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Worry is mounting about low test weights as the 2015 winter wheat harvest continues across Oklahoma and is now beginning in Kansas. A year ago- the drought ravaged winter wheat crop had an average 60.7 pound test weight, according to the test samples gathered by Plains Grains, Inc.  

In 2015, the crop was once again being finished under conditions that were more drought like- but then in May- record rainfall fell across much of the southern HRW belt- and many fields in the three largest HRW states are recording lower test weights in response to the abundant moisture. In addition, where fungicides were not applied this spring- stripe rust has hurt the crop- and one of the damaging effects comes in the form of lower test weights. 

We caught up with wheat producer Don Schieber of Kay County running his combine in Canadian County near Minco on Thursday afternoon- and his John Deere combine was harvesting wheat that was yielding a very good sixty pound test weight score. However, he told us that the day before- his crew had to pull out of one large field in that same area because the test weight was just below fifty pounds- and the word from Crop Insurance adjusters was to not harvest it. 

You can read more about our visit with Don- and you can also listen to our in the harvest field conversation with Don by clicking here.

Mark Hodges of Plains Grains Talks Yields and Quality Issues- and PGI Reports Oklahoma Wheat Harvest 17% Done 

Wheat harvest is going on from Corpus Christi, Texas to Wichita, Kansas. As harvesters deliver this crop to elevators, yields and quality have been all over the board. Plains Grain evaluates each of the grain sheds in the hard red winter wheat belt and provides that information about the quality of the crop to millers, bakers and export buyers. While the large multinational companies do similar testing, Plains Grains Executive Director Mark Hodges said this is an important service to mid-size mills and overseas customers that don't have access to that information. He said this helps end users know where they can access the quality of wheat they need to produce their products.


While the wheat crop was planted in favorable conditions last fall, a lot changed since April. Hodges said it came out of the winter in good condition, then in May it started to rain. He said that was the absolute worst thing for this crop, besides hail.


"It affected the test weight and at the same time we had a major stripe infection happen over that period of time as well," Hodges said. "And there really is a marked difference between those guys that used fungicide and the guys that did not use fungicide and it made three to four pounds of test weight difference between those that didn't and those that did, so it did make a major difference."  

I caught up with Hodges and we discussed 2015 wheat crop. Click or tap here to listen to the full interview.


Hodges will be joining me for the weekly "In the Field" report on KWTV News 9 in the Oklahoma City market on Saturday morning at 6:40 a.m.  

LAST NIGHT- PGI released their second wheat harvest report for the HRW belt of the season. The report shows that Texas harvest is now 23% done, Oklahoma 17% complete and Kansas just getting started at 1% done. 

Click here for the complete report from Plains Grains.

Farm Bureau Says Final Version of Clean Water Rule- WOTUS- is Worse Than Original

The American Farm Bureau Federation released documents on Thursday outlining how the EPA's Waters of the U.S. rule will give the agency sweeping powers to regulate land use despite a body of law clearly prohibiting such overreach.


The Farm Bureau analysis, now available online by clicking here, makes available to the public details the EPA has refused to address in public meetings over the past year. The documents are available as PDF attachments.


"Our analysis shows yet again how unwise, extreme and unlawful this rule is," American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said. "Our public affairs specialists and legal team have assembled the best analysis available anywhere, and their conclusions are sobering: Despite months of comments and innumerable complaints, the Waters of the U.S. proposal is even worse than before."


President Bob Stallman and staffers Don Parrish and Ellen Steen hosted a teleconference for the media- and you can hear their comments by clicking here. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has increased the nation's winter wheat production estimate. In the latest crop production report released Wednesday, USDA pegged the nation's hard red winter wheat production at 887 million bushels compared to 738 million last year. All wheat production was estimated at 2.12 billion bushels versus 2.03 billion bushels last year. On this weekend's edition of SUNUP, Oklahoma State University Grain Marketing Specialist Kim Anderson said USDA predicted Oklahoma will produce 114.8 million bushels, well above last year's 48 million bushels.


"So you see, we've got significantly more hard, red winter wheat and significantly higher Oklahoma wheat production," Anderson said.


Wheat harvest continues to quickly progress across the state. Anderson said harvesters are working from border to border and so far harvest has gone well. Harvest is nearly complete for the southern tier of counties and harvesters are quickly moving north. He said rain is being predicted in the weather forecast for this weekend into next week, which will slow down harvest progress. In talking with elevator operators, he said the crop is coming in either really good or really bad.


