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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest
farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron
Hays of RON for Wednesday June 1, 2011 A
service of Johnston Enterprises, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind
Energy and American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance
Company!
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-- One Major County Field Caught Some Rains At the Right Time- and
Hits the Jackpot
-- Latest Crop Weather Update Shows Oklahoma 13% harvested- Texas at
19%.
-- Senate Ag Committee Leadership in Michigan Seeking Answers for
2012 Farm Bill Questions
-- Ruling Against COOL Guarantees Contentious Law Will Be Debated by
All Parties for Years to Come
-- Ag Spending Measure Approved by House Appropriations
Committee
-- GIPSA Rule Implementation Denied By Approps Committee
-- Our Thoughts and Prayers Go Out to Joe Neal Hampton and his
family
-- 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 pleased to have American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor of our daily update- click here to go to their AFR web site to learn more about their efforts to serve rural America! It is also great to have as an annual sponsor on our daily email
Johnston Enterprises- proud to be serving agriculture across
Oklahoma and around the world since 1893. One of the great success stories
of the Johnston brand is Wrangler Bermudagrass- the most widely planted
true cold-tolerant seeded forage bermudagrass in the United States. For
more on Johnston Enterprises- click
here for their website that features their grain, ports and seed
business! 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. | |
One Major County Field Caught Some Rains At the Right Time- and Hits the Jackpot ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A yield in the
mid 30s would be slightly above average most years- but in 2011, it's
something to smile about and we thank Jessica Wilcox of Fairview for
taking the time and sharing this harvest story with us Tuesday evening.
Jessica writes "We just finished up a field south of Fairview that made
35.97 bu/acre. Test weight was between 60.8 to 62. Moisture was between 9
and 10. Variety was Jackpot. This field far and away out yielded
everything else we have cut so far, it also caught a couple of inches of
rain that most of our other fields didn't catch."
We would also appreciate hearing from you and your results in the wheat OR canola field this season. If you prefer I not use your name- that's okay- but let us hear about the yields you are getting on what variety- plus any quality info like test weight, moisture and the like. Send your harvest update to ron@oklahomafarmreport.com (you can copy and paste from here or click on the email link at the very bottom of this email) and we will share with our farm and ranch family how things are going here in 2011. We also have details from the Oklahoma Wheat Commission about where we are on wheat harvest 2011- as of yesterday. Their reports stretch from the southwestern corner of the state as far north as Watonga, Kingfisher and Hennessey. Click on the LINK below for a look at that field of Jackpot wheat harvested with good results in Major County- and that link also takes you to the location by location roundup of harvest as compiled by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. Click here for our harvest update as of this first day of June. | |
Latest Crop Weather Update Shows Oklahoma 13% harvested- Texas at 19%. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The latest
Crop Weather Update for Oklahoma reviewed the deadly storms of this past
week- and pointing out the farm destruction that went along the paths of
the twisters this past week. "Livestock deaths and hailed out wheat fields
are adding to the list of woes for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers during
this tough year. The panhandle and parts of far western Oklahoma are in a
D4 or "exceptional" drought as of the May 24th U.S. Drought Monitor. As a
result of the continuing drought, emergency grazing of CRP acres has been
authorized for 22 counties, including the Panhandle district, where the
last 180 days have been the driest period on record since 1921. Topsoil
moisture conditions remained mostly adequate to short and subsoil moisture
conditions were mostly very short to short. There were 4.8 days suitable
for field work."
For our wheat crop- "Harvest is underway for wheat and canola. This
week's storms brought additional concerns for the wheat harvest with
debris in wheat fields and five percent of the state reporting moderate to
heavy crop damage from hail. Wheat in the soft dough stage reached 96
percent by Sunday, 11 points ahead of normal, and 13 percent was
harvested. "Corn conditions continued to be rated mostly in the good category and
planting of other row crops continued where weather allowed. Eighty-eight
percent of the corn crop had emerged by Sunday. Sorghum seedbed
preparation reached 91 percent complete, 54 percent was planted and 16
percent of the crop had emerged by week's end. Soybean seedbed preparation
was 81 percent complete while 39 percent of the crop was planted and 22
percent had emerged by Sunday. Peanut planting was 74 complete by week's
end while 42 percent of the crop had emerged. Cotton planted was 33
percent complete by Sunday, 24 points behind normal." | |
Senate Ag Committee Leadership in Michigan Seeking Answers for 2012 Farm Bill Questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first
field hearing for the Senate Ag Committee on the 2012 Farm Bill, delayed
from earlier this spring, got underway Tuesday morning on the campus of
Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. With the Chairwoman
of the Senate Ag Committee, Debbie Stabenow, hailing from Michigan, she
claimed the Chair's priviledge in going first to her home state. She
promised a similar field hearing will be held in Kansas in the near future
as a thank you for Senator Pat Roberts traveling with her to Tuesday's
hearing.
