Governor Mary Fallin joined representatives from the Archer Daniels Midland Company Monday to celebrate the opening of the company's modernized flour mill in Enid, Oklahoma. The modernization project involved a complete retro-fit of ADM's existing mill in Enid, which was built in 1928. ADM replaced the two existing milling units with a single, highly-automated, state-of-the-art unit and will add a new, high-speed packer in Q1 2019 to help more effectively serve customers. The new mill will provide additional capacity to allow ADM to continue to grow its customer base in the region.


The Governor said ADM's investment in the Enid community and Oklahoma's ag industry represents progress for our state's wheat producers and ensures the mill's long-term viability. She remarked also that it is represents her administration's commitment to pro-business policies that have helped to attract and retain a wide variety of jobs and businesses to the state.


"We appreciate ADM's investment in Enid and in this mill," Fallin said. "We're very proud they've chosen to invest and expand this mill to help not only the farmers that are here today, but future generations of farmers as well. I think it will be a big asset to them and hopefully it will expand our state's capacity to export more and build Oklahoma's economy."


For additional information about ADM Milling or to listen to my complete interview with Gov. Fallin, click here.

 

U.S. beef exports set new records in August with export value topping $750 million for the first time, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). August pork exports were fairly steady with last year's volume, but retaliatory duties in key markets continued to pressure pork export value.


August beef exports totaled 119,850 metric tons (mt), up 7 percent from a year ago, valued at $751.7 million - up 11 percent year-over-year and easily exceeding the previous record of $722.1 million reached in May 2018. For January through August, beef exports totaled 899,300 mt, up 9 percent from a year ago, while value climbed 18 percent to $5.51 billion. August exports accounted for 13.2 percent of total beef production, up from 12.5 percent a year ago. Beef export value averaged $320.92 per head of fed slaughter in August, up 11 percent from a year ago. The January-August average was $318.66 per head, up 16 percent.


"U.S. beef exports continue to achieve tremendous growth, not only in our mainstay Asian markets but in the Western Hemisphere as well," said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom, adding remarks about pork exports as well. "Pork exports have posted an impressive performance in 2018, but the retaliatory duties are a clearly a significant obstacle."


August pork export volume was down 1 percent from last year at 182,372 mt, while export value fell 3 percent to $494.1 million. Pork muscle cuts fared better in August, increasing 5 percent to 148,736 mt, but value still declined 1 percent to $414.7 million. Pork variety meat exports declined sharply in August in both volume (33,636 mt, down 20 percent) and value ($79.4 million, down 15 percent). August exports accounted for 21.9 percent of total pork production, down from 23.1 percent a year ago. Pork export value averaged $44.29 per head slaughtered in August, down 8 percent from a year ago, while the January-August per-head average dropped 1 percent to $53.28.


For more highlights or to review the complete January-August export report from USMEF, click here.

 

Over the weekend, the US Senate confirmed the Hon. Brett Kavanaugh as the newest US Supreme Court Justice. Unfortunately, there have been a couple of cases that were argued this past week before the eight justices of the Supreme Court, that Kavanaugh will not have a chance to weigh in on regarding the government's ability to grab land from private landowners. According to Mary Thomas-Hart, deputy environmental counsel for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the outcomes of these cases have the potential to significantly impact cattle producers across the country.


One of the cases argued over the weekend, considered the Williamson County Doctrine, a judicial standard that requires a landowner to go through state court before bringing a "constitutional takings" claim in federal court. While the case is very complex in nature, Thomas-Hart explains that Knick v. Township of Scott brings up the point that most small landowners, like the plaintiff in this case, generally exhaust their resources in litigation before they ever reach federal court. To that point, Thomas-Hart asks if it is reasonable for the federal government to require property owners to litigate their cases in multiple court systems. Speaking on behalf of NCBA, she says no, and submitted a brief in support of the plaintiff's argument.


Another case that was heard by the eight justices, involved the federal government's power to expand Endangered Species Act critical habitat to private property- brought up in Weyerhaeuser v. Fish and Wildlife. The case outlines an incident in 2012 when the federal government designated 1,500 acres of land in Louisiana as critical habitat for a small frog found exclusively in Mississippi, which stifled economic development in the area. Thomas-Hart reiterated that the verdicts of these cases could greatly impact cattle producers nationwide if ever faced with a similar situation. Both cases will only receive the votes of eight Supreme Court Justices, excluding the newly confirmed Justice Kavanaugh. In these instances, a split four/four vote would result in each of the cases being called in favor of the federal government.


You can listen to Thomas-Hart talk more about the details of these cases and the potential impacts they might have on the ag industry, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.

To file a claim, you should go to the settlement's official website, www.CornSeedSettlement.com. Class members can also download claim forms from this site to print and mail to the Claims Administrator. Hard copy claim forms must be postmarked by the October 12th deadline.


For more information on this class action or to reach the Claims Administrator for help with this process, click over to our website.