From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2011 5:47 AM
To: Hays, Ron
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Friday July 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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-- GOP Senators Boycott Mock Mark Up of Free Trade Agreements
-- OSU's Dr. Kim Anderson Explains Canola and Wheat Relationship- and we have your SUNUP preview
-- Surprises in the latest round of USDA crop reports
-- Oklahoma Forestry Services says "In a Drought, Keep Fire Out" for Upcoming Holiday Weekend
-- Nitrate Accumulation a Concern with Hot and Dry Weather
-- Southwestern Oklahoma Cotton Producers Face Drought and Insects
-- Happy Birthday America! AND Welcome Mason- AND- Watch for Mark Hodges with us Saturday In the Field
-- 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 a longstanding 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!

And we are proud to have P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy as one of our regular sponsors of our daily email update. P & K is the premiere John Deere dealer in Oklahoma, with ten locations to serve you, and the P & K team are excited about their new Wind Power program, as they offer Endurance Wind Power wind turbines. Click here for more from the P&K website.

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.

If you have received this email by someone forwarding it to you, you are welcome to subscribe and get this weekday update sent to you directly by clicking here.


GOP Senators Boycott Mock Mark Up of Free Trade Agreements
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Republican U.S. senators on Thursday boycotted a crucial session to discuss free trade pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, dealing a blow to President Barack Obama's efforts to package the FTA with a labor assistance package that will cost a billion dollars.

On Tuesday, the White House declared a breakthrough in efforts to advance the free trade agreements (FTAs), saying it struck an agreement with the House of Representatives to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program intended to fund re-training and health care for displaced workers.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Thursday convened a "mock markup," which gives senators a chance to request amendments to the bill.
But Republican members of the committee did not show up for the session in protest of Obama's plan to tie the TAA to the FTA with South Korea, dubbed KORUS FTA.

Obama is seeking to include the extension of the TAA into the KORUS FTA bill, which has gained relatively broad support in Congress. Republicans, doubtful about the effectiveness of the budget-gulping TAA, want to separate the issue from the pact's ratification.

The mock markup hearing is intended to send nonbinding amendments to the White House under the "fast-track" trade promotion authority, so the president can send a final bill to Capitol Hill for a "yes or no" vote.

The Obama administration wants Congress to ratify the FTAs before it goes into summer recess on Aug. 5.
The KORUS FTA, as well as the deals with Colombia and Panama, were signed in 2007 by the respective governments. In the case of South Korea, additional terms, mainly on automobile trade, were agreed to last year.

At least one ag group offered their disappointment that the two sides are not getting along- on their Facebook page, the National Association of Wheat Growers stated "This afternoon's mock mark-up of FTAs has been cancelled. We hope officials can find a path forward for these important trade measures, which are vital to U.S. wheat farmers!"

USTR Ron Kirk, acted as the mouthpiece of the Obama Admininstration as he verbally assaulted the absent Republicans- saying "Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee have repeatedly called on the Obama Administration to send these agreements to Congress for a vote. Today the agreements were there - and Senate Finance Committee Republicans were not. Americans need their leaders at work - in their seats, eyes on the ball, pushing every day to enact policies that create jobs here at home, advance this country's economic recovery, and help our working families."

Click here for additional news coverage of the standoff over the FTAs and the TAA attached by President Obama to the South Korean deal.


OSU's Dr. Kim Anderson Explains Canola and Wheat Relationship- and we have your SUNUP preview
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Dr. Kim Anderson, Grain Marketing Specialist from Oklahoma State University, explains the relationship between canola and wheat within Oklahoma. The canola market is being established in the state right now through the process of buying out land from wheat and using it for canola, says Anderson.

Anderson says processors of canola realize there is a risk involved in farmers raising canola and there is a learning curve involved but the processors are paying farmers to take the risk with canola. For farmers to become really interested in planting canola and using it as a rotational crop, the canola price needs to be 120% of the wheat price to make canola profitable, says Anderson.

Finally, for farmers that are considering switching to canola as a rotational crop, Anderson says it is a wise decision because it is profitable and it will help clean up their fields.

