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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Friday December 22,
2006 A
service of Midwest Farm Shows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- OSU selects Dr. Mike Woods as new Head of Ag Economics
-- Senators Justice and Wyrick will Co-Chair the Oklahoma Senate Ag
Committee in 2007.
-- Cattle on Feed numbers due out this afternoon- Prereport guesses
expect two percent more cattle on feed than last December first.
-- South Korea conveniently finds Dioxin in rejected shipment of U.S.
beef as they try to augment their public health claims in their de facto
ban on US Beef
-- Angus folks declare this week's Boot Camp a Success!
-- A couple of Sad Notes for this Christmas Season- we note the
passing of Sonya Hilgren and Tulsa's Jim Giles
-- Christmas Countdown- Tomorrow's a BIG Anniversary!
Howdy Neighbors! Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. Our email this morning is a service of Midwest Farm Shows, featuring the Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City April 19-21, 2007, as well as the Tulsa Farm Show held each December. Check out details of both of these exciting shows at the official website of Midwest Farm Shows by clicking here. If you have received this by someone forwarding it to you, you are welcome to subscribe and get this weekday update sent to you directly by clicking here. | |
OSU selects Dr. Mike Woods as new Head of Ag Economics ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our
congratulations to Dr. Mike Woods who has agreed to take the job as the
Head of the Agricultural Economics Department within the Division of
Agriculture at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Woods will officially take
on these new duties on January 22, 2007.
Dr. Woods received his undergraduate degree from Arkansas Tech, got a Masters from the University of Arkansas and then came to Stillwater to work on his Doctorate. His specialty has been in rural economic development and has been a major part of the Initiative for the Future of Rural Oklahoma project. We continue to wait on a final decision for the Head of the OSU Animal Science Department. That word on whether or not the finalist for that job will take the position or not should be forthcoming in a matter of just a few more days. | |
Senators Justice and Wyrick will Co-Chair the Oklahoma Senate Ag Committee in 2007. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Word has come
from both political parties as to who they plan to have in place as
Committee leaders for the 2007 State Legislative Session. It was announced
earlier that they had planned on having Co-Chairs of each Committee
because of the fifty- fifty split of the Senate, with 24 Senators of each
Party being elected to serve in 2007.
For the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, it has been announced that Democrat Charles Wyrick of Fairland will Co-Chair with Republican Ron Justice of Chickasha. On the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Natural Resource Subcommittee that has oversight over the Ag Committee's pursestrings will be Co-chaired by Democrat Randy Bass of Lawton and Republican David Meyers of Ponca City. A couple of the other Co-Chairs that jump out at us include our friend Mike Schulz of Altus, who will serve as the Rule Committee Co-Chair. From southeastern Oklahoma, Senator Jeff Rabon from Hugo will be the Democratic co-chair of of the Senate Transportation Committee. I have linked below the State Senate Web Site and their December News releases. The second News Release down is the Republican Co-Chair List while the third News Release down is the Democratic list. Click here to be transported to the State Senate Web Site and their News Releases on Co-Chairs. | |
Cattle on Feed numbers due out this afternoon- Prereport guesses expect two percent more cattle on feed than last December first. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joe Victor of
Allendale is telling us that we will likely end the string of several
months of record large cattle on feed numbers in the next USDA Cattle on
Feed report that is due out at 2 pm today after the markets close for the
week and just ahead of the long holiday weekend.
Victor tells us "Lower placements are expected for the third month in a row. Sharply higher corn costs are seen as the primary driver. Lower placements and stronger marketings are expected to lower the total Cattle on Feed as of Dec 1 to 1.4% higher than last year at this time. That is the largest Dec 1 estimate since 2000. This ends the three straight months of record COF levels." Pre report guesses that we have seen range from one to two and half percent more cattle on feed compared to last December first. The number of placements into feedlots November of this year versus last year ranges from five percent less to sixteen percent less than in 2005. Marketing numbers are pegged from one to six percent more than last November. | |
South Korea conveniently finds Dioxin in rejected shipment of U.S. beef as they try to augment their public health claims in their de facto ban on US Beef ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In a story
that continues to take so many twists and turns- this is bizarre. South
Korea rejects a third shipment of U.S. beef because of pea sized bone
fragments found in one box out of hundreds in the 10.2 ton shipment. They
found these bone fragments by adulterating the product by first x-raying
the meat cuts, then taking sharp knives and sorting through individual
pieces of each box until the bone chips were found. Now, the Koreans say
they have subjected that rejected shipment to further tests and
conveniently have discovered a micro trace of Dioxin in the tissue of the
beef. Korean officials say they have informed the U.S. Embassy in Seoul
and have asked for clarification.
