Oklahoma Ag Secretary, Farm Groups Urge House to Pass Farm Bill 

Oklahoma's agriculture secretary and a broad-based coalition of agriculture groups have written a letter to Congressional leaders asking for immediate floor time for consideration of the 2012 bill.

Secretary Jim Reese and the 19 organizations implore Speaker of the House John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to bring the FARRM Act to a vote as quickly as possible. The letter says the ongoing drought conditions are a threat to our national food supply, and quick action by Congress is needed to decrease uncertainty and encourage lenders and producers to move forward quickly. 

The farm groups believe a lack of certainty and direction caused by a delayed farm bill will have widespread economic impact, such as impaired financial decisions for lenders and borrowers, including renewal of operating capital.

The letter asks House leaders to pass the bill in a timely fashion to minimize damage to both national and international markets.

The groups signing the letter include: Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, American Farmers & Ranchers, Great Plains Canola Association, Oklahoma Agribusiness Retailers Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association,
Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Oklahoma Agricultural Cooperative Council, Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, Oklahoma Cotton Council, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association, Oklahoma Livestock Marketing Association, Oklahoma Peanut Commission, Oklahoma Pork Council, Oklahoma Poultry Federation, Oklahoma Sorghum Association, Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association, Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, and Whitetails of Oklahoma.

You can read the full text of the letter by clicking here. 

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces New Efforts to Assist Farmers and Ranchers Impacted by Drought 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new flexibility and assistance in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's major conservation programs to get much-needed help to livestock producers as the most wide-spread drought in seven decades intensifies in the United States. Vilsack also announced plans to encourage crop insurance companies to provide a short grace period for farmers on unpaid insurance premiums, as some farming families can be expected to struggle to make ends meet at the close of the crop year.

"President Obama and I are committed to getting help to producers as soon as possible and sustaining the success of America's rural communities through these difficult times," said Vilsack. "Beginning today, USDA will open opportunities for haying and grazing on lands enrolled in conservation programs while providing additional financial and technical assistance to help landowners through this drought. And we will deliver greater peace of mind to farmers dealing with this worsening drought by encouraging crop insurance companies to work with farmers through this challenging period. As severe weather and natural disasters continue to threaten the livelihoods of thousands of our farming families, we want you and your communities to know that USDA stands with you."

The assistance announced uses the Secretary of Agriculture's existing authority to help create and encourage flexibility within four USDA programs: the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), and the Federal Crop Insurance Program.

Click here to read more about USDA assistance programs available for drought-stricken areas.

Missouri Crop and Pasture Conditions Are the Worst in the US- The Latest US Crop Progress Report

With little to no relief in sight, the latest USDA National Crop Progress Report shows significant declines again in the latest week for corn, soybean and pasture conditions. Missouri continues to be the epicenter for the worst of the impacts of the drought of 2012, based on poor to very poor ratings for all three commodities.

Nationally, the corn ratings have slipped seven additional percentage points from one week ago in the poor to very poor conditions- now at 45% poor to very poor versus 38% one week ago. Good to excellent ratings have continued to shrink- now at just 26% of the corn crop nationally compared to 31% a week ago and 62% on the 2011 corn crop. The Missouri snapshot has the Show Me state corn crop now at 79% poor to very poor and only five percent good to excellent.

Soybean ratings are similar, as poor to very poor ratings grew five percentage points from July 15 to July 22. Over two thirds of the Missouri soybean crop now has been judged to be in the poor to very poor categories- 68% to be exact. There may still be some hope for Illinois and Indiana soybean producers, although they desperately need a weather break with their soybeans at 59% and 53% poor to very poor respectively.

Livestock producers, who have few if any resources that can be called a safety net, have continued to see the pasture and range conditions head rapidly into poor to very poor ratings when it comes to the midwestern states most impacted by drought.

Click here for more and to find a link to the latest USDA National Crop Progress Report.

Oklahoma Crop Conditions Continue to Worsen; Kansas, Texas Also Decline

 

Increasingly dry conditions with record-setting temperatures continued to affect summer crops across Oklahoma. Record-breaking highs were recorded in four towns and record-tying temperatures were reported in four others last week. Reports of pastures going dormant, stock water supplies drying up, and early cattle sales increased as well.

