USDA reports that the final Oklahoma wheat crop number for 2015 is a little larger than predicted back in July- while Uncle Sam trimmed the Kansas and Texas numbers.

In the Small Grain Summary released by USDA on Wednesday morning- they now are reporting that Oklahoma wheat producers rolled the combine across 3.8 million acres- had an average yield of 26 bushels per acre and harvested 98.8 million bushels- more than double the size of the 2014 harvest that was just 47.6 million bushels. The Oklahoma yield is nine bushels an acre higher than the 17 bushels an acre of last year- but is lower than the 31 bushels an acre from the 2013 crop year.

The Kansas crop is now predicted to be 321.9 million bushels- trimmed back from the 334.4 million bushels estimated in July- and is well above the 246.4 million bushels of 2014.

Texas turns out to be the second largest winter wheat crop state this year- with 106.5 million bushels produced- well above the 67 to 68 million bushels raised in both 2013 and 2014. 

The complete small grains summary released by USDA- including all these wheat crop numbers- is available here.

Now- on to the Quarterly Grain Stocks Report: U.S. corn, soybean and wheat stocks are much higher than last year, but the latest grain stocks report came in close to trade expectations. Market Analyst Tom Leffler of Leffler Commodities said the old crop corn stocks in all positions on September 1, 2015 totaled 1.73 billion bushels, up 41 percent from September 1, 2014.


"No real surprises in the report, even though all of these numbers were larger than a year ago, they were a little less than what the trade was looking for," Leffler said.


Old crop grain sorghum stored in all positions on September 1, 2015 totaled 18.4 million bushels, down 46 percent from a year ago. On-farm stocks came in at 1.90 million bushels and were down three percent from last year. Off-farm stocks totaled 16.5 million bushels, down 49 percent from September 1, 2014.


All wheat stored in all positions on September 1, 2015 totaled 2.09 billion bushels, up ten percent from a year ago. On-farm stocks were down nine percent to 647 million bushels. Off-farm stocks were up 21 percent from a year ago, at 1.44 billion bushels.

Radio Oklahoma Network's Leslie Smith interviewed Tom Leffler of Leffler Commodities Wednesday. Click or tap here to hear the interview.


Click here for the full USDA Quarterly Stocks Report.

Another round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations are underway in Atlanta, Georgia. National Cattlemen's Beef Association Associate Director of Legislative Affairs Kent Bacus is one of the many agricultural observers in Atlanta for these discussions that started yesterday and continue today. He said the cattle industry is looking forward to wrapping up the TPP deal.


"The most important thing that we can see is that a comprehensive agreement be concluded," Bacus said. "We're talking about a good agreement that can get enough support from all the industries and something that can really help us set a level playing field throughout the Pacific-Rim countries for this generation and generations to come. We're really looking for a solid agreement and we need that agreement to happen immediately."


NCBA feels a sense of urgency of seeing negotiators get the deal finalized sooner, rather than later. Bacus said the longer negations go, there could more backsliding on issues that were once concluded. There are still some outstanding issues, so he is hopeful those will be resolved this week. If they aren't, the U.S. will be further behind other countries that are trying to set up trade agreements outside of TPP.


Japan is currently the top export market for U.S. beef, totaling $1.6 billion in 2014, even with a 38.5 percent tariff rate. One of the leading competitors for Japanese consumers is Australia. Last year Australia and Japan signed the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement that phases down the tariff on beef imports over 15 years and removes a 50 percent snapback tariff on Australian beef. This agreement gives Australia a competitive advantage and as a result Australia is taking market share away from U.S. beef. The Trans-Pacific Partnership will put U.S. beef producers on a level playing field with Australian beef producers.


"So, every day that TPP is not concluded and put into action, is another day we're going to be further behind the Australians," Bacus said. 

I featured Bacus on the Beef Buzz. Click or tap here to listen to this Beef Buzz feature.

CropLife America CEO Jay Vroom released a statement on Wednesday expressing worries about the Farm Worker Standards that were revised by the Obama Administration on Monday.  Here are some of the highlights from Vroom- whose trade association represents many of the major Ag-Chemical companies in the US and globally:


"We are disappointed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to move forward on Monday to finalize the Worker Protection Rule (WPA) revisions. This rule is enormous - over 300 pages including its massive preamble - and may well contain some improvements and additional problems beyond the scope of the original proposal," Vroom observes. "But Monday's announcement rhetoric and the inclusion of only one stakeholder group with the EPA and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) officials puts a disappointing political spin on safety we were not expecting."


"Notwithstanding Monday's surprise tactics, CLA renews its commitment to the government and all stakeholders to work to build on the record of safety for pesticide use in the US and to find ways to constructively engage to advance safety in all aspects of pesticide manufacture, storage, application, use, and farm worker potential exposure," Vroom concluded. "We will respond in greater detail about the specifics of the new rule once our teams have thoroughly evaluated the entirety of the rule revisions." 

The House Agriculture Committee Wednesday continued its review of U.S. international food aid programs by hearing from a variety of interested stakeholders-private voluntary organizations, commodity organizations, and agricultural processors-regarding their perspectives on how the programs are functioning. These witnesses represent those who produce and process the food used for these programs, as well as the on-the-ground implementers who distribute food aid through emergency feeding and development projects across the globe.


"The U.S. continues to lead global efforts in alleviating hunger and malnutrition thanks to the longstanding commitment and coordination of a wide array of stakeholders like the ones we heard from today. Today's hearing was helpful in providing a better understanding of the respective roles the various partners play. Their input will prove invaluable as we prepare for future farm bill negotiations, where we will strive to strike the appropriate balance between in-kind and cash-based assistance. It is imperative that all interested parties have a seat at the table as we discuss potential reforms to food aid and proposals for a whole-of-government approach to global food security. I am committed to ensuring that happens and look forward to hearing from additional stakeholders, including the maritime industry, later this Congress," Chairman K. Michael Conaway said.


Written testimony provided by the witness from Wednesday's hearing is linked below. Click here for more information, including Chairman Conaway's opening statement, and the archived webcast.


Click here to read testimony from the hearing.

  

The Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water held a hearing Wednesday on the Army Corps of Engineers' participation in the "waters of the United States" regulation. The subcommittee focused on internal memos released by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. While the memos show the Corps leadership having serious concerns with the science underlying the WOTUS rule, Jo Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army insisted, as co-author, the Corps supported the final rule.


The hearing provided ample opportunity to highlight the issues raised in the memos and the gulf between the Corps and EPA in the arbitrary standards used in the final rule. Philip Ellis, National Cattlemen's Beef Association president and Chugwater, Wyo., cattleman, said the arbitrary nature of this rule poses a danger to all land uses.


"This rule is clearly not based on science, nor does it relate to keeping our waters clean," said Ellis. "It is a transparent land grab by the administration and EPA. Cattlemen and women will continue to oppose this rule in Congress and in the courtroom. This rule and the flawed rulemaking process underlie the need for legislation to withdraw the rule and compel the agencies to work with all stakeholders."


NCBA and Public Lands Council support S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, bipartisan legislation that would direct the EPA to withdraw the final WOTUS rule and work with stakeholders in drafting a new rule to clarify the Clean Water Act.

 

 

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