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The Obama Administration has released what is being called their Federal Unified Agenda for the coming year. This is the tsunami of federal regulations that many Republican members of Congress have expressed concern about now that the mid term elections are mostly behind us. The latest rollout includes some 3,415 regulations- more than the last regulatory agenda, and one that includes 189 rules that cost more than $100 million.

Among the regulations that are listed in the many different rules that the Environmental Protection Agency plans to issue in 2015 is the Waters of the US proposal. EPA seems to be signaling in the detail released on Monday that they plan to modify the rule that was out for public comment much of this year and issue that as a final rule in the new year. The EPA will issue its redefinition next year, according to the agenda.

Within the USDA, there are 123 regulations that are listed in the regulatory agenda, with one of the more controversial ones that is considered to be in the final rule stage the "Importation of Beef From a Region in Brazil." The Administration is saying in this rule that "Based on the evidence in a recent risk assessment, we have determined that fresh (chilled or frozen) beef can be safely imported from those Brazilian States, provided certain conditions are met. This action will provide for the importation of beef from the designated region in Brazil into the United States while continuing to protect the United States against the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease." The cattle industry in the US has strongly disagreed with the USDA as this proposed rule proceeds through the federal pipeline.

Click or tap here to read more- and to check out the links to details on thousands of likely rule makings ahead of us- courtesy of the Obama Administration.    

Oklahoma Offers Large Animal Vet Incentive Program 

Large animal veterinarians can get some financial assistance with their school loans. The Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry have announced the initial offering of the Large Animal Veterinarian Incentive educational loan repayment program. Up to two recipients will be selected for the program. A veterinarian could receive up to $25,000 annually for a maximum of four years.


To be eligible for the program a large animal veterinarian must be employed in a full-time position in any community in Oklahoma with a population not to exceed 25,000 as determined by the most recent Federal census.


The deadline for application is January 1, 2015. Click here for more information and how to apply.

NCGA Calls for Partnership, Dialogue on Pollinator Health

Four months into the creation of a presidential task force on pollinator health, the National Corn Growers Association has established itself as a leading voice for farmers in the discussion over how to ensure a healthy and robust population of honeybees and other pollinators.


Last week, Don Glenn, chairman of NCGA's Production and Stewardship Action Team, spoke at the Pollinator Health Task Force's public listening session outside Washington, DC.


"Although corn does not rely on bees or other pollinators, we recognize their importance to agriculture," said Glenn. "It's important for us to be at the table, as a voice for farmers, and engaging in a productive conservation about how to solve this challenge."


The listening session was the latest in a series of activities from the task force, which was created by a presidential initiative in June and is jointly run by the USDA and EPA. Click here to read more about NCGA working with Task Force members on grower education efforts.
 

USMEF Finding Alternatives for Price Sensitive International Customers

Tight cattle supplies have resulted in record cattle prices. It doesn't matter if you are talking about calves, yearling, mamma cows, replacement females, along with the steers and heifers that go to packing plants that are ending up as the beef for domestic and international markets. In the case of the international markets that caused a few challenges for the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). That's according to USMEF Assistant Vice President International Marketing & Programs Greg Hanes said they have had to switch pitch a few countries that have gotten used to certain cuts that have simply become too pricey.


"You will see some markets that are much more price sensitive than others," Hanes said. "You have bigger markets say like Japan where they are our biggest market, big importer they're complaining about the prices but they are still buying, then you have other markets say like in southeast Asia where they would be buying a lot of those same kind of cuts that maybe we would be selling into Japan or in Korea. They don't quite have that spending capacity that they do in these markets, so what we have done is we really tried to target and identify additional cuts, we call them 'alternative cuts' that they can still use in a lot of different cooking styles and yet it gives them more value for their money. Like in Taiwan for example we have really been focusing on the clod heart and the petite tender and had great results with that. So what you are seeing now those kind of cuts are going into these markets and then kind of the traditional cuts that say the Japan, Koreas or even Hong Kong maybe buying are kind of staying along their traditional lines." 


I recently caught up with Hanes in Stillwater after he briefed the Oklahoma Beef Council board about the export situation and outlook for beef. You can hear part of our conversation with Hanes as aired on the Beef Buzz by Clicking here  as well as being able to read more about how demand has increased in Japan in recent years.   

