American Farm Bureau's Dale Moore Hopes for Productive Lame Duck Session 

The 2012 elections are over and not much has changed. We have the same president, the same Democrat-controlled Senate, and the same Republican-controlled House of Representatives. What does that mean for the future of farm policy?

I recently spoke with Dale Moore, Deputy Executive Director for the American Farm Bureau, about the immediate future.

For openers, Moore said, he would like to see Washington take on unfinished business in the upcoming lame duck session. He said he would like to sit down with the White House, the Senate, and the House and say, "'The playing field is pretty much the same map as we have now-a few changes here and there-so why not clean up what you've got already out on the field? We've got the farm bill.  We've got tax issues. We've got a whole barrel-full of issues surrounding sequestration, the budget and the fiscal cliff. Why not get those things cleaned up, get something in place? The election's over.   The campaigning's over-at least for 20 or 30 minutes. Why don't we sit down and try to get started on next year by cleaning up what we haven't gotten done this year?'"

Moore said that he sees plenty of opportunities to get the five-year farm bill passed in the lame duck session.

You can read more of Dale's comments or catch the audio of our full conversation by clicking here.  

Peterson Urges House to Vote on Farm Bill Next Week 

U.S. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., urged House Republican leaders to bring the Agriculture Committee's bipartisan five-year farm bill to the floor for a vote next week.

"The election is over so it's time to get to work. I'm optimistic that, if given the chance, we have the votes to pass a five-year farm bill. There is no good reason not to vote on the bill when we return next week, before Thanksgiving. This will give us the time we need to work out our differences with the Senate and get a new five-year farm bill signed into law by the end of the year.

"I remain opposed to an extension of any kind for any time."

 

US Poultry Industry Urges Action on Russia PNTR in Lame Duck Session

The National Chicken Council (NCC), National Turkey Federation (NTF), U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) joined more than 500 other trade associations and businesses under the umbrella of the Coalition for U.S.-Russia Trade in calling on Congress to "move quickly" in the days ahead to approve legislation enacting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Russia.

In a similar letter to President Barack Obama, the coalition urged the president to work with Congress to ensure the passage of Russia's removal from the Jackson-Vanik legislation and establishment of PNTR with Russia.

Russia acceded to the World Trade Organization in August, and the coalition points out that U.S. competitors in Europe, China and elsewhere are happy to "step in and take advantage of meeting Russia's needs not only in infrastructure and modernization of its industrial base, but also the demands of a growing consumer class that is highly educated and appreciates quality." 

Click here to read more and find links to the trade associations' letters to Congress and the President.  

 

Sideways Patterns Continue in Grain Markets, Anderson Says

Grain markets are moving sluggishly at the moment says Kim Anderson, small grains marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University. In a preview to this week's SUNUP program, Anderson says the markets are in somewhat of a holding pattern.

"The latest is just more of the same. The Kansas City Board of Trade December contract continues to wallow around between that $8.69 support level and $9.57 resistance level. I will say that on that December contract it has moved into the upper two-thirds or the upper third of that price range-just a slight upward trend on that December contract in that sideways pattern.

"If you look out at the July 13 contract, it does have an uptrend and if you had a resistance price level it popped through it last week and with this drought it just keeps going up."

Anderson said that Argentina and Australia harvests are coming in about as expected. He said quality may be down slightly due to some wet weather which also may lower yields slightly.

You can listen to Kim's full analysis and read the full lineup for this week's SUNUP by clicking here.

 CME Buys KCBT- Will The Kansas City Location Survive?-  We Talk to their President

With the purchase of the Kansas City Board of Trade by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group last month, KCBT's hard red winter wheat contract is now traded almost around the clock.

Jeff Borchardt, president and CEO of the Kansas City Board of Trade, spoke with us in Kansas City and says the acquisition has many benefits for shareholders and market users alike.

"With the CME's resources we'll be able to give market participants more products and more trading opportunities with respect to Chicago-based products than they are currently able to do just under our roof. So, there's that advantage. The Chicago Board of Trade is a natural fit for the Kansas City Board of Trade because, obviously, they're the global benchmark for corn, soybeans, and their variety of wheat. And so to bring our global benchmark milling wheat contract in with theirs, it's a pretty natural fit."

Under the agreement with CME, Borchardt says there will still be a physical trading presence in Kansas City for at least six months. KCBT is the oldest company in Kansas City and has been there since its founding 156 years ago. Borchardt says there are hopes that the board's physical presence will continue. He said the board's futures contract and it's utility will not change, and CME has "committed to maintaining an advisory committee made up of our wheat contract committee members for at least three years. And that's a pretty good time frame to comfort the marketplace to know that nothing drastic is going to change any time soon."

You can read more of Jeff Borchardt's comments or listen to our full interview by clicking here.

 

'GMO Inside' Campaign Claims Deceptive Cost Figures Defeated California Prop 37

A new coalition, focused on the right to know whether or not foods are genetically engineered, denounced the millions of dollars poured into anti-Prop 37 efforts by major corporations. The corporate campaign, financed by agribusiness, food and chemical giants such as Monsanto, Dupont, Dow, Coca Cola and Kellogg's, was designed to misinform and deceive the public about the cost of labeling claim organizers of the GMO Inside campaign.

"Corporations may have misled voters in California about GMOs, but they can't change the fact that over 90 percent of Americans support the labeling of foods with genetically engineered ingredients," said Alisa Gravitz, CEO of Green America. "The GMO Inside campaign will make it possible for all Americans to find GMOs in the food products in their homes and communities, label them, and switch to non-GMO foods instead. The campaign will show corporations that people will not complacently serve as lab rats for the testing of genetically engineered foods."

You can read more of this story on our webpage.  Click here to go there.

 

Ratcliff Ranch's Fall Production Sale Set for Tomorrow- Saturday November 10th

The Fall Production and Customer Appreciation Sale of Ratcliff Ranches will be happening tomorrow at the Ranch near Vinita, Oklahoma.  

Ratcliff Ranches is a commercial and registered
Angus and SimAngus seedstock producer and cow/calf
operation.  The Ranch, headquartered in Vinita,
Oklahoma, is always growing and changing its interests
to fit today's cattle market and consumer needs. 

Owned by the J.L. Ratcliff Family, the Ranch is committed
to improving our genetics and utilizing cutting-edge
tools, like the Pfizer 50K Genomic test as another
opportunity to capitalize on an already solid genetic
program. 

On offer Saturday will be more than 850 Head including:

* Nearly 70 Angus & SimAngus Registered Bulls - stout and ranch ready bulls.
* 150 Fall 1st Calf Pairs - Many A.I. sired salves by Right Answer (Selling S.A.V.).
* 40 Fall Pairs - 3 year old to 8 year old cows.
* 400 Spring Bred Heifers - Many with A.I. Service.
* 150 3 year old to 4 year old Spring Calving Cows.
* 40 Angus Cows - 4 year old to 7 year old (Papers Optional).
* Open Heifer Calves  

For details- click here to jump over to their website for details about the Fall Production Sale.