Senator Roberts led a mini pep rally as he began his opening remarks with the cry "Go Green" and then said that he would be offering MSU the Nebraska Cornhuskers playbook (for football) since it was "top secret" and everything else that is top secret is being made public. Senator Roberts also spoke of the big challenge that is ahead in writing the 2012 farm bill as well as the need to maintain a top notch crop insurance program. Senator Roberts explained to the Michigan audience of the desperation of wheat farmers here in the southern plains that are locked in the depths of one of the worst droughts since the Great Depression as they see wheat above eight dollars a bushel and having no crop to sell. | |
Ruling Against COOL Guarantees Contentious Law Will Be Debated by All Parties for Years to Come ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just before
Memorial Day, word came out about a preliminary ruling that offers few
details- except the bottom line that the World Trade Organization is
likely to rule against the United States and in favor of Canada and Mexico
over the US implementation of a Country of Origin labeling rule.
Canada and Mexico originally filed a protest against the US COOL law in
2009. The actual ruling may be out as early as September and at that
point, the United States will have the opportunity to either go through
the long drawn out appeals process, which seldom is effective, or can
accept the ruling and decide either to change the COOL law or pay annual
penalties to the countries that have been wronged according to the
WTO. We have comments from both sides on the COOL debate of a few years back- neither side has had their mind changed after the program has been implemented it seems. And if you click on the LINK below, we have an independent analysis of what the WTO has done and will likely do to the US COOL law when the dust settles- those comments come from the K-State daily radio program called Agriculture Today- and comments from Glynn Tonsor, Derrell Peel's counterpart up in Manhattan, Kansas. | |
Ag Spending Measure Approved by House Appropriations Committee ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The House
Appropriations Committee has approved the Ag Appropriations bill for
fiscal year 2012. The legislation includes 125.5-billion dollars in
discretionary and mandatory funding - more than seven-billion dollars less
than the President requested. Discretionary spending is down 2.7-billion
from last year's level - a cut of more than five-billion dollars from the
President's request. Committee Chairman Hal Rogers says the legislation
reflects the hard decisions to cut lower priority programs, reduce
spending in programs that can be scaled back and target funds where they
are needed most. Admitting the cuts are significant - Rogers says the bill
provides the funding needed to encourage the economic development of rural
communities, sustain the food and nutrition programs that assist
low-income families and keep the nation's food supply safe.
Several amendments were adopted at the full committee mark up of the Ag Appropriations measure. One that would prohibit funding for USDA inspections at U.S. horse slaughter facilities - which would essentially prevent horse slaughtering at these facilities was approved on a 24 to 21 vote. The committee voted 29 to 20 to approve an amendment that would prohibit funds to the FDA for rulemaking activities or guidance unless the Ag Secretary bases decisions on hard science and determines the benefit of the rule or guidance justifies action. And an amendment to prohibit funds for certain direct farm bill payments for applicants with incomes exceeding 250-thousand dollars passed on a voice vote. Not pleased with the Appropriations Committee vote was the National Farmers Union. According to National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson - farmers and ranchers understand the need to do their part to trim the deficit - but says the ag spending bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee has agriculture shouldering a disproportionate share of the burden. He notes the economy - especially in rural areas - is on the edge of recovery. When funding is slashed for research, rural development and renewable energy - Johnson says we're taking our foot off of the accelerator and stepping on the brakes. | |
GIPSA Rule Implementation Denied By Approps Committee ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just as the
Subcommittee on Agriculture scripted it- the full Appropriations Committee
voted to deny funding to USDA to implement the so called GIPSA rule on
marketing of livestock in the US.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council and National Turkey Federation praised the move. The legislation to fund USDA, FDA and related agencies for fiscal year 2012 denies money for GIPSA to promulgate the proposed livestock and marketing regulation. NCBA President Bill Donald says this will prevent government intervention into the private marketplace. According to Donald - the marketplace works well without government intrusion. One group that quickly responded to the Appropriations Committee vote regarding GIPSA was the National Farmers Union. Johnson believes the most egregious part of the entire package is language that would stop the writing and implementation of the proposed GIPSA rule. He calls the language a blatant attempt to advance a policy goal through appropriations - and urges that funds for the enforcement of the rule be reinstated in future versions of the ag appropriations bill. | |
Our Thoughts and Prayers Go Out to Joe Neal Hampton and his family ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the
toughest things I can imagine for a parent to deal with is the death of a
son or daughter. Our heart broke for the young mother who tried to protect
her babies during the tornado this past week- but still saw the storm rip
two of them away from her arms and deliver them into the arms of God.
A dear friend is having to deal with a similar type of grief this week as Joe Neal Hampton received news on Monday that his son Jason Neal had been killed in a semi truck accident in Grant County. State Rep. Don Armes, chair of the House Appropriations and Budget
Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services, issued the
following statement on Tuesday after learning of the death of Jason Neal
Hampton. Hampton's father, Joe Neal Hampton, heads the Oklahoma Grain and
Feed Association. . We echo the thoughts expressed by Don Armes. Click on the link below
for the obituary found online. | |
Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers , KIS Futures and Oklahoma Mineral Buyers.Com 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 $11.71
per bushel- as of the close of business yesterday, while the 2011 New Crop
contracts for Canola are now available are $11.71 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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