Winter Crop Condition Continues to Decline Across Southern Plains- Corn Planting Pace is a Bright Spot  

Drought conditions persisted in Oklahoma last week. According to the most recent drought monitor the most intense category, D-4 exceptional drought, has increased from 20 percent to 29 percent this past week. The D-4 category encompassed the Panhandle, West Central and Southwest Districts. Producers in the Panhandle continued to experience high winds and deteriorating winter wheat crops.

Seventy-five percent of winter wheat was rated poor to very poor while the condition of the canola crop was rated as 82 percent poor to very poor.  (Click here to read the rest of the Oklahoma Crop Weather report.)

Heat and high winds caused further deterioration of the Kansas wheat crop. Blowing and drifting dirt continues to be a concern in southwest Kansas, as some fields are too dry and barren to hold the topsoil against the strong winds.  Winter wheat condition rated 23 percent very poor, 33 poor, 31 fair, 12 good, and one percent excellent.  (Read more of the Kansas Crop Progress and Condition report by clicking here.)

Many areas of the state received much needed rainfall last week. Areas of the Cross Timbers, Blacklands, South Central, and East Texas received 1 to 6 inches.  Wheat conditions, however, worsened in some areas of the High Plains.  Sixty-eight percent of the wheat crop was listed in poor or very poor condition, 21 percent was in fair shape, 10 percent was good and only one percent was excellent.  (Click here for the full Texas report.)

NATIONALLY- the most significant number seems to be the corn planted figure- it is one percent ahead of the five year average at 59% complete for the week ending May 11th.  There are just a few states still digging out from the cold and snow of this past winter- Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota are behind normal and that is about it.  

The corn crop going in on time supports the thesis that USDA seems to be touting for 2014- we have a huge corn crop potential for 2014.  If that occurs, corn prices will be stable and lower which is music to the ears of livestock producers- and consumers benefit as well- because with those corn prices in check- rising meat prices may not rise as much as they could have if corn prices had been on the rise.

Click here for the complete national Crop Progress report, which shows good planting progress on a variety of crops across the US- and we also have the weekly Pasture and Range condition ratings as well.

Regional Changes in Cow-Calf Production: 2012 Census of Ag Summary, Part 2 

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

The U.S. beef cow herd decreased by 11 percent from 2007 to 2014, dropping from 32.6 to 29.0 million head. Drought has been responsible for large beef cow inventory decreases in Texas (down 25 percent); Oklahoma (down 12 percent) and New Mexico (down 16 percent). Most of the decrease in these states has occurred since 2011 and significant rebuilding of the beef cow herd in these states is expected when conditions permit. However, decreases in the beef cow herd in much of the eastern half of the country appear to be more structural and long term in nature due to changes in forage production. For example, from 2007 to 2014, the beef cow herd decreased significantly in Iowa (down12 percent); Illinois (down 16 percent); Indiana (down 18 percent); Missouri (down14 percent); Kentucky (down 16 percent); Tennessee (down 23 percent); Minnesota (down 14 percent); and Georgia (down 18 percent).

A comparison of the 2012 and 2007 Census of Agriculture shows that total pasture acreage in the U.S. declined by 3.6 percent. This decrease was due to a 64 percent decrease in cropland used as pasture. This pasture category decreased significantly in all states but, since cropland pastured represents a much larger proportion of total pasture in some regions, the impact on total pasture varied widely across states. 

Click here to read the rest of this story on our website where you will also find a link to Part I of this series.

 

As Crop Condition Worsens, Bambi Sidwell Says Insurance Adjusters in High Demand

With poor weather conditions continuing to hammer both winter wheat and canola, producers are turning to their insurance agents to make claims or to help make decisions on how to move forward with what remains of their crop.

I spoke recently with Bambi Sidwell of Sidwell Insurance at the Lahoma Wheat Field Day. She said her company is handling a consistent stream of calls from producers seeking guidance on where to go from here.

She said there are a lot of farmers who spoke with an adjuster before their crop headed out and might not have accepted the adjuster's appraisal at that time. She said they might want to speak with an adjuster again to discuss any change in their crop's condition and their options.

Sidwell said the wheat south of State Highway 51 is headed out now so adjusters from all of the crop insurance companies are able to release that wheat, but it could still take some time before an adjuster can appraise the crop.

"As far as destroying their wheat, farmers do have the option to go ahead a leave some strips so they can utilize the crop before it is completely disastered-for hay purposes or grazing." 

