Increase in World Wheat Supplies, Trumps Drop in US Winter Wheat Production Estimate 

The nation's winter wheat production estimate was revised lower Friday as a result of lower production projected in Oklahoma and Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service released its latest crop production estimate as of July first. U.S. winter wheat production was forecast at 1.46 billion bushels, down three percent or 45 million bushels less than the June 1 forecast but up six percent from 2014. The average national winter wheat yield was forecast at 43.7 bushels per acre, down 0.8 bushel from last month but up 1.1 bushels from last year. The area expected to be harvested for grain totaled 33.3 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2015 but up three percent from last year. 


Hard red winter wheat production was estimated at 866 million bushels, down two percent or 21 million bushels from last month. Soft red winter wheat was projected at 393 million bushels, down five percent from the June forecast. Wheat ending stocks came in at 842 million bushels. Tom Leffler of Leffler Commodities said this was 28 million more than last month, but less than trade expectations by 18 million.


In looking at the Southern Plains, USDA lowered wheat production estimates for Oklahoma and Texas, while boosting the Kansas wheat estimate.   Leffler said USDA lowered Oklahoma's wheat production estimate by 18.6 million bushels to 96.2 million bushels. Oklahoma's average yield estimate was lowered by two bushels to 26 bushels per acre. USDA lowered the production estimate for Texas by 8.4 million bushels to 111.6 million bushels. The Texas yield estimate was lowered to 31 bushels per acre. USDA increased the Kansas wheat production estimate by almost 20 million bushels to 334.4 million bushels. The projected yield average for Kansas was increased by one bushel to 38 bushels per acre.


"So, Kansas did increase considerable, but not quite as much as what we saw Oklahoma and Texas decrease in production and that Kansas crop might get a little bit larger in the next report," Leffler said.
 

Radio Oklahoma Network's Leslie Smith caught up with Tom Leffler of Leffler Commodities Friday for reaction to the USDA reports. Click or tap here to listen to the full interview or to read more about the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report released Friday.  

Click here to read the full USDA-NASS crop production report.

Click here to read the full WADSE report. 
 

Record Number of Farmers and Ranchers Certified Under 2014 Farm Bill Conservation Compliance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that over 98.2 percent of producers have met the 2014 Farm Bill requirement to certify conservation compliance to qualify for crop insurance premium support payments.


Implementing the 2014 Farm Bill provisions for conservation compliance is expected to extend conservation provisions for an additional 1.5 million acres of highly erodible lands and 1.1 million acres of wetlands, which will reduce soil erosion, enhance water quality, and create wildlife habitat.


"This overwhelming response is a product of USDA's extensive outreach and the commitment of America's farmers to be stewards of the land," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "By investing in both American farmers and the health of our productive lands, we are ensuring future generations have access to fertile soil, healthy food supplies, and a strong rural economy."


USDA has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that every impacted producer knew of the June 1, 2015 deadline to certify their conservation compliance. For example, all 2015 crop insurance contracts included conservation compliance notifications. USDA has sent out more than 50,000 reminder letters and postcards to individual producers, made over 25,000 phone calls, conducted informational meetings and training sessions for nearly 6,000 stakeholders across the country, including in major specialty crop producing states with affected commodity groups, and more. Since December 2014, USDA collaborated with crop insurers to ensure they had updated lists for agents to continue contacting producers to also remind them of the filing deadline. 

Click here to read more about those producers who have not certified their conservation compliance.

Oklahoma State University Releases Crop Analysis App

Oklahoma State University is making available a new app that allows users to quantify green vegetation in a plant's canopy in the field through photos taken using a smartphone.


Canopeo, developed jointly by the OSU App Center and students and faculty in the department of plant and soil sciences, is the first mobile application developed from concept to release through the center. It is available for download for both Apple and Android smartphones.


The free mobile app analyzes the images and provides an accurate measure of percent canopy cover for row crops, grassland, turfgrass or other green vegetation. The information can be used to monitor a crop's growth or evaluate damage and allows the user to adjust management decisions.


"Green canopy cover is an excellent indication of crop progress, especially early in the growing season," said Tyson Ochsner, Sarkeys Distinguished Professor in Applied Soil Physics with OSU's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. 

The latest versions of Canopeo are available for download from the online Apple Store and Google play.  Click here to read more about Canopeo.

