Livestock Groups Support Renewal of Trade Promotion Authority

As trade negotiators meet again this week, several agricultural groups are urging Congress to renew Trade Promotion Authority, legislation that gives the President authority to negotiate trade agreements with an assurance that Congress will give the final agreement only an up or down vote. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council and National Pork Producers Council all voiced their support for TPA.

Over 12 million American jobs depend on exports, and with the renewal of TPA, valuable free trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership can move forward. NCBA President and Texas cattle producer, Bob McCan said under TPP, the U.S. beef industry could see the elimination of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers that hinder the industry's ability to meet free market demand for beef in the Pacific Rim.  Click here to read more from NCBA.

"The U.S. pork industry is the poster child for expanded trade," said NPPC President Howard Hill, a pork producer from Cambridge, Iowa. "As a result of trade agreements, our exports have increased 1550 percent in value and 1268 percent in volume since 1989, the year the U.S. implemented the FTA with Canada and started opening international markets for value-added agriculture products. Pork producers and U.S. agriculture are dependent on export markets, so NPPC is going to fight tooth and nail to get TPA passed."  Click here for more from NPPC.

"NCC supports the move toward improved free and fair international trade," said NCC President Mike Brown, on the heels of the next round of Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations and congressional testimony this week delivered by Ambassador Michael Froman. "With 20 percent of our production being exported to more than 100 countries, outside-the-border customers are becoming more and more important, especially for our dark meat parts."  Click here for more from NCC.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Monday made the following statement regarding efforts by the National Pork Producers Council, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association to urge the renewal of Trade Promotion Authority:


"It is no surprise that agricultural producers are joining the chorus of voices calling on Congress to renew Trade Promotion Authority. The past six years were the strongest period for agricultural exports in the history of our nation, despite the fact that many other countries' markets are not as open to American products as our markets are to theirs. New trade agreements that help level the playing field for agriculture will build on the success we've seen in the agricultural economy since 2009 and help producers create more new jobs across the country. What makes the agricultural economy stronger makes our entire nation's economy stronger. It is imperative that Congress act on Trade Promotion Authority early this year."  Click here to read more from Vilsack on the growth of U.S. exports.

Peel Provides Oklahoma Drought, Winter Grazing and Forage Update 

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


Parts of southern Oklahoma and specifically southeastern Oklahoma received rain in the past couple of weeks. Last week also brought rain and snow to parts of western Oklahoma including a band of wet snow along Interstate 40 in west-central Oklahoma that contributed up to an inch of precipitation across several counties. All in all, however, it has been relatively dry this winter in much of the state. As a result, severe drought conditions persist in areas of southwestern and northwestern Oklahoma, including parts of the Oklahoma Panhandle. These severe drought areas have expanded slightly through the winter, but perhaps more disturbing is that marginal drought conditions have redeveloped across much of the state. The latest Drought Monitor indicates that the areas of worst drought (D3 and D4) have increased from 20.87 percent of the state three months ago to 22.58 percent in the current map. However, the total region of the state classified as abnormally dry or worse has expanded from 70.41 percent of the state as late as a week ago to 94.97 percent in the current Drought Monitor map. These redeveloping drought conditions are not so much an immediate threat but do represent a potentially huge threat as spring approaches.


Winter wheat in Oklahoma was rated in generally fair to good condition in the latest Crop Progress update for the state released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) in early January. In the same report USDA-NASS indicated that 41 percent of wheat was being grazed this year, up from last year and the average level, both at 32 percent. More stocker cattle are grazing wheat this year than in several years and livestock conditions are generally rated as good. However, dry conditions, coupled with some earlier cold temperatures, have sharply slowed wheat growth recently and wheat forage supplies are dwindling fast. A few cattle are already being pulled off wheat and sold and the pace will accelerate in the coming weeks. If forage holds out, winter wheat grazing will continue another three to five weeks for wheat producers intending to harvest a grain crop. Wheat grazing termination depends on the date of first hollow stem in the wheat, which depends on the year, the wheat variety and the location. Some producers will be evaluating the decision to harvest wheat versus graze-out in the next month.   

Click here to read more about the 2014 hay production, stocks and forage supplies.

USDA Creates More Bird Habitat Opportunities on Irrigated Farmland

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini Monday announced that the Conservation Reserve Program now will encourage more bird habitats to be established in irrigated farmland regions.


Declines in upland bird populations, such as the northern bobwhite, pheasant, and prairie chicken, led to the creation of new Conservation Reserve Program features to help restore habitats for these species in these agricultural areas. Since the program's creation in 2004, more than 240,000 acres of marginal cropland has been converted to native grasslands, spurring an increase in upland bird populations.


In recent years, however, applications for this type of habitat creation have slowed. To encourage more participation, USDA's new policy focuses on farmland with center-pivot irrigation systems where there are circular areas of cropland with patches of land beyond the reach of irrigation. Until now, these patches - known as pivot corners - were only eligible for habitat creation when connected by a linear strip of grassland also enrolled in the program. The new policy allows producers interested in habitat creation to use disconnected pivot corners to help increase the population of upland birds. 

