USDA Officially Announces Sign-Up Date for Farmer and Rancher Disaster Assistance Programs 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that farmers and ranchers can sign-up for disaster assistance programs, reestablished and strengthened by the 2014 Farm Bill, beginning Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Quick implementation of the programs has been a top priority for USDA.

"These programs will provide long-awaited disaster relief for many livestock producers who have endured significant financial hardship from weather-related disasters while the programs were expired and awaiting Congressional action," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "President Obama and I prioritized the implementation of these disaster assistance programs now that the Farm Bill has restored and strengthened them."

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) will provide payments to eligible producers for livestock deaths and grazing losses that have occurred since the expiration of the livestock disaster assistance programs in 2011, and including calendar years 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Enrollment also begins on April 15 for producers with losses covered by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP).

To expedite applications, all producers who experienced losses are encouraged to collect records documenting these losses in preparation for the enrollment in these disaster assistance programs. Information on the types of records necessary can be provided by local FSA county offices. Producers also are encouraged to contact their county office ahead of time to schedule an appointment.

Click here to read more and to find links to specific fact sheets for each program. 

Despite Supply Concerns, Red Meat Exports Remain Strong in February 

Buoyed by double-digit export growth to Mexico - the largest volume market for all U.S. red meat exports - U.S. pork and beef exports performed well in February despite growing concerns about tight supplies and rising prices, according to statistics released by the USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Beef sales to Mexico in the first two months of 2014 are up 26 percent in volume to 37,638 metric tons (mt) and 40 percent in value ($183 million), while pork exports are 16 percent higher in volume (113,677 mt) and 21 percent in value ($222.3 million). Mexico also is the largest volume and value market for U.S. lamb exports.

February pork exports totaled 182,412 mt, up 2 percent from a year ago, while export value also rose 2 percent to $506.4 million. Cumulative exports for the first two months of the year similarly were 2 percent ahead of last year's pace in both volume (373,973 mt) and value ($1.04 billion).

February beef export volume was down slightly from a year ago to 85,876 mt, reflecting smaller variety meat exports, but value was up 12 percent to $480.3 million. January-February exports were 6 percent higher in volume (183,700 mt) and 14 percent in value ($994.8 million). 

Click here to read more.

 

Beef Herd Expansion Threatened in the Coming Weeks, Darrell Peel Says

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, writes in the latest Cow-Calf newsletter:

It's April and pastures are, or should be, greening up in the southern half of the country. However, cold weather this spring has delayed pasture development in many areas. Winter conditions still exist in several regions in the northern half of the country where spring green-up is still a month away. From a cattle perspective, conditions fall into three categories at the current time. Moisture conditions are adequate to abundant in most of the eastern half of the country. Marginal drought conditions are the norm in the middle of the country with persistent severe drought conditions in much of the West.   

Forage and crop conditions should improve rapidly in the Delta and Southeast in the next few weeks. Cool temperatures (and soil temperatures) is delaying forage growth and crop planting in the Midwest, Northern Plains and northern Rocky Mountain region. Warm and dry conditions are forecast for the Southwest and western mountain regions and the west coast. Producers in wet regions will move forward with production plans with warmer temperatures. Producers in drought areas will remain retrenched waiting for improving conditions. Texas and Oklahoma, along with California, Nevada and New Mexico have the largest areas of severe drought (D3 and D4).    

You can read more of Darrell Peel's analysis by clicking here.

 

Rabobank Report: Chinese Market to Lead Continued Strong Global Demand for Beef

Rabobank has published a new report on the global beef industry, forecasting continued strong market fundamentals and continued strong global demand led by the Chinese market.

In the report, Rabobank's Food & Agribusiness Research team says that beef market fundamentals remain positive, with prices driven up across the globe in Q1 2014 by firm demand as well as further tightening supply due to drought-induced herd retention in the U.S. and adverse weather conditions in Brazil and Australia - the three main beef exporters. Combined with fluctuating exchange rates, these events have impacted competitive positions in export markets, with Brazil and Australia gaining export share in Q1 at the expense of the U.S..

The bank says that, on the demand side, beef demand growth will continue to come mainly from China. Although 2014 imports in China are not expected to reach the growth levels experienced in 2013, they will grow as Chinese farmers take little interest in government-supported production expansion and strong profits, and the market opening for Australian chilled fresh beef products. Chinese market opening to Brazilian beef may happen imminently.

You can read the rest of this story on our website by clicking here.

 

Saginaw Rancher Re-Elected TSCRA President; Group Installs New Directors

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association(TSCRA) installed new officers Sunday during the closing session of the 137th Annual Cattle Raisers Convention in Fort Worth.

Pete Bonds, Saginaw, was elected president; Richard Thorpe, Winters, first vice president; Robert McKnight, Fort Davis, second vice president; and Eldon White, Fort Worth, executive vice president.

"The continued determination and commitment of cattle raisers is needed as our industry looks to the future," said Bonds. "It is an honor to serve as president of TSCRA and I look forward to working with our members to ensure the strength and stability of the Texas cattle industry."

Oklahoman Less Nunn from Pauls Valley was elected an honorary director.

You can read more of this story by clicking here.
 

This N That- National Crop Progress Summary Pushed Back One Day, Court Plans to Rehear COOL Arguments and Rainfall by the INCH!

For undisclosed reasons- USDA was unable to compile a national summary of state Crop Weather Updates yesterday- it was expected they would be releasing the first Crop Progress summary Monday afternoon at 3 PM central time- but a one sentence statement said on the NASS website on Monday instead "The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is delaying today's Crop Progress Report until tomorrow April 8 at 4 pm." (translated- that means 3 PM central today.)

Can a government agency use the "My dog ate my homework" excuse?

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For additional undisclosed reasons- the US Appeals Court has done something close to an 180 degree turn and has decided that the arguments over the legality of the COOL Rule established last May by USDA need to be heard again.  As you might expect- those who dislike the Rule are happy- and those who support the rule are smiling and saying- it will be okay- they won't dare mess with it at the end of the day.  

In that first camp is Mark Dopp, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel of the American Meat Institute; "

"We are also pleased that the full Court will rehear the case en banc in May. We had strong concerns with the reasoning in the March 28 ruling.  Today's court order to vacate the ruling signals that some members of the court may share those concerns. We remain hopeful that consideration of the case by then full Court will lead to an injunction against the protectionistic and costly country of origin labeling rule that is hurting livestock producers and meat companies while offering little benefit to consumers."

Meanwhile, Bill Bullard of RCalf says his group and other COOL backers still have a strong case and they're looking forward to having all the judges hear their arguments. He adds that he  is confident the court will find that U.S. consumers have a right to know where their meat is produced and meat packers need to provide that information to them.

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Rainfall by the inch- that has been a rare occurrence here in Oklahoma in recent months- but in the last five days, we do have multiple locations that have received more than an inch of rainfall.  Unfortunately, it has mostly occurred east of I-35.  Click here for the latest map and details from the map on rainfall in the state.   

If you were awarding blue ribbons for rainfall- Durant would be in that number one slot for the last five days- and they actually have had a couple of those "inch" things that rainfall in some parts of the world is talked about.