The United States Department of Agriculture released its latest Crop Progress report on Monday for the week ending on May 5, 2019. According to the report, the US corn crop is still well-behind its normal planting progress for this time. In addition, the US soybean crop has made little progress in the past week, putting it further behind its normal rate of planting progress as well. Meanwhile, the US HRW wheat crop continues to outshine last year's crop in terms of condition but has yet to achieve its normal rate of growth development. As of this week, the US corn crop is 23 percent planted, up from 15 percent last week and still trailing the five-year average of 46 percent. Planting of the US soybean crop remains unimpressive this week, up just 3 percent from last week, now at 6 percent complete and behind the average of 14 percent. Very little progress has occurred from Illinois, east. Producers are hopeful rains can be dodged over the next week with the situation becoming critical as the planting window continues to narrow. At present, the US HRW wheat crop remains in relatively good condition, rated this week at just 8 percent poor to very, 28 fair and 64 percent good to excellent.

Click here to review the complete USDA Crop Progress Report for Monday, May 06, 2019.

Looking at our three-state region across the Southern Plains -

In Oklahoma, winter wheat jointing reached 96 percent, up 3 points from the previous year but on par with normal. Winter wheat headed reached 64 percent, down 10 points from the previous year and behind the average by 19 points. Wheat's condition this week declined by 5 points compared to last week with the crop now only 74 percent good to excellent, 22 fair and 4 poor to very poor, up 2 points from the last report. Pasture and range conditions have moderate some since last week dropping its good to excellent rating from 64 percent last week to 51 this week, 32 fair and adding marginally to the bottom of the scale at 7 percent poor to very poor this week.

For Oklahoma's complete Crop Progress report, click or tap here.

In Kansas, limited information indicates that winter wheat's condition improved slightly this week subtracting one point from the end of the scale which now has 2 percent very poor, 8 poor, 32 fair, 47 good, and 11 excellent. Winter wheat jointed was 80 percent, ahead of 71 last year, but behind 87 for the five-year average. Headed was 14 percent, near 17 last year, and well behind 41 average. This report offers its first indication of pasture and range conditions, rating this week 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 31 fair, 52 good, and 13 excellent.

For Kansas' complete Crop Progress report, click or tap here.

Finally, in Texas, winter wheat fields are progressing on the High Plains but sustained hail damage in areas of the Southern Low Plains. Winter wheat headed in Texas this week reached 77 percent, up 4 points from last year and above the average by 1 point. Wheat's condition in Texas has improved since last week, up 2 points to 63 percent good to excellent, 29 fair and 8 percent poor to very poor. Pasture and range in Texas this week rates 13 excellent, 47 good, 31 fair and 9 percent poor to very poor - a slight moderation though a positive move up from 10 percent poor to very poor last week.

For Texas' complete Crop Progress report, click or tap here.

In short, the U.S. cattle and beef industry is extremely complex regarding the way in which it actually works, the economics of it all. In fact, according to OSU's Dr. Derrell Peel, beef markets are getting ever more complex and that trend is likely to continue, if not accelerate. In this week's edition of the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter, Peel attempts to decipher the intricate relationship between beef demand and the price of cattle to offer readers a better understanding of the dynamics at play in today's market and how they influence each other.

Peel asserts in his article that "there are complicated and intricate dynamics of time and space in these multi-sector vertical market relationships; all of which contribute to making the cattle and beef industry a very complex set of markets." Things get even more complex, he says, when you realize that the beef market isn't just competing with itself, it's competing with all the other protein markets and other outside forces as well.

For example, socio-economic events and consumer/industry developments have had historical influence on the fluctuation of the beef market - things like the 2008-2010 recession; impacts of record high prices in 2014-2015; increasing exports and impacts in specific beef markets; the impact of increasing carcass size; demand for bone-in versus boneless beef products; fresh versus frozen products and the use of deep chill technology; labor and trucking constraints - just to name a few...

"When the vast array of horizontal beef product markets is considered along with the complex set of vertical cattle and beef production sectors, all of which operate in complicated dimensions of time and space," Peel writes, "there can be little doubt that the U.S. cattle and beef industry is one of, if not, the most complex set of markets on the planet."

For more of Peel's insights into this mind-boggling exercise we call the beef market, click here to read his complete article published this week to our website.

We had the chance to catch up with Ridge Hughbanks, Oklahoma's second National FFA Officer to serve in the last two years, during the Oklahoma State FFA Convention this past week. Hughbanks is roughly half way through his stint as a National Officer, and is also about half way through his tour of State FFA Conventions. Oklahoma's convention was his fourth stop on a list of nine total. In the coming days, he says he'll begin what he is calling his "East Coast Tour."

According to Hughbanks, his first six months have been mostly occupied by prep work for the latter six months of his officer year, developing messaging for the keynote addresses and workshops he'll be putting on in the months ahead. He says he is very excited about the chance to have more interaction with FFA members and inspire them to find their unique purpose.

Based on our previous conversations with Hughbanks, we know he is passionate about the agriculture industry. One aspect of that, though, has grown on him since taking office - that being the underserved demand for agricultural educators. Currently, there is a shortage of professionals in this vocation but a growing need also. Hughbanks has taken up the mantle to advocate for this cause and says he has joined the FFA organization is encouraging current members to follow their pursuits in agriculture as ag-ed instructors.

In addition, Hughbanks is also using his small-town roots to appeal to and inspire members with traditional rural backgrounds. He hopes that through his example, students from small, rural America will know and understand the potential they have to become leaders in their communities, to set their goals high and not underestimate themselves.

You can hear all about Hughbanks' experience so far as a National FFA Officer and the causes he's chosen to support, by clicking or tapping over the Blue-Green Gazette on our website to listen to our full conversation.

 

You may notice that Oklahoma will be getting a decent amount of precip as well.