Derrell Peel:  Cattle and Beef Markets Higher so far in 2014 

by Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist

The first quarter of 2014 saw unprecedented prices for all classes of cattle and beef. Retail beef prices moved sharply higher in March for both Choice and All Fresh beef. The March retail Choice price was up 6.7 percent over December levels while the All Fresh retail price was up 6.5 percent compared to December. The Choice retail beef price was up 8.7 percent year over year and the All Fresh retail beef price was up 9 percent from one year ago.

Retail beef prices did not advance as much as wholesale values in the first quarter of 2014. Choice boxed beef price was up 19.6 percent over December, 2013 levels while Select boxed beef was up 23.7 percent. Compared to one year ago, Choice boxed beef price was 23.3 percent higher and Select boxed beef price was up 21.5 percent from year earlier levels. Boxed beef prices have been much more volatile and have increased more than retail beef prices so far this year. This indicates that retail margins have been squeezed and that wholesale price increases have not yet been fully passed on to retail markets.

Click here for more of Derrell Peel's latest analysis.

 

Temperatures across Oklahoma were cooler than normal last week, ranging from 21 degrees at Chickasha on Tuesday, April 15th, to 84 degrees at Buffalo on Saturday, April 19th. Some winter wheat producing counties experienced below freezing temperatures for an extended period of time. The already drought-stressed winter wheat and canola crops were negatively impacted by the freeze and moisture continues to be an issue.  Topsoil moisture conditions were rated 25 percent adequate to surplus and 75 percent short to very short.

The winter wheat condition was rated mostly fair to poor with 27 percent rated very poor. Winter wheat jointing reached 89 percent by Sunday, 4 points ahead of the previous year and 3 points behind the five year average. Canolaconditions were rated 72 percent poor to very poor, with 22 percent rated fair. Canola blooming reached 77 percent by week's end, compared to 71 percent this time last year.  (Click here for the full Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition report.)

Around Texas, dry, windy conditions, combined with freezing temperatures caused damage to small grains in some areas. Moisture was badly needed in many places, and where available, producers applied irrigation to wheat fields.  Sixty-five percent of the crop in Texas is in poor or very poor shape with 23 percent fair and 11 percent in good condition.  (The full Texas report is available by clicking here.)

In Kansas, freezing temperatures in many areas at the start of the week gave way to warmer conditions by week's end.  A good portion of the state received light precipitation. Winter wheat condition rated 11 percent very poor, 21 poor, 44 fair, 23 good, and 1 excellent. Winter wheat jointed was 39 percent, behind 43 last year and the five-year average of 61. (Click here to read the full Kansas report.)

USDA to Require Reporting of PEDv in Attempt to Slow Its Spread

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that in an effort to further enhance the biosecurity and health of the US swine herd while maintaining movement of pigs in the US, the USDA will require reporting of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) and Swine Delta Coronavirus in order to slow the spread of this disease across the United States. USDA is taking this latest action due to the devastating effect on swine health since it was first confirmed in the country last year even though PEDv it is not a reportable disease under international standards. PEDv only affects pigs and does not pose a risk to people and is not a food safety concern.

"USDA has been working closely with the pork industry and our state and federal partners to solve this problem. Together, we have established testing protocols, sequenced the virus and are investigating how the virus is transmitted," said Vilsack. "Today's actions will help identify gaps in biosecurity and help us as we work together to stop the spread of these diseases and the damage caused to producers, industry and ultimately consumers."

In addition to requiring reporting of the PED virus, today's announcement will also require tracking movements of pigs, vehicles, and other equipment leaving affected premises; however, movements would still be allowed. USDA is also working with industry partners to increase assistance to producers who have experienced PED virus outbreaks in other critical areas such as disease surveillance, herd monitoring and epidemiological and technical support.

Click here for more.
 

New Stover Ethanol Study is Deeply Flawed, RFA's Bob Dinneen Says

A new study published in Nature Climate Change that argues biofuels from corn residue (stover) may be worse for the climate than gasoline is deeply flawed and contradictory to current science according to Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association.  He claims the study shows a complete lack of understanding of current farming practices.

