Nation's Corn Harvest Progress Remains Slow, Quality Still High

The U.S. corn harvest for 2014 gained only seven percentage points in the last week, standing now at 24 percent, compared to a five-year average of 43 percent harvested by this date, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports. Crop quality continues unchanged, with 74 percent rated good or excellent.

"Right now, our growers are busy trying to harvest a record crop and, in many places, facing wet conditions which make it difficult to do so," said NCGA President Chip Bowling. "While we work tirelessly in our combines, we realize that we must also work to grow markets and ensure we have the robust infrastructure necessary to move our crop efficiently and cost-effectively to meet demand."

Soybean harvest gained 20 points this past week to reach 40 percent completion nationally, which is behind the five year average of 53. 

Cotton harvest was tracking close with the five year average with 22 percent of the crop harvested.  Maturity was slower than normal with 77 percent of the bolls opening, well behind the average of 85.
 
 

For the full USDA report, click here. 

Showers across Oklahoma are helping the newly planted wheat and canola crop.  In the latest crop progress report from the US Department of Agriculture 95 percent of the canola has been planted and 55 percent of the crop has emerged.  Through Sunday, Wheat planting was 78 percent seeded and 51 percent emerged.  Corn harvest was 75 percent complete.  Sorghum was 54 percent harvested and soybean harvest was 19 percent done.   As of Sunday, 32 percent of the peanuts have been dug and six percent of the cotton has been harvested.  The fourth cutting of alfalfa hay was 86 percent complete.  Click here for the full Oklahoma report.

Many areas of Texas received precipitation last week, including up to five inches in portions of the Blacklands and North East Texas.  Winter wheat seeding continued with 63 percent of the crop planted and 41 percent of the crop has emerged.  The cooler wet weather delayed harvest with progress only gaining one point for corn, sorghum and cotton.   Click here for the full Texas report.

Wheat planting and harvest was running behind in Kansas due to the scattered rain showers this past week.  USDA reports winter wheat planting was 67 percent complete, behind the five year average of 73 and emergence was 42 percent complete.  Corn harvest was 56 percent done.  Sorghum harvest was at 15 percent behind the average of 24.  Soybean harvest was 18 percent complete.  Click here for the full Kansas report.  

One of the largest customers in the world of the US Cattle Industry, McDonald's, is providing a video look into how their beef patties are made- from the beef cuts that are ground into hamburger and then pressed into the patties, frozen and then sent to the McDonald's locations around the country.


A video released on Monday by the fast-food giant features former MythBusters co-host Grant Imahara, who tours a Cargill facility in Fresno, Calif., that produces, freezes and ships McDonald's beef patties.


The video begins with Imahara inspecting cuts of meat on a conveyer belt headed toward a grinder. After the meat is ground, it is formed into beef patties and sent to a freezer before boxing and packaged for shipping.


Click here to read more about McDonald's public relations campaign and to watch the YouTube video.

US Wins WTO Dispute Against India's Ban of US Agricultural Products

United States Trade Representative Michael Froman announced Tuesday that the United States has won a major victory at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on behalf of U.S. farmers, including the U.S. poultry industry.   A WTO dispute settlement panel has found in favor of the United States in a dispute challenging India's ban on various U.S. agricultural products - such as poultry meat, eggs, and live pigs - allegedly to protect against avian influenza.   The panel agreed with the United States that India's ban breached numerous international trade rules, including because it was imposed without sufficient scientific evidence.


"This is a major victory for American farmers. The WTO panel agreed with the U.S. case that India lacks any scientific basis to restrict U.S. agricultural products, including U.S. poultry products. Our farmers produce the finest - and safest - agricultural products in the world," said Ambassador Froman. "This is the fourth major WTO victory the U.S. has announced this year as we continue to unlock economic opportunity for our workers, farmers, and businesses. This victory affirms the Administration's commitment to ensuring WTO Members play by the rules, and that America's farmers, workers and businesses get the fair shot they deserve to sell Made-in-America goods under WTO rules."


 "India's ban was thinly veiled protectionism," said USAPEEC President James Sumner and National Chicken Council President Michael Brown. "This ruling should send a signal to India and other countries that have placed similar bans on U.S. poultry that they are inconsistent with WTO rules and with guidelines established by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). 

Click or tap here to read more about the WTO ruling.   Click or tap here for more reaction from the National Chicken Council on the announcement.  

Cattle Market Watcher Derrell Peel Says Heifers Remain in High Demand- and at High Prices

Cattle prices are strong across the board, especially females. As females are being sent on through the slaughter chain, the market is getting very close to parity between steer prices and heifer prices. Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Dr. Derrell Peel said heifers are closing the gap on steers.


"We've been anticipating this for a while, heifers obviously are in demand for retention," Peel said. "They also have a lot of demand as feeder cattle because of the overall tight supplies and we're beginning to see some market reports now where heifers that are not necessarily designated as replacement heifers but the percent discount of heifer price to steer price is less than normal this fall. We're seeing right now a little bit more in the northern plains but I think it will happen more generally across the country as we go farther into this calf market this fall." 


As cattle prices look to continue upward, Peel said he is optimistic beef prices will also move higher in the final quarter of 2014. We feature Dr. Peel in our latest Beef Buzz- Click or tap here to hear Peel's perspective and if it is too late to get into the cattle business with these high prices.    

This N That - Beef Checkoff Petition, Big Iron Wednesday and Check the Calendar

Cattle producers concerned about the future of the nation's beef checkoff are going straight to the President. A petition has been started on the White House website calling on the Obama Administration to NOT hijack the beef checkoff. The petition is in response to US Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announcing the possible creation of a second beef checkoff. This new checkoff would be controlled by the federal government and would likely not be coordinated with the existing checkoff. This proposal has been criticized particularly by the leadership of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.


Through the "We the People" section of the White House website, opponents against the Vilsack proposal put together a petition for supporters to sign.

One hundred thousand signatures are needed to force a response from the White House on this subject- learn more, including how to sign the petition by clicking here.

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It's Wednesday- and that means the Big Iron folks will be busy closing out this week's auction items- all 362 of them- starting at 10 AM central time.                  

Click Here for the complete rundown of what is being sold on this no reserve online sale this week.

If you'd like more information on buying and selling with Big Iron, call District Manager Mike Wolfe at 580-320-2718 and he can give you the full scoop.  You can also reach Mike via email by clicking or tapping here. 

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We continue to add things almost every day to the calendar for the final three months of the year- several dozen items are on tap for the second half of October- and more in November and December.

Take a look at things that are of interest to your operation- many of them happening in your neck of the woods.

Click or tap here to jump over to the complete calendar as found on the OklahomaFarmReport.Com website.

AND- if you know of something that we need to add- drop me an email- we will be glad to add it- there is never a charge for items submitted from non profit groups.