You can see the rest of Kim and Austin Moore's interview on the relationship between canola and wheat- that can be seen on Saturday morning on OETA- or you can hear the conversation now by clicking on the LINK below.

Click here to listen to Kim discuss canola and wheat, and for your SUNUP preview


Surprises in the latest round of USDA crop reports
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The June 30, 2011 Grain Stocks and Planted Acreage report is out from USDA and it included some big surprises in both stocks numbers and planted acreage. Wheat, corn and soybeans all saw larger grain stock numbers that what was anticipated. In the acreage report, USDA pushed the corn acreage higher than was estimated to the second highest number since World War II at 92.3 million acres. Soybeans and wheat came in a little lower than estimates.

This report may have some controversy involved as the numbers are crunched through the day and you can hear Radio Oklahoma's Market Analyst, Tom Leffler, discuss the numbers by clicking on the LINK below.

Many agricultural organizations have released their thoughts and reactions to the USDA acreage report. Both the Renewable Fuels Association and the American Farm Bureau gave statements on the current corn market.

Renewable Fuels Association
As RFA VP of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper notes, this is evidence that American farmers respond strongly to price signals and remain on track to continue the tradition of ever-increasing productivity. However, Cooper also cautioned that it is still early in the growing season and weather conditions in July and August will be of paramount importance.

Click here for the rest of RFA's comments

American Farm Bureau Federation
Todd Davis, crops economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said today's USDA acreage report signals a potential U.S. corn crop of 13.47 billion bushels, which will be needed to re-build stocks and meet feed and fuel demand. But he cautions that a lot can happen to the corn crop from now until harvest.

Click here to read more from AFBF on the acreage report

Click here to listen to Tom Leffler's analysis of the USDA acreage report


Oklahoma Forestry Services says "In a Drought, Keep Fire Out" for Upcoming Holiday Weekend
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As Oklahomans prepare for a fun-filled July 4th weekend officials with Oklahoma Forestry Services, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, want citizens to be aware of the potential for wildfires.

"We want people to enjoy their holiday celebrations," said George Geissler, State Forester. "With our extremely dry conditions simple activities like grilling, campfires and fireworks can spark a wildfire and we urge Oklahomans to follow Smokey Bear's advice-In a drought, keep FIRE out!"

Though parts of the state received some rainfall, it will take a significant amount to ease the situation. A burn ban is in place for almost half of Oklahoma's 77 counties with changes occurring daily. Many restrict the use of fireworks by individuals. In addition the use of fireworks is prohibited in many cities and all Oklahoma State Parks.

For citizens wanting specific information regarding restrictions in their area OFS recommends they call their county or city officials. Visit OFS website www.forestry.ok.gov for a complete list of county burn bans and links to each commissioner's resolution as each county has unique and varied restrictions.

A few tips from the Oklahoma Forestry Service are:

-Use fireworks under close adult supervision in safe areas away from dry grass and brush.
-Keep fireworks away from homes and structures, which can be accidentally ignited.
-Consider using propane stove or barbecue grill instead of an open fire when it's dry and windy.
-Put barbecue grills over bare dirt or other fire resistant surfaces - away from dead grass and weeds.

Click here for more tips on firework, grilling and camping safety tips


Nitrate Accumulation a Concern with Hot and Dry Weather
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Nitrate is one of the major nitrogen (N) forms utilized by plants. Excessive nitrate accumulation can occur when the uptake of nitrate exceeds its utilization in plants for protein synthesis due to factors such as over N fertilization and stressful weather conditions. It can be toxic to livestock when too much nitrate is accumulated in the forage crops. Sorghum and millet have been noted as having a high potential for accumulating nitrate. Producers should watch their forage nitrate closely to avoid cattle fatality and to better manage their hay crop since we have seen many high nitrate forage samples this year. Normally, drought stress, cloudy weather and other climatic conditions will enhance nitrate accumulation in the plant. In addition, forage planted in failed wheat fields with high soil residual nitrogen unused by wheat can result in high forage nitrate problem too.

