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Light rain fell across much of Oklahoma's wheat-producing areas last week, with central and northeastern sections receiving heavier amounts. Wheat seedbed preparation was reported to be 96 percent complete, with three-fourths of the crop planted by week's end. That's six points ahead of normal progress and 42 percent of the crop has emerged. Canola planting was 89 percent complete, with emergence of the 2013 crop 25 points ahead of last year. (You can read the full Oklahoma Crop Progress Report by clicking here.)

Hunger and Malnutrition Outpace Economic Growth, Report Says

The Food And Agriculture Organization's "The State Of Food Insecurity In The World 2012 Report" reveals economic growth is necessary but not sufficient to accelerate reduction of hunger and malnutrition. The report shows that almost 870 million people were chronically undernourished from 2010-12, which represents 12.5% of the population. The vast majority live in developing countries, where about 850 million people, or slightly fewer than 15% of the population, are estimated to be undernourished.

Agricultural growth is particularly effective in reducing hunger and malnutrition. Most of the extreme poor depend on agriculture and related activities for a significant part of their livelihoods. Agricultural growth involving small holders, especially women, will be most effective in reducing extreme poverty and hunger when it increases returns of labor and generates employment for the poor.

Click here to read more and to find a link to the full study.

Shoppers Find Higher Prices for Breakfast Items

Shoppers paid slightly more for food at the grocery store during the third quarter of the year, with many popular breakfast staples showing an increase in retail price. Higher retail prices for eggs, bacon, orange juice, milk and toasted oat cereal, among other foods, resulted in a slight increase in the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Quarterly Marketbasket Survey.

The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $51.90, up $1.00 or about 2 percent compared to the second quarter of 2012. Of the 16 items surveyed, 9 increased and 7 decreased in average price compared to the prior quarter. The cost for the overall basket of foods decreased about 2 percent compared to one year ago.

Most of the slight quarter-to-quarter increase in the marketbasket of foods can be attributed to higher retail prices for breakfast staples, apples and bagged salad.  

You can read more of this story on our web page by clicking here.

R-CALF Calls on USDA and DOJ to Examine Tyson's FarmCheck Audit Program

The following is a news release from R-CALF USA:

Tyson Foods, Inc., the nation's largest corporate meatpacker, recently announced it will impose its new "FarmCheck"audit program on more than 12,000 independent U.S. livestock and poultry farmers and ranchers. According to Tyson's news release, its "FarmCheck" audit program will enable the mega-corporation to add valuable marketing information to its meat products sold to consumers - Tyson will use its unilateral power to audit operations on private farms and ranches and oversee everything from breeding to harvest.

Tyson ultimately intends to provide consumers with assurance that their food is being produced in accordance with Tyson's standards.

"Where else but in a monopoly-controlled market can a corporation infringe on the private property rights of independent farmers and ranchers to extract valuable marketing information without having to pay a dime?" asked R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard.

You can read more from Bill Bullard by clicking here.

Choice Boxed Beef, Finished Cattle End Week Higher 

In this week's beef report with Ed Czerwien from the USDA Market News Office in Amarillo, Texas, the choice cut market ended the week of October 12th at $191.67 cwt, which was $1.70 higher than the previous week. The total volume of all cuts was 7,250 loads which was 170 loads better than the previous week.

The general trend in the finished cattle trade was $1.00 to $1.50 higher mostly at $125.00 cwt. Most of the carcass trade was between $193.00 to $197.50 cwt.   

AND- we remind you that we have market links on the left hand column of our daily email to help you stay on top of the twists and turns our agricultural markets are taking from day to day- those market links are a service of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance- with offices in all 77 counties- an Oklahoma company- and always nearby.  Click here for their website to learn about the comprehensive lineup of policies that they can offer.   

Oklahoma School Land Lease Auctions Continue Today in the Oklahoma Panhandle

After a successful opening auction in Beaver County on Monday afternoon, the School Land Lease Auctions move to Boise City this morning and Guymon this afternoon. (Click on the city to see the calendar entry we have posted- which includes the full pdf link of all of the parcels listed county by county).  Wrapping up this week will be the auction planned for Woodward tomorrow.  

The lease auctions are held annually to award five year leases on about 140,000 acres each year.  The monies from the Leases go to provide support for public education across Oklahoma.