Grain Harvest Winding Down- Cotton Harvest Active in Oklahoma and Texas 

The cotton crop in Oklahoma continues to be actively harvested, while other spring planted crops are mostly out of the fields. Corn harvest reached competition on Sunday. Sorghum harvest was at 92% by week's end, 3 points ahead of normal. Soybeans reached 85% complete, peanut harvest reached 91% and cotton harvest jumped 13 points from the previous week to 56% harvested, but was 12 points behind normal. The winter wheat crop rated 54% in good to excellent condition, 35% in fair and 11% in poor to very poor. Some operators in the southeast district began grazing cattle on small grains. The Winter Canola Crop is rated 40% good to excellent, 46% fair and 14% in poor to very poor condition.  Click here for the full Oklahoma crop report. 

Weather conditions affected harvested activities in much of the Texas. Rainfall was heaviest in east and central with some areas reporting over five inches or more. Many northern and central areas of the state experienced snowfall and freezing temperatures. The latest US Department of Agriculture crop progress report had corn harvest mostly wrapped up, peanuts were 94% harvested, sorghum harvest was 84% complete, soybeans were at 81% and cotton was at 57%. Winter wheat seeding was nearing competition with 92% of the crop planted and 82% of the crop emerged.  Click here for the full Texas report.

Harvest continued last week across Kansas of the remaining row crops. USDA reported sorghum harvest was 90% complete and soybeans were 96% harvested, both in line with averages. Cotton harvest reached 46% complete, behind 53 last year and 60 average. The winter wheat crop rated six percent in excellent condition, 55% good, 35% fair, four percent in poor condition and none rated in very poor condition.  Click here for the full Kansas report.

For the full National Crop Progress report, click here.

Peel Says Cattle on Feed Numbers Show Response to Current Market

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his thoughts about the latest government numbers for the cattle industry in this week's  Cow/Calf Corner newsletter.


The latest Cattle on Feed report puts November 1 feedlot inventories at 10.63 million head, just fractionally above the year ago total of 10.59 million head. This slight increase in feedlot inventories over last year ends a string of 26 consecutive months of monthly year over year decreases in feedlot inventories. Feedlot inventories are slightly above year ago levels despite indications that total feeder cattle supplies continue to tighten. Turning fewer cattle into larger feedlot inventories is the result of feedlot decisions about both placements and marketings.


October feedlot placements were slightly less than one percent below year ago levels. Placements were slightly larger than pre-report expectations and reflect, in part, a sharp increase in Canadian feeder cattle imports in October. Placements were up for 800+ pound animals and lower for all other weight categories. The largest year over year decrease in placements was for the traditional 700-799 pound weight category. For the last five months, which captures most of the current feedlot inventory, placements of 700-799 pounds feeders has been a smaller percentage of placements compared to last year, while all other weight categories have been a larger percentage. In other words, feedlots have placed heavy feeders (>800 pounds) to the extent available and otherwise have been placing lighter weight cattle that will stay on feed longer thereby maintaining feedlot inventories.

Click here to read more of  Dr. Peel's take on last Friday's report- and where these numbers may be taking us price wise. 

Catch All Disaster Program- ELAP- Applied  Retroactively 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA announced Monday that nearly 2,500 applicants will receive disaster assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) for losses suffered from Oct. 1, 2011, through Sept. 30, 2013.


The program, re-authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, provides disaster relief to livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish producers not covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs. Eligible losses may include excessive heat or winds, flooding, blizzards, hail, wildfires, lightning strikes, volcanic eruptions, and diseases, or in the case of honeybees, losses due to colony collapse disorder. Beekeepers, most of whom suffered honeybee colony losses, represent more than half of ELAP recipients.


"As promised, we're making sure that thousands of producers who suffered through two and a half difficult years without Farm Bill assistance, are getting some relief," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack "Once the Farm Bill was restored, not only did we implement the disaster assistance programs in record time, we're issuing payments less than three months after the enrollment deadline. The funds will hopefully help producers with some of the financial losses they sustained during that time."


The Farm Bill caps ELAP disaster funding at $20 million per federal fiscal year. To accommodate the number of requests, which exceeded funds available for each of the affected years, payments will be reduced to ensure that all eligible applicants receive a prorated share of assistance.

Read more here.