After another successful year of seed sales, Oklahoma Genetics Inc. presented a royalty check for $539,169.08 to Oklahoma State University's Wheat Improvement team and wheat breeding program at the Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association annual meeting Friday. Oklahoma Genetics Inc. Executive Director Mark Hodges credited OSU's wheat breeding specialist Dr. Brett Carver for developing varieties adaptable to the Southern Great Plains for a great year.


"We are excited about the royalties that are coming in," Hodges said. "Of course, all of those go right back into the breeding program to develop new varieties on behalf of producers and about a third of that is coming from Kansas and Texas."


Since OGI was established ten years ago, the adoption of these wheat genetics have increased. Hodges said royalties have grown substantially especially over the last five years.  In 2013, royalties totaled $486,000.  OGI also has Clearfield technology licensed through BASF.   If you include those royalties, Hodges said this year there will be over $650,000 that will go back into developing new wheat varieties.


"We're very popular with Kansas producers and Texas producers," Hodges said. "They like dealing with Oklahoma Genetics, Inc. We've got a great program."


Oklahoma's program is similar to the wheat breeding programs in Kansas, Colorado and Texas, but they are all slightly different. For instance, Hodges said the Kansas program collects royalties off the seed a farmer produces and plants back on his own farm. Hodges said OGI does not charge royalties on that seed.  

I interview Hodges about the great year and why planting certified seed is worth the investment.  Read or have the opportunity to listen to the full interview by clicking here.   

Roger Johnson of NFU at AFR Covers an Alphabet of Issues- COOL, TPP, RFS and More  

One of the featured speakers at the 2015 American Farmers and Ranchers/Oklahoma Farmers Union Convention was the President of the National Farmers Union, Roger Johnson. On Saturday morning, Johnson was joined on stage by the NFU Vice President, Donn Teske of Kansas and the President of the New England Farmers Union, Roger Noonan. In his remarks to the Oklahoma convention, he covered a variety of issues- including COOL, RFS, TPP and the changing of the leadership on Capitol Hill as the GOP seized control of the US Senate.


Johnson offered praise for the job that Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas did as Chairman of the House Ag Committee, especially his work in getting choices for farmers when it comes to the federal farm safety net. Johnson called the Chairman's work "pretty darn phenomenal" in helping craft a farm bill as he worked with House Leadership that was not that interested in getting a farm bill done. 

Our story that is available by clicking here includes a wide ranging interview with Roger Johnson that we had while in Norman at the Convention.  Besides the topics mentioned above- we spent time with Johnson talking about the NFU position on the Beef Checkoff- and the NFU decision to walk away from the Beef Checkoff Working Group.

Cropland Values Holding Steady, According to KC Fed Ag Credit Survey

Farmland values in the seven-state Tenth District Federal Reserve District generally held steady in the fourth quarter of 2014 despite further declines in farm income, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's quarterly Survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions. Most bankers surveyed, however, said they expect cropland values to fall in 2015 alongside reduced expectations for farm income.


Although farmland values remained relatively stable, farm income continued to weaken across most of the Tenth District. Overall, more than half of survey respondents reported lower incomes in the fourth quarter than a year ago. While overall farm income continued to soften, livestock producers have experienced record profits. Profit margins remained particularly strong for cow/calf operators due to low feed costs and persistently high feeder cattle prices, which have been supported by reduced U.S. cattle inventories.


Demand for operating loans to pay for crop inputs is expected to remain elevated, and some bankers expressed concern that loan repayment rates might deteriorate if weak profit margins persist.


The complete survey is available by clicking here.   

Some cattle segments will be more profitable than others in 2015. CattleFax presented their market outlook seminar at the recent Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio, Texas. The CattleFax Crew addressed the various segments of the cattle industry and their outlook for profitability. Feedyards are likely to see some red ink this year. Margins will be a lot tighter for stocker operators. CattleFax CEO Randy Blach said cow-calf producers look to have a profitable year in 2015 and likely for a couple more years.


"I think there is huge opportunities for cow-calf producers," Blach said. "You know, 2014 and 2015 will be our peak in profitability, but if they are a well-run, well-managed operation that focuses on productivity, weaning a high percentage live calf crop, the opportunities are going to be phenomenal. We could see a five or six year run in profitability that would be unprecedented and they need it." 


In looking back at the 1980's and 1990's, Blach said that was a difficult time for the cow-calf industry. From 1980 - 2000, he said producers were making $2 per head on average.


"That's not a sustainable business enterprise with those kind of returns," Blach said. "What we are seeing today is sustainable and I am excited about that for our producers."

To read or have the opportunity to listen to this feature, click here.  

Statement by Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, Regarding Passage of H.R. 636


"America's farmers and ranchers need reliable tax tools to help them stay competitive in spite of changing weather and fluctuating markets. With the passage of H.R. 636, America's Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2015, Congress is one step closer to securing Section 179 small business expensing permanently.


"Farmers and ranchers are continually upgrading and adapting to make their businesses more efficient and profitable. Thanks to the immediate expensing that Section 179 allows, farmers and ranchers can put money right back to work by purchasing new equipment and technology with cash instead of taking on unnecessary debt and expenses.


"Temporary fixes and extensions to the tax code are just not enough. Setting the maximum deduction at $500,000, rather than the current rate of $25,000, would give small businesses the certainty they need to invest in the future."  

Noble Foundation Researchers Revolutionize Feral Hog Control

For decades, farmers, ranchers and land managers across the United States have fought a losing war against feral hogs.


This invasive animal acts similarly to a harmful virus in the human body. They enter an ecosystem, multiply rapidly, destroy valuable cropland and urban areas, endanger native wildlife, spread disease, and pollute waterways. With recordable populations now present in 48 states, feral hogs - also called wild hogs or wild pigs - have a financial impact exceeding more than $1.5 billion each year. With no viable control option, feral hogs are not only winning the war, they were uncontested. Until this week.


The Noble Foundation signed a commercialization agreement to bring the BoarBuster™ trap system to consumers across the United States. W-W Livestock Systems (Thomas, Oklahoma) will unveil BoarBuster at the 39th annual National Wild Turkey Federation Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee.
 

To read more about the BoarBuster trap system, click here.

This N That- AFR Elections, OACD Annual Meeting a Week Away and Drone Rules Released 

At the 110th Annual Meeting of the AFR/OFU- two board seats and the office of Vice President was up for grabs.  In all three races, the incumbent faced opposition- but in all three cases, the delegates stayed with the incumbent.   

John Porter of Edmond was reelected as the VIce President of the organization while Joe Ed Kinder of Frederick was reelected as the Board member from southwestern Oklahoma and Roy Perryman of Stigler collected enough votes to retain his At large Board seat.  

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The 2015 Meeting of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts is planned for February 22-24 at the Reed Center in Midwest City.  Their theme for 2015 is "Back to the Future."

Here's a link that gives you a lot of information about the meeting including an agenda- keynote speaker next Monday morning at the OACD will be Congressman Markwayne Mullin.

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On Sunday, the FAA released their draft rule on Drone use by commercial interests- the proposed rules that have been a decade in the making would limit drones weighing no more than 55 lbs to flying no more than 100 mph at an altitude no higher than 500 feet. The FAA would ban their use at night and near airports. And, they could only be operated by someone with a certification who keeps the vehicle "in line of sight" at all times. 

Agriculture has lots of interest in fully developing drones as the perfect "eye in the sky" over farms and ranches for a wide variety of uses- some farmers are using them already under the guise of being a hobbyist- but these rules could make it easier to have the bells and whistles to really make drones an essential tool for many producers.

Click here for the draft rule as released-