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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Tuesday May 3, 2011
A
service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Midwest Farm Shows and Big Iron
OnLine Auctions!
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-- Latest Oklahoma Crop Weather Update Shows Wet Versus Dry Status in
the state
-- National Crop Progress Numbers Show the Limited Progress in
Getting the 2011 Corn Crop Into the Ground
-- No Surprise- Expect Farm Programs to Take Significant Cuts in 2012
Farm Bill Debate
-- OSU's Peel Says USDA Data Lapse Complicates Beef and Cattle Market
Analysis
-- Time is Now to Jump Into the NRCS Organic Initiative Pool
-- South Korea Free Trade Deal is the Ticket for Greater Prosperity
for US Pork Industry
-- $14.5 million judgment Against OK Foods Stands
-- Memorial Services for Former OFU President Jack Kelsey Set for
Today
-- Let's Check the Markets!
Howdy Neighbors! Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are proud to have KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555- and their IPHONE App, which provides all electronic futures quotes is available at the App Store- click here for the KIS Futures App for your Iphone. We are also excited to have as one of our sponsors for the daily email
Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through
producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more
information on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and
canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and
sunflowers on the PCOM
website- go there by clicking here. 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 Ron Hays on RON. | |
Latest Oklahoma Crop Weather Update Shows Wet Versus Dry Status in the state ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Multiple rain
showers fell across Oklahoma over the past week. The southeastern quarter
of the state received the heaviest rains. Almost all of the state saw
measurable precipitation with four districts receiving over an inch of
rainfall. According to the National Weather Service, record flooding
occurred in the Illinois River Basin at two separate locations April 25th
and 26th while other major and minor floods took place throughout eastern
Oklahoma. Although many county burn bans were lifted, 15 are still in
place and two grass fires were reported Friday: one in Jackson County and
one in Caddo County. The rainfall received in the west was not enough to
overcome the current drought, with producers needing more rain to plant
summer crops. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported an area of exceptional
drought around Tillman County as of April 26th. Topsoil and subsoil
moisture conditions improved from the previous week with 64 percent of
topsoil and 76 percent of subsoil rated short to very short. The multiple
inches of rain received in the East Central and Southeast districts left
seven percent of topsoil and five of subsoil percent rated surplus.
For the 2011 wheat crop, the weekly Crop Weather Update shows a further deterioration this week in the crop rating. "Condition ratings remained mostly poor to very poor for all small grains. While it may be too late for some wheat to recover from the damage of the drought, other stands may still see improvements from recent rainfall. Disease pressures were also creating problems for wheat producers. Wheat headed reached 85 percent complete, 14 points ahead of normal and 12 percent of wheat was in the soft dough stage by Sunday." A week ago, the Oklahoma wheat crop was rated 75% poor to very poor-
this week it has slipped to 77% poor to very poor. Nineteen percent of the
Oklahoma poor is rated fair and only 4% is in good condition. The Texas
crop is in that same neighborhood, with 74% of their wheat rated poor to
very poor, 17% fair and 9% good. Pasture and range conditions have improved with the rains in the eastern half of the state- 12% were in good to excellent shape a week ago and this week- the pasture and range rating is up to 18% good to excellent. Click here for the Oklahoma Crop Weather Update as issued Monday afternoon by NASS of the USDA | |
National Crop Progress Numbers Show the Limited Progress in Getting the 2011 Corn Crop Into the Ground ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We have seen
reports that some areas of the corn belt has finally started planting corn
at the beginning of this week- but the Crop Progress numbers issued on
Monday afternoon still paint a dismal account of the amount of corn
actually in the ground for the 2011 crop. Here in Washington at the 2011
National Association of Farm Broadcasters annual Washington Watch, we
heard from the President of the American Soybean Assoiciation at a dinner
last night- he's from Indiana and he said it is awfully wet back home- how
wet?- well, he claims the ducks are wearing waders.
For the corn crop- in 2010, planting went smoothly and quickly in most locations- and we had 66% planted nationally by the first of May- this year we have struggled in all of the major states and have just 13% of the crop planted- the five year average is 40% done by this date. In the big states that start with an "I", you find Iowa 8% planted versus 82% a year ago, Illinois at 10% planted this year versus 85% and Indiana at 2% planted versus 69% a year ago. The other state that is showing huge problems is Minnesota with just 1% of the crop planted this year- last year they were 84% complete. Click here for the National Crop Progress Report issued on Monday Afternoon | |
No Surprise- Expect Farm Programs to Take Significant Cuts in 2012 Farm Bill Debate ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These days in
Washington when you talk about legislative issues, you always end up
coming back to budget and the huge deficits that Congress and the Obama
Administration is finally coming to grips with. The Director for Public
Policy for the American Farm Bureau, Mary Kay Thatcher, says that colors
almost everything that her organization is following on Capitol Hill these
days.