"It appears that the highest percentage of wheat is coming in above 58 (pounds) right now, but they are getting a significant amount of wheat, say 49 to 53 pound test weight," Anderson said. 

Click here to read or to listen to Anderson talk about the discounts farmers are receiving for low test weights.  

DFA Urges Activist Groups to Report Abuse Immediately

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) announced Thursday the completion of a third-party audit of one of its member farms, Cactus-Acre Holsteins. This announcement comes two days after the Cooperative proactively released an undercover video, shot by animal rights extremist group, Mercy For Animals (MFA), depicting animal abuse on the farm owned by Jim and Marie Goedert in Fort Morgan, Colo. The video can be viewed by clicking here.


The audit, conducted by Validus, is part of the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program's Willful Animal Mistreatment Protocol. The protocol, which sets forth a process of investigation, probation, if warranted, and corrective action, is founded on the principles of continuous improvement. Based on the results of the investigative audit, Cactus-Acres Holsteins has been placed on probationary status pending the successful completion of a corrective action plan.


DFA utilizes the FARM Program as part of the Gold Standard Dairy Program, its on-farm evaluation program. These programs, as well as DFA's decision to publicly release the undercover video ahead of MFA, demonstrate the Cooperative and industry's ongoing commitment to the care and wellness of the nation's dairy herd. 
 

Click here to read more about the Goederts and how this undercover video is being levied against them.   

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.

Ag Gets Waiver From 'Hours Of Service' Rule

America's hog, cattle and poultry farmers have been granted a two-year waiver from the U.S. Department of Transportation hours-of-service rule for certain drivers.


The rule, issued in mid-2013 by DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), requires truck drivers to take a 30-minute rest break for every 8 hours of service. It would have prohibited drivers hauling livestock and poultry from caring for animals during the rest period.


The National Pork Producers Council, on behalf of other livestock, poultry and food organizations, in 2013 petitioned the FMCSA for a waiver and exemption from complying with the regulation. The groups this spring asked the FMCSA to renew the waiver and to extend it for the two-year maximum allowable under federal law.


In petitioning the agency, the livestock organizations noted that the rule would cause livestock producers and their drivers irreparable harm, place the health and welfare of the livestock in their care at risk and provide no apparent increased benefit to public safety - and likely decrease public safety - while forcing the livestock industry and its drivers to choose between the humane handling of animals or complying with the rule.  Click here to read more about this waiver that will become effective June 12. 

This N That- The Mood of the Ship is GOOD, Kris Black Offers Cream of the Crop and TPA Vote Coming

It is a balancing act- we have reported in today's email about the worries of wheat farmers as it rains this morning in northwestern Oklahoma- with more coming across much of the state between now and next Tuesday.  Wheat farmers worry about the quality of their wheat and harvest delays- but the rains of May that likely dropped the quality in many of our wheat fields also ended the drought and put irrigation water back into the only lake that serves an irrigation district in the state of Oklahoma- Lake Altus Lugert.  

Tom Buchanan is the manager of that Irrigation District- and he also serves as the President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau- we talked with him this week about the refilling of Lugert and the mood of farmers in general across the state after the drought busting rains.   

You can hear our visit with Tom- it's available here.

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It is the 14th Annual Female sale of the Black Hereford Ranch tomorrow at the ranch in Crawford, Oklahoma- starting at high noon.  Kris Black's Cream of the Crop sale offers some of the best genetics you will find for your cattle operation- and you can learn more by clicking here for the Black Hereford Ranch website.  You can also call Kris Black at 580-309-0711 to get more information about the June 13th sale- happening tomorrow.

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The word is that the US House will vote on Trade Promotion Authority later today- and the fate of TPA is very much up in the air.  Many GOP lawmakers will vote no- refusing to give Barack Obama any opportunity to negotiate a trade deal that could not be amended by Congress.  

Democrats are being influenced by Labor Unions who don't like trade deals and understand that TPA makes trade deals more likely- so many of them will vote against their President as well.  

Most, but not all, farm groups favor TPA- hoping that if approved- it will lead quickly to a deal with Pacific Rim countries under TPP- the Trans Pacific Partnership.  

The Drudge Report is calling it ObamaTrade- one of the articles that site is pointing to is one from Politico with details about the White House working to save the deal- click here to read more.