight
The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association is the trusted voice of the Oklahoma Cattle Industry. With headquarters in Oklahoma City, the OCA has a regular presence at the State Capitol to protect and defend the interests of cattlemen and cattlewomen.
Their Vision Statement explains the highest priority of the organization- "Leadership that serves, strengthens and advocates for the Oklahoma cattle industry."
To learn more about the OCA and how you can be a part of this forward-looking group of cattle producers, click here for their website. For more information- call 405-235-4391.
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Industry Pulls Together to Define Antimicrobial Stewardship, Ensure Essential Drugs Remain Available
In an effort to more closely monitor the use of antimicrobial drugs in production agriculture, especially in feed, the Food & Drug Administration initiated last year the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD). According to National Cattlemen's Beef Association Chief Veterinarian Dr. Kathy Simmons, antimicrobial stewardship has become a major issue in both animal and human medicine. She told me recently that all parties concerned are working together to define exactly what good stewardship look like.
"We in the beef cattle industry feel like we have been involved in antimicrobial stewardship for over thirty years," she said. "For over fifty years, we've used antimicrobial drugs, and for over thirty of those fifty years, we've had responsible stewardship guidelines. So, like the agency, we are also concerned with antimicrobial stewardship."
Simmons says NCBA's guidelines have been a part of the industry's Beef Quality Assurance program for some time, as part of the program's curriculum to help educate producers on the appropriate and responsible care of their livestock. As the industry continues to work towards improving its own methods and goal of more judicious use of antibiotics, Simmons says the important thing moving forward is not to totally eliminate antimicrobial drugs - which she insists are still absolutely necessary to maintaining healthy livestock populations. But, says that case of necessity should be emphasized.
"I think a really important concept in use there, is something we can continue to stress with FDA in which they continue to back us up on and that is the need to have the medically important antimicrobial drugs available for both prevention, control and treatment of animal diseases," she said. "We feel that prevention and control are major aspects of the therapeutic process that help to ensure a safe food supply and to enhance public health."
Hear Dr. Kathy Simmons and I discuss the importance of the VFD and antimicrobial stewardship on yesterday's show - click here.
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OYE Market Barrow Judge Mark Hoge Speaks to the Educational Benefits of the Show Ring
Mark Hoge has been a judge at the Oklahoma Youth Expo before but had the chance to do so again this year, ultimately selecting the top market barrow for 2018. After he did so at the Grand Champion Drive last Thursday night, I had the chance to speak with Hoge about his experience as a judge. He told me, that each time he has returned - the quality of the show, its participants and the animals continue to improve.
"What we've seen this year is a combination of many things going together to make a successful project," Hoge said. "We have ag teachers, parents and students, selecting projects - flawlessly managing their projects, preparing them for the OYE and what we've seen the last three days is a culmination of all that cohesive work and effort coming together in a grand finale. There's been so many good pigs, capably shown by tremendous young people. It's almost hard to comprehend if you've never seen it before."
Hoge says what he loves most about livestock shows and the work behind the scenes that goes into each event, is that ultimately, the students are getting a hands-on education in agriculture. He believes the skills and life lessons learned and demonstrated at shows and in preparation for them equip students with practical knowledge that can be applied later in their professional lives.
Our Coverage of the 2018 Oklahoma Youth Expo is once again a service of ITC Great Plains, Your Energy Superhighway- learn more about this high voltage, transmission only utility and their commitment to the communities they serve which is the cornerstone of their business-click here for their website.
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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 here to subscribe to his daily update of top Energy News.
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In Case You Missed It- Most of Oklahoma Declared Drought Disaster by USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 57 counties in Oklahoma as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought. Those counties are:
Adair, Alfalfa, Atoka, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cimarron, Coal, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Haskell, Hughes, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnston, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Latimer, LeFlore, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Major, Murray, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Roger Mills, Seminole, Sequoyah, Stephens, Texas, Tillman, Wagoner, Washita, Woods and Woodward Counties.
Farmers and ranchers in the contiguous counties in Oklahoma also qualify for natural disaster assistance. Those counties are:
Cleveland, Creek, Delaware, Kay, Lincoln, Logan, Love, Marshall, Mayes, Noble, Oklahoma, Rogers and Tulsa Counties.
That means that 70 of the 77 Oklahoma Counties are in this declaration- it might have been easier to have listed the ones not in this list- including Osage, Washington, Nowata, Craig, Ottawa, Pawnee and Payne Counties.
Farmers and ranchers in the contiguous counties in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Texas also qualify for natural disaster assistance.
According to the USDA- the main thing you get with this declaration is access to emergency loans- other programs designed to help with drought are already available if your situation qualifies- click here for more details and the adjacent counties that are under this designation- and there is also a list of programs that may be helpful to you as well in our story- go and check them out.
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, American Farmers & Ranchers, Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards, Oklahoma 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 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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