Great Plains Grazing Project Evaluating How Forage Quality Influences Methane Emissions

A massive five year, $10 million research project is looking at how the climate variability impacts forage and livestock production. The project involves 46 research scientists and extension specialists from Oklahoma State University, Kansas State University, University of Oklahoma and Tarleton State University, along with the Noble Foundation and two Agricultural Research Service (ARS) locations. One of the principal investigators is Dr. Jean Steiner of the Grazinglands Research Laboratory in Fort Reno, Oklahoma. The Great Plains Grazing Project is all about trying to learn more about the resources in the Southern Plains and how to more efficiently produce beef with those resources.


"We're looking at some long-term research at our land grant universities, at our ARS locations and Noble Foundation that are kind of looking at future management practices that might improve the efficiency, the nutrient use efficiency or the animal genetic efficiency," Steiner said.


A big focus right now within USDA and worldwide are the greenhouse gases that effect the atmospheric composition in the climate. Right now there isn't a good understanding of the methane emissions from cattle and how you can change those emissions through the animal or diet efficiencies.   Steiner said there is a tool that can measure the gas emissions from cattle. The tool is called a "Green Feed System", which works similar to a breathalyzer. The tool takes an air sample once or twice a day that measures the methane and carbon dioxide emissions. She said the animal emissions can be related back to the quality of the forage. This tool is being used year around on the prairie grasses.

 

I featured Dr. Jean Steiner on our latest Beef Buzz, as heard on great radio stations across the southern great plains. Click or tap here to listen to this feature. 

House Appropriations Committee Advances FY 2016 Ag Spending Bill

The House Committee on Appropriations approved the fiscal 2016 agriculture appropriations bill by a voice vote this past week. It provides $20.65 billion in discretionary funding - $175 million less than fiscal 2015 and $1.1 billion less than the president's budget request. The bill funds agricultural and food programs and services, including food and medical product safety, animal and plant health programs, rural development and farm services, marketplace oversight and nutrition programs.


The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) submitted a request to the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee to fully fund the Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative. The bill included report language recognizing that fusarium head blight is a major threat to agriculture and indicating the Committee's support for the research carried out through the Initiative.


The National Pork Producers Council applauded passage of the legislation for including an increase of $5 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative for research on combatting antimicrobial resistance. It also directs the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to add $2.3 million to the current funding level of $3.7 million, for a total investment of $11 million, for research on antimicrobial resistance. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., added an amendment that would require USDA's Agriculture Research Service (ARS) to work with USDA's Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to ensure that animal research conducted at ARS facilities is in compliance with Animal Welfare Act regulations.


According to Agri-Pulse, House appropriators have agreed to block imports of fresh beef from regions of Brazil and Argentina until the Agriculture Department does further study on the potential risk from foot and mouth disease. The committee also agreed to provide food companies some protection from lawsuits over trans fat. But the committee defeated a Democratic effort to extend a ban on the slaughter of horses and protected a provision sought by the cotton industry to allow farmers to exceed the $125,000-per-grower limit on farm subsidies.  Click here to read more about the Appropriations bill.  

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.

Oklahoma Women in Ag Conference Slated for Early August

Oklahoma's Statewide Women in Agriculture and Small Business Conference will take place Aug. 6-7 at the Moore-Norman Technology Center.


"For years, I couldn't see the need to attend a conference targeted at women. I'm a farmer, not a farm woman. But after 10 years of attending these conferences in Kansas and Oklahoma, I realize it is so much more," said Karen Eifert-Jones, farmer from near Waukomis, Oklahoma. "I can get the information from other sources or conferences but what is unique at Women in Ag and Small Business is the camaraderie; the drive to build one another up; the excitement about someone else succeeding at their business."


Cost is $50 per participant if registering by Aug. 1 and $60 thereafter. Registration includes two breakfasts, two lunches, all refreshment breaks, conference materials and an optional post-conference training.  Click here for additional information on the conference. 
 

Genetically Engineered Crops Continue to Dominate With More than Nine of Ten Acres of Key Crops GMO

American farmers continue to value the economic, environmental and societal benefits of genetically engineered (GE) crops - especially GE soybeans, cotton and corn - according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).


In the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) report, Genetically engineered varieties of corn, upland cotton, and soybeans, by State and for the Unites States, 2000-15, key findings include:


-- Of all soybeans grown in the United States, 94 percent is a genetically engineered variety in 2015.


-- Of all cotton grown in the United States, 94 percent is a genetically engineered variety in 2015.


-- Of all corn grown in the United States, 92 percent is a genetically engineered variety in 2015.

To read more about the USDA analysis and to review the complete report- click here.