That is especially true when you start talking about what the next farm bill will look like. Thatcher likes the idea of not getting in too big of a hurry in making final decisions on the 2012 farm bill- saying the plan advanced by Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas, who is Chairman of the House Ag Committee, has a great deal of merit. Lucas contends that it will be best to wait until we have a fresh Congressional budget number in April of 2012- which he hopes will yield a little more money for agriculture in the budget baseline than what might be handed over to the Committee to work with this year. Click on the LINK below for more from our story featuring our conversation with Mary Kay while here in Washington at the NAFB Washington Watch. You can also listen to our full conversation when you jump over to that story. Click here for the legislative lowdown from the viewpoint of Mary Kay Thatcher of the AFBF | |
OSU's Peel Says USDA Data Lapse Complicates Beef and Cattle Market Analysis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cattle and
beef markets, like many other agricultural markets, are operating at
historic and unprecedented levels. Oklahoma State University Extension
Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel says there is no doubt that
markets have moved to a new level but there is a great deal of uncertainty
about exactly what the operating range is for both production and prices.
Even as market analysts are struggling to get their arms around the
markets week by week, a major curve ball was thrown by USDA. Weekly slaughter and carcass weight data have been a key data flow for many years. These data are vitally important for two reasons. First, the weekly flow of estimated values, followed by actual slaughter values, represents the only near real-time information on meat production relative to currently observed market prices for cattle and beef. This provides the sole means to have a timely and reasonably complete picture of current supply and demand conditions. Secondly, slaughter data are direct data, and as such, are among the more reliable data available to the industry. | |
Time is Now to Jump Into the NRCS Organic Initiative Pool ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The water is
fine and filled with yankee dollars- fifty million of them to be exact. We
are talking about the 2011 NRCS Organic Initiative, which has $50 million
in funding that will be handed out. The sign-up has been extended to May
20, 2011 with both existing certified organic farmers and farmers
transitioning to organic production being eligible. The program payment
rate for the Organic Initiative is 75% and, for historically underserved
participants, 90%.
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White says this funding opportunity is targeted to both certified organic producers and those transitioning to organic production to implement resource conservation practices on their agricultural operations. "Organic growers continue to express interest in program support to
implement conservation practices," White said. "This additional
opportunity will allow more producers to get assistance in protecting the
natural resources on their land and creating conditions that help foster
organic production." Click here for details of the Organic Initiative under the EQIP Umbrella | |
South Korea Free Trade Deal is the Ticket for Greater Prosperity for US Pork Industry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pork Exports
continue to sizzle in 2011- and according to the Vice President and
International Trade Counsel for the National Pork Producers Council Nick
Giordano, things could start on the path to being even better if Congress
gets the chance to vote on the South Korean Free Trade Agreement in the
near future.
We talked with him about the three Free Trade deals originally negotiated by the Bush Administration and only now being brought forward by the Obama Administration. Giordano calls the South Korean agreement the most important trade deal ever for the pork industry in the United States, as it will add ten dollars per head in value to the price of each market hog in the United States when it is fully implemented. We had a great conversation with Nick about the Free Trade deals as well as DOHA- we have this as one of our Ag Perspectives Podcasts that can be found on Itunes as well as on our website- click on the LINK below to go and take a listen. Click here for our Ag Perspectives Podcast with Nick Giordano of the NPPC | |
$14.5 million judgment Against OK Foods Stands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OK Foods will
apparently have to make good on the $14.5 million judgement against the
company after the Supreme Court denied on Monday the company's petition to
review a lawsuit filed in 2002 by 300 poultry growers in southeastern
Oklahoma, according to court documents. The Supreme Court did not comment on its decision to deny the Fort Smith, Ark.-based company's request. The poultry growers filed a class action in 2002 alleging OK Foods used market power to force growers into lopsided contracts. In July 2007 the 10th Circuit court ruled the company injured
competition. A year later a federal jury awarded the growers $21.1
million, which a federal judge reduced to $14.5 million. | |
Memorial Services for Former OFU President Jack Kelsey Set for Today ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Former OFU
President Jack Kelsey died this past Friday. Services for Kelsey are
planned for this morning in Waynoka at the Norhside Church of
Christ.In 1964, he was one of five farmers in the United States selected to go to Pakistan on a Fact-Finding Tour. He served 24 years as Board Member of Oklahoma Farmer's Union before serving as President. He also served as Vice President of National Farmers Union. He resigned both positions in 1991. He was also very active in the International Federation of Agriculture Producers, and in that capacity traveled to at least 25 countries. He was also very active and served as president of the Oklahoma Flying Farmers. Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchersand 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- FREE! We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe. | |
Let's Check the Markets! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We've had
requests to include Canola prices for your convenience here- and we will
be doing so on a regular basis. Current cash price for Canola is $11.18
per bushel, while the 2011 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available
are $11.33 per bushel- delivered to local participating elevators that are
working with PCOM.
Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click
on the name of the report to go to that link: | |
God Bless! You can reach us at the following: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
phone: 405-473-6144
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