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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 a total of 2,586 cattle on their showlist for the Wednesday,
May 16th sale of finished cattle- details will be available after noon today by clicking here.
Steer and heifer calves traded mostly 7.00 to 10.00 lower Tuesday compared to last week at OKC West - click or tap here for a look at the May 15th sale results.
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
Wednesday, May 15, 2018
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Howdy Neighbors!
Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
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 Featured Story:Price of Hay Surges as US Livestock Industry Grapples with Tightest Hay Stock Supply Since 2013
When wildfires hit northwest Oklahoma this April, the call went out again for hay. But, unlike the year before, not nearly the same amount of hay was trucked in from other parts of the country. Jim Robb of the Livestock Market Information Center told us that is because hay stocks are so low this spring - depleted over the past several months. Stocks started out lower year-over-year back in December 2017, but today, Robb says current hay stocks have dwindled down now to levels not seen since 2013. Click here for USDA's latest Crop Production report and scroll down to page 6 for a look at the Hay Stocks numbers.
"We expected nearly record tight nationwide hay stocks as of May 1, reported by USDA. It actually came in tighter than we anticipated," Robb said, noting that even more hay was fed than usual this year across the Plains, especially in the Southern Plains where weather has remained extremely dry. "So, these hay stocks are very tight and we've seen that in hay prices which have been moving consistently higher year-over-year."
As we move into the new crop year, Robb says that nationwide fewer hay acres will likely be harvested. The situation is even more acute in the Southern Plains, he says, adding that producers will really need to look at this from a management perspective - keeping an eye on how this next crop develops. Based on his own observations, Robb says it seems as though many fields are being baled up early and rather quickly, then hitting the marketplace directly. This fits the narrative heard around the state here at home, too, with many producers recognizing the value of hay as an option to help recover some of their input costs that went into wheat fields this year.
Listen to Robb and his take on the tightening hay stock situation, on our latest Beef Buzz - click here.
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H.R. 2- the 2018 Farm Bill- Begins Floor Debate in House This Afternoon- Vote on Rule Will be Key
Yesterday afternoon, the House Rules Committee set down the basic parameters for debate of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018- H.R. 2.
The Rule puts into place a procedural vote that will be crucial to the Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Mike Conaway, who admitted to reporters yesterday afternoon that he did not have the votes to pass the bill yet. "We are working with all the factions of the family."
Democrats are expected to vote uniformly against the bill so Conaway has concentrated on the 235 Republicans in the House. He needs 215 votes, a simple majority of House membership, to be sure of passing a bill instead of the usual 218 because seven of the 435 seats are vacant.
We expect that vote will come after lunch this afternoon.
Chairman Conaway appeared before the Rules Committee to make his pitch for the bill- here are a couple of key points:
He acknowledged that it had become a partisan bill because of the Nutrition reforms he promoted- and he pointed out these are reforms that the President is also wanting. (Ranking member Collin Peterson did NOT attend the Rules Committee in protest of what he considers the failures of the bill)
He told the Rules Committee of the current pain in farm country due to low prices and in some areas- disasters like drought.
He explained that other countries spend a lot more to support their farmers than we do- citing India and China as two examples.
He strongly defended the Commodity and Crop Insurance elements of the bill- saying "The farm safety net-specifically, the Commodity and Crop Insurance Titles-today constitutes only about one quarter of 1 percent of the entire federal budget. Yet, for this investment, Americans enjoy the lowest grocery bills in the world. And, American agriculture provides us with a rare trade surplus while creating 21 million American jobs."
He called the current farm economy "precarious" and warned the Committee that those who want to dismantle the farm policies are flat out wrong.
"A cottage industry has grown up in Washington that is bent around the axle on undoing farm policy. Many of these groups-from both ends of the political spectrum-are well-heeled, and they spend an inordinate amount of time and resources on this area of policy that is actually working very well. I support a full-throated debate over the farm bill, but I also want everyone to be aware of what is at stake here."
Click or tap here to see the Chairman's complete statement before the Rules Committee.
The White House also issued a statement on the bill- supporting the bill but also expressing concerns about spending levels for crop insurance. Click here for the White House statement as released yesterday.
TODAY- we plan on talking with the former Chairman of the House Ag Committee- Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas this morning and by mid morning should have his late breaking comments on the status of getting the votes on the farm bill, on the battle over the federal farm safety net and more- we will post as a Ag Perspectives Podcast and as our Top Ag Story on the OklahomaFarmReport website- and we will link to it on Twitter and our Facebook page as well- be looking for it- and take a listen when it is available!