It is considered potentially toxic for all cattle when nitrate (not expressed in nitrate-nitrogen) in the forage is greater than 10,000 ppm. Producers should avoid grazing or feeding with high nitrate hays. More detailed interpretation can be found from OSU Extension Fact PSS-2903 Nitrate Toxicity in Livestock. The most reliable way to find out nitrate in the hay is to collect a representative sample and have it tested by a laboratory. OSU Extension Fact PSS- 2589 Collecting Forage Samples for Analysis highlights the proper techniques to collect forage samples. Samples can be submitted for nitrate and other forage quality analyses to the Soil, Water and Forage Analytical Laboratory in Stillwater through your local county extension office. We normally have the results ready within 24 hours from the time when sample is received by the lab. However, many samples we receive at the lab were not sampled properly. More attention should be paid on sampling standing forage, such as a haygrazer by following the right procedures:

1. Clip at least 20 representative plants at grazing or harvesting height from the suspected area. Cut the whole plants (include leaves and heads) into 2-3" long pieces, combine and mix well in a bucket.

2. Fill the cut sample into a forage bag. Use quartering to reduce the amount if there is too much sample to send to a lab.

3. Put the forage bag into a plastic bag will give you more accurate moisture content, but never put plastic bags inside our forage bags.

Click here for more on nitrate accumulation and cattle


Southwestern Oklahoma Cotton Producers Face Drought and Insects
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The drought conditions in 2011 have been trying for cotton producers in southwestern Oklahoma. May was hotter than normal, while June was overwhelmingly hot for the first 27 days. According to the Altus Mesonet Station, in 2011 there have been 34 days with temperatures at least 100 degrees. Sixteen days have been 105 degrees or greater, while 4 days in the month of June have been at least 110 degrees. Throughout all of these extreme temperatures, this area has only seen 0.12 inches of rainfall.

Along with harsh weather conditions, insects are still a concern for cotton producers. However, thrips are no longer a major concern due to the fact that the cotton has developed past the stage where economic damage can occur. The cotton fleahopper has been found in a small population in Harmon county. Fields need to be evaluated and scouted separately for proper insect management.

Grasshoppers have been found as well in Kiowa and Tillman counties in populations large enough that control measures should be considered. Timing is critical for all treatments, as immature grasshoppers are much easier to control than mature ones.

For more information on nitrogen fertility, plant monitoring, irrigation issues and stress sensitive periods for cotton, click on the LINK below to read the complete copy of the Cotton Comments newsletter.

Click here for more from the Cotton Comments newsletter


Happy Birthday America! AND Welcome Mason- AND- Watch for Mark Hodges with us Saturday In the Field
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This coming Monday is the Fourth of July- we will not be sending our daily email out that day as America pauses and celebrates its own birthday. Uncle Sam will be taking the day off, as will both the commodity markets as well as the equity markets in this country.

We will have radio updates on many of our Radio Oklahoma Network stations around the region, although our market reports will all be recaps of the close of trade from Friday afternoon.

Congratulations to Scott and Melissa Eisenhauer as they welcomed a new member of their family yesterday. Scott writes in an email "I am pleased to announce that Melissa, Katie, and I were blessed with a new baby boy at 11:04 a.m. this morning- Mason Scott Eisenhauer has arrived! He weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 20 inches long.
"Mom and Baby are doing great!"

Scott is the General Manager of P & K Equipment while Melissa is the Show Manager of the Oklahoma Youth Expo.

We will have our regular TV feature, In the Field, on Saturday morning at 6:40 AM on KWTV, News9. Our guest this week will be Mark Hodges, Executive Director of Plains Grains as we look at the 2011 Hard Red Winter Wheat Harvest that continues to march northward- we will also have a special audio report with Mark on our website later on Friday- so head to our homepage and check that out as you get ready for the Fourth of July. By the way- Mark and Plains Grains are now saying Oklahoma Wheat Harvest is 99% done, Texas 95% complete and Kansas has 70% of their harvest wrapped up.


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 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.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com


Let's Check the Markets!
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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 $11.98 per bushel- as of the close of business yesterday, while the 2011 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available are $11.98 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:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101 mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- A Two Pager From The Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture. <
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.



God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
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phone: 405-473-6144
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