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The Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Frank Lucas, will be joining me at the Oklahoma City Farm Show on Saturday morning for an "Ag Townhall" beginning at 10 AM in Carriage Hall at State Fair Park.   

We plan on visiting with Chairman Lucas about a variety of things- including his thoughts on the EPA's latest push on expanding their reach into rural America with what they consider to be the "waters of the United States",  the implementation of the 2014 Farm Law, the unending battle over Crop Insurance and more.

Congressman Lucas dialogued with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday over the implementation of the Farm Law in a House Ag Committee hearing- you can hear Secretary Vilsack's comments by clicking here- and we'll explore what Lucas was hearing from the Secretary and others regarding the implementation during our session tomorrow.

During the Ag Townhall, we will invite folks to ask questions.  Join us Saturday morning at 10 AM- then head out across the parking lot to the Cox Building where you will find our booth and can register for the Prefiert Round Pen that we will be giving away tomorrow afternoon.  make a day or it- lots to see when it comes to things for your farm or ranch- big or small.

2014 Wheat Harvest Looks Grim without Immediate Rainfall, Schulte Says

Each passing day that brings no rain to Oklahoma is just one day closer to a disappointing harvest. So says Mike Schulte, the executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. We talked Thursday and Mike will appear on "In the Field" on News 9 Saturday about 6:40 a.m. He said that a crop that earlier appeared on track to deliver a bountiful harvest may now be in jeopardy.

"A few weeks ago I had promised that there was going to be good potential for the wheat crop in the state of Oklahoma for this 2014 harvest. But, no doubt, with the lack of moisture that we've seen and the high winds over the past three to four weeks pretty much from southwest on up into central and northwest corridors, the wheat crop is really hurting."

Some isolated areas have received as much as an inch of rain in the past few weeks, but, Schulte said, even those crops are seeing a lot of stress. The crop in north central Oklahoma near Ponca City is still looking very good, however, as is the irrigated wheat in the Panhandle. The dryland wheat in the Panhandle region, though, except for a small area in Beaver County is pretty much gone.

Schulte said there are areas across western Oklahoma that have gone more than 102 to 152 days with less than two- to three-tenths of an inch of rain.

Click here to listen to my interview with Mike or to read more of this story.

 

House Panel Questions Ag Chief on Farm Bill Implementation, Regulations & Health of Rural Economy 

Rep. Frank Lucas, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, today held a hearing with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to review the state of the rural economy. With the recent enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, progress on implementing the law was the primary topic of discussion with members asking Secretary Vilsack for an update on his team's efforts.

"I appreciate the Secretary's time today to discuss issues that are important for the future health and vitality of production agriculture and rural America. This committee's priorities center on properly implementing the Agricultural Act of 2014 and providing regulatory relief to our producers. I am concerned about the administration's regulatory initiatives that are often created by people who have no frame of reference for how farmers produce our nation's food supply," Lucas said.

Ranking Member Collin Peterson said, "Passing the farm bill was almost a miracle. Hopefully implementation will be a lot easier. There are several complicated programs but I have confidence that USDA and Secretary Vilsack are up to the task. The rural economic outlook remains positive in many parts of the country, even as commodity markets are starting to decline and weather challenges persist. Of course now, we need to make sure we don't do anything to screw this up. People who don't understand agriculture and are driven more by political ideology are the biggest threats to the rural economy."

You can read the full story, find links to Vilsack's written testimony and a webcast of the hearing by clicking here.

 

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Sees Progress on Farm Bill Implementation 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday announced significant progress on implementing the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill), which President Obama signed into law on February 7. The 2014 Farm Bill reforms agricultural policy, reduces the deficit, and helps grow the economy.

"We are making tremendous progress implementing the new Farm Bill," said Secretary Vilsack. "This law is critically important to America's farmers and ranchers and to our nation's economy. Every USDA agency is working diligently to implement the Farm Bill's new provisions quickly and effectively."

With 12 titles and over 450 provisions, the Farm Bill drives food, farm, conservation, trade, research, energy policies and more. Implementing such a large piece of legislation within the mandated timeline requires a coordinated effort across all areas of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Immediately after enactment, USDA established a farm bill implementation team composed of key sub-cabinet officials and experts from every mission area of the Department to put new programs in place and make mandated reforms to existing programs.   

USDA has made providing long-awaited disaster relief to farmers and ranchers a top priority and quick implementation on relief programs is within sight. Beginning April 15, producers will be able to enroll in the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program. 

Click here to read more (and to listen to Secretary Vilsack) from this story.

Senator Tom Coburn Proposes Cap on Crop Insurance Premium Subsidies

The attacks on crop insurance have resumed, just over two months after the Agricultural Act of 2014 was concluded by Farm Bill Conference that was led by House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas. On Wednesday, two US Senators, including Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, proposed cuts in crop insurance by imposing a cap in crop insurance premium subsidies, hoping for a billion dollars in savings over a ten year period.

Senators Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. and Tom Coburn, M.D., R-Okla., introduced legislation that would cap crop insurance premium subsidies at $70,000 per farm each year. The Senators contend that this cap would impact less than 1.3 percent of producers, according to a 2011 Government Accountability Office report. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if the crop insurance program continues at the current rate without reform, it will cost taxpayers more than $90 billion over the next 10 years.

"Crop insurance premium subsidies should go to those who need assistance rather than those who don't," said Coburn, who has previously co-sponsored legislation with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, to apply means testing on crop insurance purchasers. "The way to address trillion dollar deficits is one billion - or million - dollars at a time. This reform takes us $1 billion in the right direction by ensuring that the wealthiest farm operations are not receiving unnecessarily large federal subsidies."

You can read more of this story by clicking here.

 

Wheat Producers in Drought Areas Facing Double Dose of Risk, Kim Anderson Says

Wheat producers have seen a rollercoaster ride in prices during the first quarter of 2014. That's according to Kim Anderson, Oklahoma State University grain marketing specialist. The price went from six dollars per bushel to near eight dollars in just a few weeks. Prices have since fallen back about 40 cents per bushel in just the last week and a half.

Anderson says in his weekly preview to Saturday's SUNUP show, that some producers are being caught in a price risk-production risk squeeze.

"In a normal year, if production is up then price is down. If production is down, price is up. So, you get some offset between the production risk and the price risk, but not this year in some areas. You take southwest Oklahoma, western Kansas, the Texas Panhandle, where they have poor production. If we can get good production in other areas, we're not going to have that price-production interaction.   Those producers in extreme drought areas are facing both production risk and price risk. Now some producers in other areas, they may have some offsetting factors there between price and production, but there's more risk in the drought areas than there is in non-drought areas."

You can catch all of Kim Anderson's analysis and read the lineup for this week's SUNUP program by clicking here.

 

Oklahoma Wheat Field Days Have Been Set- Here's the List

There will still be some details to come- but here is the list of Wheat Field Days that we currently have from the Wheat Improvement Team at Oklahoma State University- check with your local extension office for exact locations of the field day nearest you:

April 23 - Walters and Thomas (tentative)

April 24 - Apache 5 PM 

April 25 - Chickasha 9 AM

May 1 - Canadian County - 11 AM

May 6 - Kingfisher - 8 AM

May 6 - Okarche - 10:30 AM

May 6 - Omega - 2 PM

May 6 - Homestead - 6 PM

May 7 - Minco - 11 AM

May 8 - Kildare - 8 AM

May 9 - Lahoma - 8:30 registration - tours start at 9:00 

May 12 - Cherokee - 6 PM

May 14 - Harper County / KS joint program 10 AM

May 14 - Alva - 6 PM

May 22 - Blaine County - 11:30 AM