WASDE Report Positive for Markets, Could Signal Shift In Market Leadership, Economists Say 

The recently-released World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates was friendly for markets in the short term, analysts say, but it could also be signaling a long term shift.

The WASDE report was largely unchanged on the corn and feed grain side and was generally viewed as neutral, but on the soybean side, supply estimates were reduced and U.S. exports increased to help make up for smaller South American crops, according to American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Todd Davis.

"We are looking at a situation where soybeans, rather than corn, could very well become the market leader in the U.S. grain and oilseed complex," Davis said. "Typically, corn prices usually help drive the market prices for the other grain and oilseed commodities, but given what we now know, soybeans are ready to move to the forefront." Click here to read more of the AFBF take on the WASDE report.

Corn stocks and demand in the United States remain stable according to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While potential for change in the May report was noted, the agency found that, at present, the previous estimates require no revision.

This news follows reports indicating that seven percent of the U.S. corn crop had already been planted as of Sunday. This indicates progress significantly ahead of the five-year average as only two percent of the crop would normally be planted at that time.

"Coupled with prior reports that farmers plan to plant significantly more acres to corn this year, the outlook for America's supply is very positive," said National Corn Growers Association President Garry Niemeyer. To read more from the NCGA, please click here.

Tom Leffler of Leffler Commodities talks about the WASDE report's impact on markets. Click hear to listen.

From the 2012 OSU Canola Field Tours- Two Words- Tremendous Potential!  

With the 2012 Oklahoma State University Extension Canola Field Tour halfway complete, two words sum up what was being talked about at the sixth stop of thirteen Tuesday evening east of El Reno- "Tremendous Potential." More than one of the OSU and industry officials who made most or all of the first six stops echoed that opinion to us as we talked with them in Canadian County on Tuesday. 

OSU Canola Special Project Director Mark Boyles used the word tremendous in his description saying "it's been excellent fall growth, it's been excellent spring growth, it's been cool, it has rained every little bit" as he was looking at a field of canola just north of old Route 66, which is easily two weeks ahead of normal crop development. He says that the fields seen in Canadian County are not unlike that he saw in Burlington and Okeene earlier on Tuesday, telling us that if everything holds together for a few more weeks- we could be looking at many fields producing fifty to sixty bushels per acre. Even with higher input costs than wheat, a strong yield at twice the per bushel price of wheat is catching the attention of wheat farmers throughout the southern Great Plains.


The OSU demonstration plots in Canadian County is on land that Jerry Lingo is farming this year. The wheat/canola farmer is in his second year of growing canola and is delighted with the potential of the 2012 crop. He has a total of about 400 acres of canola this year, and expects to swath the crop, placing it into windrows by early May, with the combine to follow a week or so later. 

Click here to read more from our Top Ag Story this morning- it includes our CanolaTV feature with Mark Boyles on the 2012 crop- CanolaTV is a service of PCOM- Producers Cooperative Oil Mill.  

If you prefer to jump straight to our Winter Canola TV channel on Youtube- click here.  You can see this latest video- plus our previous CanolaTV segments from both this year and last.  

And- you can also jump straight to our set of photos of 2012 canola here in the state- here's the link to our FLICKR set. 

Kansas State Study Shows Opponents Are Wrong On Antibiotics Use; FDA Prohibits Cephalosporins 

A study conducted by Kansas State University shows that opponents of antibiotics use in livestock production wildly overestimate the amount given to food animals, but that hasn't stopped the FDA from weighing in on the issue.   

Using data from a 2006 U.S. Department of Agriculture swine survey and a 2009 survey of swine veterinarians, KSU found that annually about 1.6 million pounds of antibiotics are used in pork production for growth promotion/nutritional efficiency and disease prevention. A 2001 report, "Hogging It," from the Union of Concerned Scientists claimed that 10.3 million pounds a year are used.

The study also belies the claim made by opponents of modern livestock production and some members of Congress - and repeated by much of the media - that 80 percent of all antibiotics sold are used to promote growth in livestock. (That figure always has been at best a guess because there is no reliable data on human uses of antibiotics.)

Several groups and lawmakers have pushed a theory that antibiotics use in food animals is leading to treatment failures in people who develop antibiotic-resistant illnesses. Numerous peer-reviewed risk assessments have shown a "negligible" risk to human health of antibiotics use in livestock production.

Despite these findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now prohibited the use of cephalosporins, a class of antimicrobial drugs, in cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys. The FDA says this action is aimed at preserving the effectiveness of these drugs for treating disease in humans - reducing the risk of cephalosporin resistance in certain bacterial pathogens. 

Click here to read more.

NFU, Coalition Outline Recommendations for 2012 Farm Bill Livestock Title Provisions

The National Farmers Union (NFU) and five other livestock industry organizations sent a letter to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Agriculture Committee leadership that outlines recommended provisions for the Livestock and Research and Related Matters Titles in the 2012 Farm Bill.