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Sponsor Spotlight
It's great to have the Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards as a sponsor for our daily email. The eight Commission firms at the Stockyards make up the exchange- and they are committed to work hard to get you top dollar when you consign your cattle with them. They will present your cattle to the buyers gathered each Monday or Tuesday at one of the largest stocker and feeder cattle auctions in the world.
Click here for a complete list of the Commission firms that make up the Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards- still the best place to sell your cattle- and at the heart of Stockyards City, where you can go around the corner enjoy a great steak and shop for the very best in western wear.
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OSU's New Cotton Specialist Seth Byrd Offers His Advice for Growing Cotton in Non-Traditional Areas
OSU Extension recently welcomed Seth Byrd on board as the state's new Cotton Specialist, replacing recently retired, Randy Bowman. Prior to joining OSU, Byrd worked in Lubbock with Texas AgriLife where he eventually landed after moving from his home state of North Carolina.
"It's a really neat situation to walk into with the growth of Oklahoma cotton and a new set of challenges," he said. "I'm just thrilled to be here and excited to get the 2018 season started."
Byrd spoke with farmers from north Oklahoma last week during the Lahoma OSU Field Day, touching on best practices and considerations farmers should think about when planting cotton this year - a crop not traditionally seen in this area. Associate Farm Director Carson Horn caught up with Byrd during the event to share in some of his advice.
"Really, it's just getting back to the basics," Byrd began. "When we're in an area that's probably not traditional cotton ground, we're sort of just going back to what varieties work here and how to manage those varieties. Areas like this have a very short season environment. So, this crop is a little different from others in how we need to manage those inputs to make those pounds of lint high quality and marketable for the producer."
Byrd encourages farmers that are interested in planting cotton in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas, to stick to early maturing varieties that he insists will work best in the short season environment. Once you've landed on the right variety for your operation, he suggests you then carefully consider your resources and how you will manage your crop's inputs. The rest is up to Mother Nature and how cooperative she will be. With the right planning and adequate research, though, Byrd maintains even the novice cotton grower will have a good chance of success.
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Fears of Late Harvest in Oklahoma Subside as Warm Weather Arrives to Put '18 Crop Back on Track
As the wheat industry field days begin to wrap up for this year, Mike Schulte, executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission dropped by our studios to visit with us about this year's crop with harvest just around the corner - which according to Schulte may be closer than many may have previously thought.
"I think in southwest Oklahoma the opportunity exists that we will be cutting by Memorial Day weekend," Schulte said. "No doubt, the last two days have really turned the crop, the early varieties, certainly. So, I think we're going to be kind of right on schedule where we normally are with harvest in Oklahoma."
Prior to the last week or two, Schulte joined others in the belief that this crop would encounter a late harvest, given the cooler temperatures that have been sustained. However, he says the last several days, temperatures have warmed and helped significantly to promote grain fill.
Unfortunately, though, Schulte is expecting production to be historically low this year - estimated by USDA to fall near 52 million bushels. While that may help move more of the old stocks taking up space, Schulte says such a short crop will definitely be felt by elevators, both private and coop.
Listen to our full conversation to hear Schulte share more of his observations and expectations for this crop, by clicking here. |
Oklahoma's Oil & Gas Industry Demonstrates Support for Youth and Agriculture with Presentation of $7,500 to OYE
The Oklahoma Oil & Gas Association celebrated the end of the legislative session with a Sine Die event at the Harn Homestead in Oklahoma City, this week, during which it presented the Oklahoma Youth Expo $7,500 to help the organization fulfill its missions to support children.
"We provide a positive influence in the lives of approximately 7,000 Oklahoma youth every year," said Tyler Norvell, executive director of the OYE. "Without the support of organizations like OKOGA, we wouldn't be able to provide agricultural scholarships and leadership training programs for as many young people. This gift will go a long way toward helping our state's children."
The OYE produces the world's largest junior livestock show each spring. As the biggest youth event in the state, it generates a $24 million annual impact on the Oklahoma City economy.
"OKOGA is passionate about providing the future leaders of our state the resources they need to grow and thrive," said Chad Warmington, president of OKOGA. "It's been a long legislative session, and we are thrilled to end it on a positive note by giving back to two groups who do so much for children."
