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National Farmers Union (NFU) unveiled Phase II of its study on the Market-Driven Inventory System (MDIS) at a press conference during the organization's 110th Anniversary Convention in La Vista, Neb. In a nutshell, this is a voluntary grain reserve that is designed to take out the highs and lows of the market.


"Farmers are entering a potentially dangerous period when it comes to the farm safety net," said NFU President Roger Johnson. "In Washington, we are seeing 'cut first, ask questions later' attitude which will cause harm to the farm safety net and take away some of the protections that family farmers and ranchers need. Unfortunately, around the country these past few years we are seeing more severe weather, meaning we need more of a safety net, not less. MDIS would help provide farmers and ranchers with protection similar to what they receive now at a significantly lower cost to taxpayers." 

"MDIS would provide a significant cost savings to taxpayers while maintaining current levels of income for farmers and ranchers," said Johnson. "It would also help reduce the wild price swings that cause harm to so many. Reduced price volatility will benefit farmers and ranchers, the hungry, ethanol producers, and many others. MDIS would benefit so many Americans and should be implemented in the next farm bill."

You can read a lot more about this proposal from the NFU- as well as hear some comments from NFU President Roger Johnson- just click here for our coverage of this farm policy proposalcoming out of the 110th Annual Convention of the National Farmers Union.   

OSU Researcher Tackles 'Glutenoia' 

Gluten, which is the protein found in wheat, rye and barley, has gotten a bad rap of late. Celebrities from Oprah Winfrey, to Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Weisz and Victoria Beckham have all been linked to a gluten-free lifestyle which is touted as being the miracle cure from to everything from thick thighs to ADHD.

But there are many voices in the scientific and agricultural communities that are saying, "Not so fast."

Dr. Alessio Fasano, the medical director of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research in Baltimore, Maryland, says a gluten-free diet does indeed help a genuine health problem, celiac disease. He says a little less than one percent of Americans suffer from this problem, however. Other Americans, maybe six to seven percent, may have a sensitivity to gluten which may cause a variety of gastric symptoms.

Despite these facts, a large number of Americans have come to believe that wheat gluten is somehow bad or dangerous. Dr. Brett Carver of Oklahoma State University has come to call this misperception "glutenoia."

"Right now there seems to be this fad or trend that the human population thinks that gluten is harmful to us. There is some truth to that, but I think this is the classic case where the truth has become stretched a little bit and now we cannot tell the difference between fact and fantasy," Carver says.

You can read more about "glutenoia" and  hear Dr. Carver's full interview with us by clicking here. 

Crop Weather and Progress for the Week Ending March 4, 2012

A storm system early in the week brought high winds but little precipitation to Oklahoma.

Conditions of wheat and other fall planted crops continued to be rated mostly good. Eleven percent of winter wheat was in excellent condition with 51 percent rated good. Twenty-nine percent was in fair condition and nine percent only poor to very poor.

Canola was mostly in good shape with 60 percent rated in that category. Only five percent was rated excellent. Twenty-seven percent was in fair condition with eight percent in poor condition or below.

Kansas wheat conditions last week showed only seven percent in the excellent category with 43 percent listed as good, 38 percent fair and 12 percent in poor or very poor condition.

Texas wheat showed 10 percent excellent, 23 percent good, 28 percent fair and 39 percent in the poor to very poor categories.

Click here for the complete Crop Weather Update for the state of Oklahoma- our first "weekly" report of the 2012 growing season.  

Boxed Beef Prices Stall Out, But Finished Cattle End Higher

According to Ed Czerwien, USDA Market News Office in Amarillo, Texas, last week choice boxed beef prices stalled out, ending steady to weak for the week ending Friday, March 2, 2012. Choice ended at $198.07 cwt which was .50 to .75 lower than it traded for most of last week. The choice select spread ended the week at $4.27. The total movement was 7, 200 load of all cuts, trimmings and grinds.

The finished cattle trade saw record highs with most live cattle money at the $130 cwt mark, mostly $2.00 higher than the previous week. The Southern Plains all traded at $130, with the Northern live trade also at $130 with a few sales at $130.50. Dressed sales in the North came in at $205 to $206.

The average live weight of finished cattle from the Texas Panhandle was 1,238 pounds, which was up 6 pounds from the previous week.

Click here to listen to Ed Czerwien's full analysis of last week's beef trade.

Making Cattle Comfortable Increases Quality, Profits

Comfortable cattle are profitable cattle. That's the word from feeders who see gains in production when they take steps to help cattle adjust to their new environment upon arrival.

Dale Moore of Cattlemen's Choice Feedyard in Gage, Oklahoma, says it's vitally important to get cattle off to the right start.

"We acclimate them to their new home because that's where they're going to spend a lot of their time. And we make sure they see all four corners of their pen and know where the water's at, know where the bunks are at and just make sure they're comfortable."

Less stress means more success. It can improve everything from immune response to implant success says Anne Burkholder of Will Feed Inc., of Cozad, Nebraska.

You can catch the video interview with Dale Moore and Ann Burkholder by clicking here.

Pioneer AQUAmax Corn Hybrids Offer Yield Advantage in Drought Conditions

Results from actual on-farm trials in 2011 show Optimum AQUAmaxTM corn hybrids from DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred provide a yield advantage for growers over competitive hybrids in water-limited environments as well as under more favorable growing conditions.

          
Field evaluations of the Optimum AQUAmax hybrids also are providing Pioneer corn breeders with an improved understanding of why these products perform better in drought conditions, giving researchers greater confidence as they move forward to develop still better products for producers.

        
Speaking at a news briefing at the Commodity Classic this past sweek in Nashville, Jeff Schussler, Pioneer senior research manager, said these research results show that Pioneer breeders have selected positive native traits to develop Optimum AQUAmax hybrids.

"It's very rewarding to see large-scale, on-farm field testing validate the performance of Optimum AQUAmax hybrids," Schussler says. "And we have begun to gather a solid understanding of the mechanisms of drought tolerance within these hybrids as we advance development of future Optimum AQUAmax hybrids."

You can hear the full news briefing with Jeff Schussler or read more by clicking here.

Derrell Peel Talks Drought and Herd Rebuilding in 2012

Many producers in the Southern Plains are still in a holding pattern to see what they will be able to do this spring. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, says there are several factors that will determine whether and to what extent herd rebuilding will begin this year.

The first is, of course, whether drought conditions renew this spring. At the current time, much of Oklahoma has good soil moisture conditions. Temperatures are generally above normal and things will begin to green up soon with these conditions. However, typical strong winds are common and fire danger is running high as soil and vegetation dry out quickly. The next month will be critical in determining the potential for spring forage growth.

The next level of consideration is what forage growth will occur assuming that drought is not a limiting factor. The amount of forage damage from the drought last year is yet to be determined in many cases and will depend on a variety of factors including the location, type of forage and condition of the range or pasture going into the drought. There are indications however that there is significant death loss in forage, particularly farther west and in native pastures. The amount of forage production in 2012 is likely to be significantly reduced for one to three years and careful management will be needed to ensure recovery of pastures. Stocking rates will be sharply reduced and stocking seasons need to be carefully managed to avoid additional damage to pastures and ranges. 

You can read Derrell Peel's full analysis by clicking here.