Click here to read more or to listen to my conversation with Bambi Sidwell. 

Millennials, Are They Really That Different from Other Generations?

For the beef checkoff, there are two important goals in the Beef Industry Long Range Plan around which key elements of the program are built - building beef demand and protecting beef's image. To accomplish these goals, beef checkoff programs have focused on consumers' ages, household status, and their interest in both food and nutrition.

Recently, given consumers' ever changing relationship with beef, producers who oversee the program decided it was time to take a fresh look at their target audience to make sure the checkoff seizes every opportunity to positively impact beef demand. While the previous target food- and health-involved consumers would remain on their radar, consumer research led these producers to look more closely on a group of 25-34-year-olds, part of the so-called millennial generation, to fall into the food and health category.

The checkoff conducted a study in late 2013 using both qualitative and quantitative methods to better understand the target audience overall. This research included focus groups among 'mature millennials' (ages 25-34 years) to learn more about what really defines these consumers in a face-face setting, along with a survey of 1,250 from this group through online research to gain a perspective on the millennial generation versus non-millennials.

Click here to read the results of this study.

 

Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts Awarded Grant

As part of their continuing commitment to Oklahoma and the health of its environment, the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) today announced an initiative to help educate all Oklahomans on the benefits of soil health. The initiative is supported in part by a grant from the Kirkpatrick Foundation.

"Improved soil health is something everyone should be interested in, not just those of us in production agriculture," Kim Farber, President of OACD said. "Whether you are talking about increasing yields to feed a growing planet, protecting the quality of our water, addressing climate change, improving wildlife habitats, insuring that we have adequate water for human consumption and production agriculture into the future or helping to improve the bottom line of farmers and ranchers, soil health can help address all of these issues. We are extremely honored to have received funding from the Kirkpatrick Foundation in our effort to spread the word about the benefits of soil health and we are excited to be able to get this effort off the ground."

"The Foundation is pleased to approve a grant to OACD to help their work in soil health and conservation, which will be of significance to the entire state," said Louisa McCune-Elmore, Kirkpatrick Foundation Executive Director. The Foundation has supported Oklahoma non-profits since its inception in 1955, giving grants in the areas of arts, culture, education, animal wellbeing, environmental conservation and historical preservation.  

ICYMI- NCBA's Colin Woodall Weighs in on Concerns About Proposed Brazilian Imports of Beef to US

In Case You Missed it- One of our Beef Buzz shows from this past week featured comments with the head of the Washington, DC office of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Colin Woodall. Woodall.  He talked with me about several subjects- including the concerns that NCBA and many other groups (and lawmakers, too) have about allowing fresh and frozen beef into the United States from Brazil without being assured that the Brazilians can have in place a iron clad firewall against FMD hitching a ride on the beef bound for the US and infecting the US Cattle herd for the first time since 1929 with the highly-infectious disease.

NCBA also issued a news release on the studies conducted by the US Food Safety and Inspection Service which does not inspire confidence in how good of a job Brazil may be able to do. Evidently, there are some discussions going on since all of that took place the first half of last week as RON was told that no media interviews or followups on this subject are being made at this time.

As a result, these comments from Woodall that were a part of last Wednesday's Beef Buzz and the news release that quickly followed are the most recent comments coming from the leading cattle industry group's representatives in Washington.

You can listen to this Beef Buzz and read more of this story by clicking here.  

Another Day- Another Attack on US Food- This Time It's a Movie, Fed Up

The film Fed Up, which debuted in theaters across the country Friday,  focuses on the food industry. According to the Hagstrom Report, Katie Couric, one of the producers of the film - is now asking people to visit the Fed Up website and join her challenge to avoid eating sugar-containing products and flour for 10-days in response to the Grocery Manufacturers Association's website - Fed Up Facts - countering the film's message about prepared foods.  

Couric says all products with added sugar and artificial sweeteners are included in this challenge. The film says artificial sweeteners alert the body that sugar is coming - even if it isn't - and suggests people cut out all flour products that turn to sugar in the body. (In other words- wheat farmers are under direct attack)  

The Fed Up Facts website has lots of information- here is one of their graphics that pushes back on the sensationalized direction of the movie:

Click here for the Grocery Manufacturers website that responds to the Fed Up Movie.

If you want to go see the Fed Up Movie website- click here.