South Korea has been criticized for implementing the bone chip De Facto Ban on U.S. Beef and calling it a "public health" issue- even as they acknowledge that bone fragments pose no threat to human health when it comes to BSE, which is what this is all about in the first place. Now, apparently the Koreans have found 6.26 picograms of dioxin in this sample taken from the rejected shipment- just above their threshold of safety that they have set. One picogram equals a trillionth of a gram. Korean officials say they plan no complete ban on U.S. beef because of this latest find, as they have already banned the supplier from importing beef again after the bone chip find. And, it even appears like we have various government agencies within Korea saying different things as you have the Ag Ministry inspecting every shipment thus far until they find a bone fragment and then rejecting the shipment totally, even as you have the Ministry of Finance and Economy very nervous about the U.S. reaction to this extreme testing regime. A deputy Minister there has said we need a "reasonable approach towards the imports of U.S. beef." On this side of the Pacific, we have lawmakers talking about the imposition of tariffs if we can't get treated on a science based playing field- and we have processors, who have less and less interest in serving the Korean market until a real solution is agreed to by all. And- I don't think I will buy a Hyundai anytime soon, either. | |
Angus folks declare this week's Boot Camp a Success! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nearly 80
cattle producers attended a Cattlemen’s Boot Camp at Oklahoma State
University (OSU), Stillwater, Okla., December 18-19. The American Angus
AssociationTM and Angus Foundation sponsored the Boot Camp in partnership
with OSU. This was the fourth Boot Camp sponsored by the Association and
Foundation. The global market, reproductive efficiency, consumer
expectations, herd nutrition and the end product were just some of the
topics covered during the 2-day session that included a session of
comparing carcass differences.
Twig Marston, Kansas State University Extension beef specialist, kicked off the program talking to the producers about how to produce the end product with increased efficiencies. He stressed that calf survivability and growth, reproduction and cow maintenance costs were the traits that producers should place emphasis on. Marston encouraged producers to use selection tools provided by the Association to make advancements in their herd. “You have to have faith in the data. The data does not lie,” he told the producers. A whole host of OKlahoma State folks were a part of the program as well- from Dr. Brad Morgan to Glen Selk to Derrell Peel to Dave Lahman. Also on the two day program were several staffers from the American Angus Association and the Certified Angus Beef Program. Ty Groshans, assistant director of commercial programs for the American Angus Association, discussed creating value in the beef industry. He offered the AngusSource® program as one way that seedstock producers can create value for their commercial bull buyers. AngusSource, a USDA process verified program (PVP) that documents age, source and genetics is a program that requires calves be sired by registered Angus bulls. | |
A couple of Sad Notes for this Christmas Season- we note the passing of Sonya Hilgren and Tulsa's Jim Giles ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two folks I
would consider colleagues have battled disease and lost this holiday
season. First, here in Oklahoma, a name that many in the eastern portions
of our state will recognize, Jim Giles, long time weatherman on KOTV in
Tulsa, has died this week. Jim began his distinguished career in the early
60's, serving with the Air Force in Vietnam as a weather commander at Na
Trang weather station. When he came home, Jim served in the prestigious
Severe Storm Forecast Center in Kansas City. In the late 70's, while
teaching meteorology at the University of Texas, Jim made the move to
television in Austin and later in Dallas. He had an opportunity to
continue that career in Dallas, but fortunately for us, he chose to come
to KOTV in Tulsa in 1981 as Chief Meteorologist, forecasting for both
radio and TV, introducing viewers to live Doppler 6 radar in 1988. During
his years before stepping down from his on air position, Jim was credited
many times with helping get the word out on severe weather that resulted
in saving countless lives.
A name that many of you may not be as familiar with- yet you have probably read her work at one time or another in the prestigious Farm Journal Magazine was Sonya Hilgren. She passed away Tuesday night after a brief battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Sonya was Editor of Farm Journal from 1995 to 2004, and was currently serving as the Senior Vice President for Editorial content for Farm Journal Media. Sonya made history as the first agricultural journalist to serve as the President of the 4,500 member National Press Club in Washington. As President she introduced some of the most famous leaders and celebrities in the world to a national audience through exposure on C-span and via National Public Radio. Established in 1908, the Press Club is one of the world's most prestigious forums. | |
Christmas Countdown- Tomorrow's a BIG Anniversary! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ December 23rd
is the three year anniversary of the Cow that Stole Christmas, as this was
the day that we got the call mid afternoon that Secretary of Agriculture
Ann Veneman was holding an urgent news briefing at about 4 pm central
time. We got confirmation by the time that the briefing was held that we
had a "presumptive positive" case of BSE in these United States- which
turned out to be a Canadian Dairy Cow discovered up in Washington state.
That announcement made Christmas a rough one for anyone owning cattle as
you spent the holidays wondering how much market value had been lost with
those three little letters being thrust upon the U.S. cattle industry. We
survived those early days of 2004 better than we could have ever hoped-
the Crisis Management of the beef industry as funded by the beef checkoff
helped the general public in this country keep BSE in perspective and
gradually, we have opened up most of the export markets lost three years
ago tomorrow.
As we think about that anniversary from three years ago during this holiday season- we are reminded of the more important milestone that we celebrate during Christmas- the birth of a child in a stable, welcomed to this earth by sheep farmers and whose arrival in human form gave us that most important gift the very first Christmas- HOPE! With Jesus, mankind has the bridge to reestablish a personal relationship with our Creator- and that's a good thing. My wish for you and yours this Christmas 2006 is for a weekend that is full of family, fun and HOPE. I pray that you will be able to carry that HOPE with you in your daily endeavors as we end the old year and jump into 2007 in a matter of days. From my wife Jan and I, Merry Christmas! | |
Our thanks to Midwest Farm Shows for their support of our daily Farm News Update. Go to their website at the link at the top of today's email for more information on either the Tulsa Farm Show or the Southern Plains Farm Show. We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe. | |
God Bless! You can reach us at the following: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
phone: 405-473-6144
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