"The study's methodology is fundamentally flawed and its conclusions are highly suspect. The results are based on sweeping generalizations, questionable assumptions, and an opaque methodology. The authors offer no robust explanation for why their findings contradict other recent, highly regarded research. Ultimately, this paper should be seen for what it truly is - a modeling exercise of a hypothetical scenario that bears no resemblance to the real world."

Dinneen goes on to highlight several key areas of contention with the Liska et al study. "Stover removal rates are currently in the 10-25% range, which well-documented research demonstrates is sufficient to replenish soil. But this study assumes 60-70% stover removal, a level that nobody believes is sustainable."

You can read the rest of Bob Dinneen's comments by clicking here.  

Chief House Ag Committee Economist Credits FFA for Large Measure of his Success

One of the key players behind the scenes in the crafting and passage of the 2014 Farm Bill was Oklahoma's Bart Fischer. As the chief economist for the House Agriculture Committee, he was instrumental throughout the process as budgets were constantly being renegotiated time and time again in search of compromises that would finally allow for passage.

It was a tough process, but, ultimately, Fischer credits his successful work on the project with Congressman Frank Lucas in no small measure to his time spent in FFA. 

Fischer grew up on a farm just outside of Frederick and went to school in Chattanooga and never really gave participation in FFA much thought.

"From a very early age I grew up helping my dad and my grandfather on our family farm, so it was kind of a foregone conclusion that I was going to be involved in FFA when the time came. I got an early start in 4-H showing livestock and transitioned into FFA showing Limousin cattle, participating in speech contests and then working on my SAE at home which was my farming enterprise which was my farming enterprise that I had alongside my dad's and my grandfather's."

Fischer said the highlight of his FFA career was being selected the Star Farmer in Oklahoma in 1998, but some of his strongest and most instructional memories were from the times he didn't win various competitions he was entered in.

You can listen to my conversation with Bart or read more of this story on our website.  Please click here to go there.
 

This N That- Rainfall Kept Coming on Monday, Express Ranches Grass Time Sale Coming and Your One Week Warning

Rainfall totals for the Easter Sunday (and Monday after Easter) system piled up mostly in the southern half of the state, with the heaviest totals from Stephens County east to almost the state line.  In fact, the biggest total seen at the Mesonet stations across the state was at the Ketchum Ranch in Stephens County at 2.23 inches.  

Click here for the map that shows rainfall totals from Saturday night into this morning.

On Monday morning, we did hear about heavier rainfall totals in southwest Jackson County- south of the Hollis and Altus Mesonet stations that both had slightly more than a half inch of rain in their gauges.

A listener and email reader of ours reported that he had an inch of rain at his place in southwest Jackson County and that neighbors had as much as two and half inches of rainfall. 

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Express Ranches is pleased to invite you to their 2014 Grass Time Sale this Friday, April 25, 2014 at 11:00 AM- the sale to be held at the Ranch on the north side of Yukon, Oklahoma


The team at Express will sell 500 head at their annual Grass Time sale. Included in the offering:150 Angus Bulls

125 Registered Angus Pairs

13 Angus Show Heifer Prospects

50 Registered Fall Calving Bred Heifers

51 Commercial Angus Replacement Females

40 Commercial Angus Fall Bred Cows 

Click here for more information or you can call Express Ranches at 800-664-3977. 

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Next week will be a busy week, as the major wheat crop tours and reporting sessions are planned, including the annual Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association annual meeting where they will be getting reports across the Oklahoma wheat belt and giving their best guess about how many bushels may be harvested in about 30 to 60 days in the state. We will also be watching what the scouts come up with as they tramp across mostly Kansas for the Wheat Quality Council Tour next week as well.  

Also coming next week is the annual Oklahoma FFA Convention on April 29-30 in downtown OKC- click here for details about the 84th annual gathering of the Blue and Gold in our state.

AND- teams from across the US are headed to Oklahoma City for the National Land Judging Contest (I know- it has a much bigger name than that) next week as well- most of the events are happening next Thursday with the location of the judging itself a closely guarded secret. Click here for details.