Right to Farm Assigned State Question Number of Biblical Proportions by Secretary of State- We Talk 777 with Scott Biggs 

The 2015 Oklahoma State Legislature has approved the ballot initiative HJR 1012, the so called 'Right to Farm' proposal. State Representative Scott Biggs and State Senator Jason Smalley authored the legislation- which now has a new number to be known as- State Question 777. 

We talked on Thursday with Representative Biggs about the genesis of State Question 777 and what is ahead as ag groups plan the Yes Campaign for Right to Farm.  To read more AND to listen to our full conversation with him- click or tap here- plus we invite you to tune in on KWTV News9 on Saturday morning as the lawmaker from Chickasha is our guest on In the Field- that's seen around 6:40 AM.

Similar "Right to Farm" bills have been passed in North Dakota and Missouri. Biggs said the proposed constitutional amendment for Oklahoma offer two aspects that the other two bills do not have. He said it has a safe guard so if a law needs to be passed and if there is a compelling state interest, lawmakers have that option. Secondly, the bill grand fathered a lot of existing statutes from December 31, 2014 and prior. Biggs said the grandfathering clause puts all those in place, so we can begin to move forward in protecting agriculture.

Meetings have been held this week by Ag groups as the plan to promote a "Yes" vote is being developed. Biggs confirmed that Protect the Harvest has been involved in the meetings held since passage- and will have a presence in the organization of the Yes Campaign in the months ahead.

 

Last Day to Submit Comments on Proposed Dietary Guidelines

Cattlemen have JUST TODAY left to submit comments on the nation's proposed dietary guidelines. Public comments can be submitted through TODAY in the Federal Register. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee released their scientific report, which serves as a recommendation to the Secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in their development of the final 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.


The Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) emailed members on Thursday urging them to comment on the proposal and urge the Secretaries of HHS and USDA to reject the unsound dietary guidelines. TCFA told members to submit comments to reject this flawed report and to put lean meats back into the recommendation of an overall healthy dietary pattern, as it currently exists in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.


"At a minimum, this report is inconsistent, and if adopted will lead to conflicting dietary advice that could be detrimental to the health of our nation and our industry," TCFA stated.  

Click here to view the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's full report, the talking points and drafted comments from TCFA and where to submit comments.

The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association has also been hitting their members with email blasts- reminding them that little time is left to submit a comment to the Secretaries regarding the Dietary Guidelines. 

Cattle Producers Getting Green Light for Herd Expansion

It's a great time to be in the cattle business and two different studies have confirmed that. Several land grant university livestock market economists have collaborated with the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) in looking at the rate of return on investment for cattle producers. This number indicates just how healthy the economic environment is for cow-calf producers. Kansas State University Agricultural Economist Glynn Tonsor has found right now it's a great time to be a cow-calf producer because of the strong return on investment.


The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS) also studies the profitability of cow-calf producers. As of May first, ERS released their latest numbers. In 2014, ERS estimated the total value of production minus operating costs to be $391 per cow. That's up from $108 return per cow in 2013. Tonsor said USDA has confirmed returns have increased almost $300 per cow over variable costs from 2013 to 2014.


In looking specifically at the "Prairie Gateway", which encompasses Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, producers have received even higher margins. Tonsor said USDA estimates the value of production over operating costs of $437 per cow. That's up from $155 in 2013.  

Click here to read more or to listen to this Beef Buzz feature as Tonsor discusses the strong returns for the "Prairie Gateway" region.  

Canola prices are much lower than a year ago. This time last year, canola prices were around $8.50 a bushel. Oklahoma State University Grain Marketing Specialist Dr. Kim Anderson said the forward contract price for harvest delivery looks to range from $5.90 to $6.30 a bushel.


"Canola prices have fallen mostly because you've got lower soybean prices, soybean meal prices and soy oil prices," Anderson said. "That's market determines our canola price."


On this weekend's edition of SUNUP, Anderson also address the outlook for wheat production and prices. The Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association held their 35th annual wheat tour in measuring yield potential of wheat fields. After surveying fields throughout the state, the association has predicted Oklahoma farmers will produce 108.8 million bushels of wheat this year. Their annual tour estimated yields at 27.7 bushels per acre and 3.9 million harvested acres. Anderson said that was much higher than what he was forecasting a few weeks ago. The five year average for harvested aces in the state is 3.5 million acres with an average yield of 27.4 bushels per acre with production at around 100 million bushels of wheat.


As Oklahoma farmers go into harvest, they will be competing with a lot of wheat from around the world. Anderson said world wheat production estimates are coming in at around 26 billion bushels. That's an above average crop. Anderson said if that comes to fruition that will keep wheat prices relatively low. With below average prices, he said farmers will want to switch up their marketing plan by selling less at that low price. He recommends farmers sell a fourth or a fifth harvest, then sell the remainder in three-eighth lots or equal lots in the September/October and November/December time frame.
 