The report's bright spot is that 69 percent of the peanut crop is listed in good condition. Thirty-five percent of the corn crop is in the same condition. The largest percentages of soybeans, cotton, sorghum, however, are said to be in only fair shape or worse with more hot temperatures and dry winds on tap this week.  Click here for the full Oklahoma report.

Precipitation was spotty around Texas last week, with most crops reported in good condition, but 52 percent of the soybean crop is only in fair condition. Click here for the Texas report.

Kansas also saw above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall last week with all crop conditions declining. You'll find the full Kansas report by clicking here.

Beef Demand is Still the Key Despite Herd Downsizing Due to Drought

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, writes in this week's Cow-Calf newsletter that the U.S. beef cow herd continues to decline due to the drought, but tightening supplies will ultimately push prices back up.

The continued worsening of the drought has cattle markets on the defensive in just about every respect. Loss of forage and reduced hay production is causing early feeder cattle sales and additional cow culling. The signs of additional beef herd liquidation are everywhere; the mid-year total cattle inventory is down two percent while the beef cow herd is down three percent. Though beef cow slaughter is down over nine percent from last year, cow culling still exceeds heifer placement and the herd continues to decline. The July 1 beef heifer inventory is just even with last year, which indicates no significant expansion and the replacement heifers may yet be liquidated if the drought worsens. The July Cattle on Feed report included a scant two percent decrease in placements in June, which is really a 2.8 percent increase in placements when adjusted for the one less business day this June. Placements of cattle less than 600 pounds was equal to last year's drought enhanced level and suggests more drought forced placements this year.

The market price impacts of this year's drought have developed much quickly and have been much more severe this year compared to last. Partly that is because of a more widespread drought with fewer regional options, partly because of the dramatic impacts of the drought on corn prices but also because of a significant erosion in beef values in the past month. Choice boxed beef decreased eight percent in the past month, led by a nearly 17 percent drop in wholesale Ribeye prices and an 11 percent drop in wholesale Loin values. A weaker U.S. macroeconomic outlook combined with weaker beef exports is contributing to persistent sluggish growth in beef demand. 

You'll find more of Derrell Peel's discussion of the effects of the drought on cattle markets by clicking here.

Choice Boxed Beef and Finished Cattle Continue to Slide, Czerwien Says

Ed Czerwien of the USDA Market News Office in Amarillo says the choice cut market and finished cattle were both lower on the week ended June 20th.

The choice cut market fell $4.63 last week to end at $179.31. The total boxed beef volume for the week was 7,331 loads.

The general trend in the finished cattle trade was $2.00 to $4.00 lower in most cases, with the average price in the South at $113/cwt.

There were some live sales in Nebraska at $112 to $113/cwt. Dressed sales were also $2.00 to $4.00 lower in Nebraska selling mostly at $179/cwt.

Larger than normal runs are appearing in most areas because of drought and diminishing grazing conditions.

The harvest weights continue to increase in most areas by the average of three pounds.

Click here to listen to Ed Czerwien's full report. 

Class XVI of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program Named by OSU

Congratulations to the just named members of Class XVI of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program. OALP is a two year work-study leadership development program that was established in the early 1980s to further develop future leaders for Oklahoma agriculture.

The first seminar in the two year program for the new group comes up in August in Stillwater- and this class will wrap up their OALP experience in the spring of 2014.  The current Director of the Program is Dr. Edmond Bonjour.   

Click here for more details about the program and how it has developed over the years- but here's what you are really interested in- who's in Class XVI-

Steve Alspach, Stillwater

Meriruth Cohenour, Yukon

Jamie Cummings, Purcell

Patty A. DeWitt, Cherokee

Jamie Doyal, Cement

Jane Fuhlendorf, Stillwater

Joe Gribble, Yukon

Chris Hitch, Guymon

Brent Howard, Headrick

Stacy Howeth, Yukon

Dianne Jeans, Tonkawa

Jennifer Jensen, Stillwater

Karen Eifert Jones, Waukomis

Chris Kidd, Addington

Justin Lingo, Yukon

Cheri Long, Moore

Steve McIntyre, Ardmore

Tracey Payton Miller, Norman

Ginger Reimer, Claremore

Rusty Roush, Clinton

Casey Sharber, Yukon

Sandra Stevenson, Perkins

Janet Stewart, Perry

Scott Stinnett, Porter

Debbie J. Wedel, Yukon

Justin Whitmore, Coyle