Click here to read more about the Conservation Reserve Program and this program is helping other bird species.  

Beef Checkoff MOU Being Reviewed by Cattle Groups Involved with Beef Checkoff Working Group

Progress continues to be made on improving the nation's beef checkoff.   For the past three years, eight groups have been a part of the Beef Checkoff Working Group, including the National Livestock Producers Association (NLPA). Scott Stuart is the President and Chief Executive Officer of NLPA. He also serves as chair of the Beef Checkoff Working Group. This group has been trying to establish common ground to improve or enhance the current beef checkoff that has been collected since the late 1980s at a $1 per head rate on all cattle in the U.S. as well as on beef imports.


According to Stuart, the need to increase the checkoff assessment from $1 per head to at least $2 per head is tremendous. He said it looks like agricultural groups are getting closer in agreeing on that. There is currently a Memorandum of Understanding that the eight groups have agreed to take back to their respective organizations for consideration this winter.

"During these winter meetings, when most all of the organizations have either their conventions or certainly board meetings, then they can take a look at it in depth, discuss it and if there any areas that they have some discomfort with or want to change, then all that information will be brought back to group and we will be meeting in mid March to assimilate all that information, hear all the reports back from the groups," Stuart said.  

Read more and have the opportunity to listen to this Beef Buzz by clicking here.   

Proposed Cedar Control Program Offers Incentive to Prisoners

State Rep. Richard Morrissette has filed House Bill 1076, the Oklahoma Cedar Control Project and Hope for Tomorrow Fund, to incentivize the removal of Eastern redcedar and offer prisoners and the Department of Corrections some relief.


"Communities will continue to suffer with increases in petty crime, gangs and worse until we stop manufacturing future inmates," the Oklahoma City Democrat said. "Our delayed response to the needs of Oklahoma's children drives an ever-growing adult prison population," said Morrissette, whose legislation is designed to address prison crowding and recidivism.


"Once a child has been left malnourished, with no solid base to grow a healthy mind and body, the system is left to manage that adult-child on the back end, often from within our Department of Corrections," Morrissette said. "Those from the not-for-profit sector who are frustrated with our system of corrections, who very much want to do something constructive and become participants in smart-on-crime programs, will find it a wise investment to contribute to the Hope for Tomorrow fund. Money placed in the fund would target recidivism by addressing the work ethic and educational needs of our castaway kids." 

Click here to read more about this legislative proposal.   

Award winning broadcast journalist Jerry Bohnen has spent years learning and understanding how to cover the energy business here in the southern plains-  Click here to subscribe to his daily update of top Energy News. Click on the Energy Logo to check out his website dedicated to Energy news. 

AgWizard Simplifies Farm Financial Decisions

AgriFinance Advisors, Inc. announces the launch of AgWizard - an Online Financial Advisor for farmers. One of the biggest frustrations farmers experience in managing their business is the complexity in knowing when to market their grain. With today's extremely volatile commodity prices and razor thin margins, farming without a marketing plan in place becomes even more challenging.


Now, a farmer who logs in at www.AgWizard.com can gain insight and get answers to important questions that specifically affect the farm's bottom-line, such as:


-- What is my breakeven price?


-- What price do I need in order to achieve my profit objective?


-- Which farms are the most profitable?

Click here to learn more about AgWizard.

Cattle Industry Execs Celebrated by Their Groups- Ross Wilson Hits 30 Years and Heather Buckmaster 10 Years of Service

Ross Wilson has been a part of the team at the Texas Cattle Feeders Association for 30 years- and this past week, the TCFA's leadership celebrated his service. In this past Friday's newsletter of the TCFA, it was written "His career at the Association began in 1985 as government affairs director, and since that time, he has built a long legacy of leadership and integrity that is respected by all who know him.

"At the conclusion of the Board dinner, held in conjunction with their meeting this week, 2015 TCFA Chairman Tom McDonald, along with TCFA officers David Baumann and Jim Lovell, surprised Wilson with a handmade shotgun as a token of the leadership's appreciation."

I consider Ross a friend and appreciate his willingness to make time talk to us just about every time we see him either at the annual TCFA convention or at regional and national events like the upcoming Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio next week. 

MEANWHILE- no shotguns were handed out- but the Oklahoma Beef Council had a celebration of their own this past week, according to OBC Chairman Clay Burtrum.  Heather Buckmaster has hit the ten year mark as Executive Director of the Council and Clay writes "Heather does an excellent job in representing the beef producers of Oklahoma and Nationwide. She stays very involved with key leaders and facilitating key programs within the state. We have seen challenging times with the shrinking of the cows herd and the buying power of the checkoff dollar, but Oklahoma is blessed to have a cattle producer that they can call their own in Heather."

Heather is another one of those folks who makes it worthwhile doing what I do in covering Oklahoma agriculture for all these years.  It's one of those relationships where I have tons of respect for the professional way she handles her duties as a cattle industry leader- and at the same time- consider her a dear friend.   

Oklahoma is blessed with a great lineup of pros who work for our various ag organizations- and Heather is one of the best.

The TCFA and the Oklahoma Beef Council are both better off because of the service of these twokey players in their respective organizations.