Click here to see the original announcement published yesterday on our website. |
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Sponsor Spotlight
We are pleased to have American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor of our daily update. On both the state and national levels, full-time staff members serve as a "watchdog" for family agriculture producers, mutual insurance company members and life company members.
Click here to go to their AFR website to learn more about their efforts to serve rural America!
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Controlled Environment Agriculture Experiencing Rapid Growth According to New Report by CoBank
The market is signaling a growing year-round need of fresh and local produce being driven by strengthening consumer demand, according to a new report from CoBank's Knowledge Exchange Division. Thanks to technological advancements, the 'controlled environment agriculture' industry rising to the occasion to meet this need. CEA to increase the efficiency and diversity of locally produced food, save on costs like transportation
CEA, a technology-based approach toward food production to use optimal growing conditions and often indoors, occurs in all 50 states, but the vast majority of the large facilities growing tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are in the Northeast, West and Southwest.
Although, CEA is an efficient way to produce food locally and save on costs like transportation, Christine Lensing, senior analyst for CoBank's KED says there is a rather steep learning curve and high cost barriers associated with CEA. Nevertheless, she asserts this segment of the industry is likely to continue growing for at least the next five years. Lensing cites opportunities being signaled in the market right now for products such as leafy greens, microgreens, herbs and other novelties such as turmeric and ginger.
This technology will not likely take place of the conventional agriculture of the future, but all indications point to it being an important tool for meeting rising consumer demand for quality produce year-round.
For a look at this full report a brief video synopsis explaining it, click here. |
OSU's Bob Hunger Reports Only Limited Impact on 2018 Wheat Crop from Foliar Diseases
Oklahoma's wheat crop may have had its many challenges this year, but foliar disease pressure wasn't one of them. Our own Carson Horn caught up recently with OSU Plant Pathologist Dr. Bob Hunger for an update on what he's seen this year. Fortunately for farmers, he really didn't have much to report.
"The wheat disease situation has been quiet, starting even last fall. Usually we do see some of the foliar diseases come in the fall - leaf rust especially," Hunger said. "But, last fall it was just too dry and a lot of wheat was planted late."
Hunger says those dry conditions extended down into Texas which kept much inoculum from being produced and blowing up into Oklahoma. If there was one issue this year, though, Hunger says it would probably be powdery mildew which occurred in patches throughout the state. However, with temperatures warming over the last few weeks and given the dryness of late, he says most of that should have shut down by now.
Moving forward from here, though, Hunger seems to think farmers are probably free and clear through to harvest in regard to the threat of disease - with the exception of perhaps one minor exception.
"Leaf Rust could still come in, but I just don't think there is the inoculum around for it to really get going," he noted. "But yeah, I think we're pretty much out of the woods."
Click here to listen to Hunger's full report on foliar disease seen in Oklahoma's wheat crop this year. |
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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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U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Elects New Board Members and Executive Officers - Several Leaders from Our Region Called to Serve
The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, the Nation's leading multi-stakeholder beef sustainability group, announced a new Board of Directors and Executive Officer group during the recent Fourth Annual General Assembly Meeting in Oklahoma City. Elected by USRSB's diverse membership body of cattlemen and women, beef processors, retailers, restaurants, technology providers and environmental conservation organizations, the new USRSB board will drive the strategic direction and focus of the world's largest collaborative beef sustainability forum, according to a release issued this week by the USRSB.
Dr. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Director of Sustainability at JBS USA and recognized beef sustainability expert, will lead the group as chair during the 2018-2019 term. Ben Weinheimer, Vice President of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, the regional cattle group representing Cattle Feeders in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, will serve as chair-elect. Debbie Lyons-Blythe, Manager of Blythe Family Farms, a multi-generational Angus cattle ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas that has been in family hands since the 1890s, will serve as secretary/treasurer.
Chad Ellis of the Noble Research Institute in Ardmore has been elected to serve on the Board of the Roundtable for the coming year. Former OSU Animal Science Professor, Michelle Calvo-Lorenzo who is now aTechnical Consultant for Animal Well-Being with Elanco Animal Health is also been seated on the Board.
"For the past three years, the USRSB has worked hard to establish itself as the leading national beef sustainability roundtable, providing clear leadership to position the U.S. as the trusted global leader in sustainable beef production," Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson said.
Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson recently visited with us not long ago during the Roundtable's meeting in Oklahoma City, when she was installed as the Chair. You can listen to our complete conversation from that day and read the full release announcing the new USRSB leadership, by clicking or tapping here.
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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, OERB, 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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