"The programs in the Livestock Title are too important to U.S. family farmers and ranchers to be left out," said NFU President Roger Johnson. "In order to ensure we have a robust, productive livestock industry in our country, we must protect our producers by supporting the programs described in the letter."

As outlined in the letter, reauthorizing the Livestock Disaster Assistance Programs is vital. The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) compensates ranchers at a rate of 75 percent market value for livestock mortality caused by disasters. The Livestock Forage Program (LFP) assists ranchers who graze livestock on qualifying drought-or fire-affected pastureland. The Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) compensates producers for disaster losses not covered under other disaster programs. These programs have been of critical importance to producers across the nation in recent years.

Read more about livestock industry recommendations for the new farm bill by clicking here.

NCBA Says, Fear Not the Ides of March: KORUS Highlights Opportunities for U.S. Beef Producers

As the Korean-U.S. trade agreement begins taking effect, it represents a step to lowering trade barriers to U.S. beef around the world. Kent Bacus, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's director of legislative affairs, wrote the following opinion piece hailing the welcome developments:

I'm not one who typically quotes Shakespearean literature but one thing I remember from high school is Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, where the soothsayer utters these ominous words to Caesar: "Beware the Ides of March." Historically, there's actually nothing ominous about the definition of Ides. It was used in the Roman calendar to denote the fifteenth day of March, May, July and October. For years, I've used that quote to remind my friends and colleagues of my ability to quote some of the great literary minds and not just Larry the Cable Guy. But in 2012, the Ides of March took on a brand new meaning.

March 15, 2012, marked the implementation of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). National Cattlemen's Beef Association President J.D. Alexander said KORUS "may very well be the most monumental bilateral trade pact our industry has ever witnessed." As the fourth largest export market for U.S. beef in 2011, Korean consumers purchased $646 million of U.S. beef and that is with the massive 40 percent tariff in place. Over the next 15 years, that tariff will be repealed at 2.67 percent per year. Some predict that U.S. beef sales in Korea could exceed $1 billion once fully implemented. The bottom line is our producers will be able to sell more U.S. beef at a more competitive price to Korean consumers. Truly, this is a great opportunity for U.S. beef and a positive step forward in opening and expanding market access for U.S. beef around the world. 

You can read more of Kent Bacus's thoughts on the opportunities free trade offers U.S. beef producers by clicking here.

McMurtrey, Dewald Named Master Agronomists by OSU's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

A pair of agronomists has recently been honored by the Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Alfalfa County's Doug McMurtrey has been named a 2012 Master Agronomist and Chester "Chet" Dewald of Woodward has been honored posthumously as a Master Agronomist.

McMurtrey is a cow-calf producer as well as a farmer. He grows wheat, grain sorghum, soybeans, alfalfa and cover crops. He has been a cooperating partner with division scientists and OSU Cooperative Extension specialists and educators for 13 years. McMurtrey has been county leader in the adoption of no-till practices. You can read more about him by clicking here.

Dewald's long career resulted in five separate patents for chaffy grass seed-handling equipment that is now manufactured and used worldwide. He began working with Stauffer Chemical Company in Mountain View, California, in 1959. In 1968, he became the company's technical director in Mexico. After four years he returned to Oklahoma and established a farm and became an agronomist with the USDA in Woodward. Dewald made significant contributions toward the development of native grasses and the USDA named an improved variety of bluestem "Chet" in his honor after his death in 2002. Click here to read more about Chet Dewald.

The Master Agronomist award was initiated in 1947 and recognizes Oklahoma agriculturists who actively participate in agronomic education programs and contribute valuable public service through their efforts in soil conservation, range management or crop production.

Monsanto Debuts Program to Give Farmers First-Hand Look at Upcoming Products

Beginning this spring, farmers will have an opportunity to participate in Monsanto's new, on-farm trial program being introduced as Ground Breakers. The new program will give farmers first-hand experience with pipeline products under commercial-scale planting conditions.
            
"Ground Breakers allows farmers to obtain a better understanding of product benefits and an opportunity to give us feedback on the product," said Matt Kirkpatrick, Monsanto Corn Traits Marketing Manager. "A farmer will now have a chance to see how products will perform on their own farm in large-scale trials in addition to plot trials prior to commercial introduction."
            
This season, Monsanto will be piloting the Ground Breakers program with its new drought-tolerant corn system, Genuity® DroughtGard™ Hybrids. Approximately 250 growers throughout the Western Great Plains region will have the opportunity to plant DroughtGard Hybrids on their farm. These hybrids are part of a comprehensive drought-tolerant system to mitigate yield loss caused by drought stress. 

More information about Monsanto's Ground Breakers program is available by clicking here.