We've got Dave Deken and Kim's full interview for you to hear- and a complete rundown of this weekend's SUNUP program to be seen on OETA click or tap here.  

Farm Bureau's Mary Kay Thatcher Provides the Good, Bad, and the Impossible for Congress

Getting Trade Promotion Authority passed is taking time and work, but progress is being made. American Farm Bureau Federation Senior Director of Congressional Relations Mary Kay Thatcher said she thinks Congress is getting closer to getting TPA passed.


"I think in the end, we are going to prevail on this, Thatcher said. "It's one of so few issues that the President and House and Senate leadership agree upon."


Congress is also making progress with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Thatcher said she has heard Darci Vetter, Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative Office, speak several times on the agriculture provisions of TPP. Recently the Japanese Prime Minister was in Washington D.C. and Thatcher said it was reassuring to hear him state that they need to reform their agricultural provisions.


Another Farm Bureau top priority for 2015 is tax reform. Thatcher isn't as confident that tax reform will be addressed this year. The Senate has held several work groups lead by members of the Senate Finance Committee. She thinks they have come to the conclusion that we will have to "kick that can down the road".


"When you think about taxes, when you think of the major things like immigration reform, lots of things we would like to get accomplished, but it's getting down to the wire already and it's only May," she said.


With a Presidential election in 2016, campaigning has already started.  Click here to read or have the opportunity to listen to my interview with Thatcher at Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit in Kansas City.  

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.

GM Crops Help Ensure Global Food Security Through Higher Crop Yields

Farmers around the world who use seeds improved with biotechnology continue to benefit economically while improving the environmental sustainability of their farming operations according to an updated global impacts study.


The economic benefits for farmers who use genetically modified (GM) seeds amounted to an average of more than $122/hectare in 2013, according to the report "GM Crops: Global Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts 1996-2013" released by PG Economics.


"In 2013, the 18th year of widespread adoption of crops using biotechnology innovations, the technology has continued to provide more productive agriculture, higher incomes to farmers and a better environment for citizens. A majority of these benefits continue to go to farmers and rural communities in developing countries," said Graham Brookes, director of PG Economics, co-author of the report.


Matt O'Mara, acting executive vice president for food and agriculture for the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), stated the report's findings regarding biotechnology's contributions to the environment are especially significant. 

This report quantifies the impact of agricultural biotechnology on the environment and on farmer incomes.  Click here to read more, including the full report.  

This N That- Lahoma is ON, Golf is Postponed; Drought Flees the State and Lake Altus Rises!

The area around the OSU Research Station just outside Lahoma has not received the huge amounts of rain that places like Minco has been swimming in- so while it will be muddy- the show must go on- and the word from OSU is that the Lahoma Wheat Field Day is ON- with one precaution- be careful and only park where they say you can- the ground is very soft.

Registration takes place in the 8 AM hour and the tours start at 9:00 AM.

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The Oklahoma Farm Bureau's YF&R Golf Tournament planned for today in Enid has been moved to July 9th- with a likely morning start time- details to come.

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Remarkable is a word for how quickly we are seeing the worst of the drought conditions get pushed out of the state of Oklahoma. The latest Drought Monitor was released Thursday morning, reflecting rainfall through Tuesday morning of this week- and it now shows that 17.94 percent of the state is the two worst drought categories- extreme to exceptional drought. That's a reduction of more than TWENTY percentage points from the first week of April when we had 39.72 percent in the D3-D4 ratings.


Gary McManus, the Oklahoma State Climatologist, writes in his latest Mesonet Ticker "Now remember, that's using rainfall up through Tuesday morning, so the torrents
of the last couple of days won't count until next week. I think it's obvious we'll see a lot of drought disappear from central Oklahoma."


And that is before the rains that are on the horizon show up for today, tomorrow and Sunday. The highest probabilities for more storms are for today and Saturday, based on this morning's forecast.  PLUS- we have more rain in the forecast for middle of next week and next weekend.- Here's the latest nine day forecast:

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One more note this Friday morning- One of the impacts of the rains in April and now May- the rising water levels in Lake Altus Lugert.  The low level mark in late March was just below ten percent of the Lake's capacity.  As of early Friday morning- the water level in the Conservation pool for Altus Lugert had risen to past the one fourth full mark at 25.72 percent. Other major lakes in central and western Oklahoma are also rising as well.

I'm thinking that it has been a while since Lugert has had that much water in it- maybe we can catch up with Tom Buchanan and pin down how long it actually has been.