From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 07:16
To: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Thursday May 17, 2007!
A service of Midwest Farm Shows
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-- First Load of Wheat has been dumped in Grandfield- signaling beginnings of 2007 harvest
-- Chairman's Mark could come as early as today from Colin Peterson
-- OIE soon to Rule on the US being a "Controlled Risk" nation when it comes to BSE- Japan doesn't care!
-- WRDA passes very easily in the US Senate- Senator Inhofe says it's high time!
-- Back to that Budget Deal- Estate Tax Relief is in there!
-- Oklahoma Wheat Commission getting ready for Board Meeting and Election in Guymon next week.
-- Angus Breed Documents Rising Mama Cow Costs to Cattlemen.

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 just concluded Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City, 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.


First Load of Wheat has been dumped in Grandfield- signaling beginnings of 2007 harvest
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The load of wheat arrived earlier this week in Grandfield at the Coop elevator in that community- and was the result of some test cutting. Testing placed moisture levels for that load at 13.2%.

The executive Director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, Mark Hodges, reports to us that additional test cutting will be occurring in and around these counties that have the Red River as their southern border- but that expanded harvest will likely not be happening until sometime next week.

The wet weather in early May has slowed the development of the 2007 crop- and it is yet to be determined if we are going to be helped or hurt by the delay. On one hand, there is disease and armyworms to contend with- but the cooler weather has allowed head fill of wheat berries that could add up to a bumper yield. We will soon know which theory is the real deal here in 2007.


Chairman's Mark could come as early as today from Colin Peterson
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A news briefing has been set for this morning by the Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Colin Peterson of Minnesota, as the Chairman will have subcommittee leaders in place with him as will detail his plans and timeline to get the 2007 farm bill drafting process rolling.

Peterson may unveil his Chairman's Mark- which is an outline of what the Chairman wants to see included in farm policy in 2007- today, or it could come as late as the first of next week. It is expected that Peterson will describe a little more about what he wants the Sub Committees to accomplish next week as they draft their parts of the overall 2007 farm bill.

There is a budget deal in place between the House and Senate Leadership, which could be voted on in both bodies as early as today- and it shows a baseline of about $8 billion available annually for the Commodity Title, $4.5 billion annually for conservation and $50 billion for nutrition and food programs. There is a pot of extra money available for priorities that the Committees want to fund- but they will require a budget offset to get that money- and as Mary Kay Thatcher of American Farm Bureau says very well- "why should any of the other Committee Chairmen be willing to give up some of their funds to provide more for agriculture?"


OIE soon to Rule on the US being a "Controlled Risk" nation when it comes to BSE- Japan doesn't care!
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Kyodo News reports .Japanese agriculture minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka rejected another Washington plea to scrap a cattle age limit on U.S. beef imports during a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on Wednesday in Paris.

Johanns reportedly asked Matsuoka to adopt guidelines adhering to an expected ruling by the World Organization for Animal Health that would ostensibly allow the United States to export beef regardless of cattle age. Reporters quoted Matsuoka as replying that Japan's beef import conditions are in line with its own scientific procedures, indicating the OIE ruling would not automatically sway Japan from its current position.

At issue is the demand from the Japanese that we agreed to as a condition to open up the Japanese market last year that we will send only beef from animals twenty months of age or less. That limitation has kept a lid on how quickly we can recapture what was once our largest beef export market. The anticipated ruling by the OIE next week in Paris will state that sound science suggests that as long as we remove specified risk materials from the beef carcasses at the time of slaughter that beef from any age US produced animal will be safe to consume.Up to this point, the Japanese seem to be saying, they simply are not buying what OIE is selling on this safety issue.


WRDA passes very easily in the US Senate- Senator Inhofe says it's high time!
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There has not been a WRDA type bill since 2000- and the needs and numbers have piled up during that time, so when Congress finally gets around and passes this measure, the White House is hollaring about the costs of the bill- but Oklahoma Republican Jim Inhofe says this is an infrastructure bill that is sorely needed to help move forward with much needed repairs and upgrading of the River waterways that serve as a highway for many of our ag products as well as ag inputs.

Inhofe says that "the WRDA bill provides numerous project authorizations and policy improvements that are vital to Oklahoma and the nation's economy, public safety and environment." He adds that he is pleased with the 91 to 4 vote in the full Senate to pass the bill. The measure had earlier cleared the House in an overwhelming margin.

Among the projects that are a part of this bill that will aid Oklahoma locales-
Lake Texoma - Local plans for further recreational development on land previously conveyed to the State of Oklahoma at Lake Texoma are being hindered by reversionary interest language included in that conveyance. The WRDA bill would remove the reversionary interest language, thereby allowing local development plans to move forward.
Lake Eufaula - This provision establishes recreation as a project purpose and creates a lake advisory committee that will allow citizens to give recommendations to the Corps regarding the operations of the lake. This section would also authorize a reallocation study.
Oklahoma Lake Demonstration - The WRDA bill creates a program in Oklahoma that would encourage development on Corps lakes through public-private partnerships.
Arcadia Lake - The City of Edmond has been in dispute with the Corps of Engineers over whether the city owes additional money as interest on water payments. The WRDA bill clarifies that the city is not liable for interest during the time when the city was not using the water.
Waurika Lake Project - The Corps of Engineers and the Waurika Project Master Conservancy District completed the lake project in the 1980s. Well after completion of the lake, the Corps discovered an accounting error and claimed it had undercharged the Conservancy District. Language in the WRDA bill clarifies that Waurika is obligated to pay only the amount that was originally agreed to when the project was completed.


Back to that Budget Deal- Estate Tax Relief is in there!
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The House and Senate Democratic Leadership have included a plan that would freeze Death Tax levels at the $3.5 million per spouse point that is supposed to happen in the year 2009. Proponents of Estate Tax reform say that while that is not the entire loaf of Death Tax repeal- it is a far better situation than what current law does to us. Under current measures, we would have zero death tax liability in this country in the year 2010, but then would revert back to decade old levels in 2011 that would tax estates of more than a million dollars at high rates.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association on their website says that this action this week is a positive step, but will have to be followed up with Congressional action in the days to come. NCBA says "As part of the Senate budget resolution, a measure offered by Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) could pave the way for future actions that will lessen the burden of Death Tax on ranching families. The Baucus amendment does not actually alter current tax law, but sets aside funds for the Senate Finance Committee to address some form of Death Tax relief within the next five years."

Both bodies of Congress are expected to approve that Budget deal as early as today.


Oklahoma Wheat Commission getting ready for Board Meeting and Election in Guymon next week.
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The Oklahoma Wheat Commission will hold an election to fill the District II opening. The election will be held Thursday., May 24, 2007, commencing at 2 p.m. in the Texas County Activities Center, 4th and Sunset, Guymon, Okla. District II consists of Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Harper, Texas, Woods and Woodward counties.

Before the election, the regular Board Monthly Board meeting of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission is planned on site. After the meeting, the Oklahoma Wheat Growers will be sponsoring a lunch for all wheat producers in attendance.

Currently, the District II seat is held by Tom Stephens of Guymon. Three nominations will be made at the election, from which the Governor of Oklahoma will appoint one person to serve a five year term with the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. Every wheat producer in the district is urged to participate in this important election. For further information, contact the OWC office at (405) 608- 4350.


Angus Breed Documents Rising Mama Cow Costs to Cattlemen.
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Cow-calf producers face the continued challenge of rising feed costs, according to a recent study conducted by the American Angus Association. "Our research indicates that combined pasture, harvested forages, and other feed costs have been increasing at the rate of $5 per beef cow per year since 2000," says Sally Northcutt, genetic research director at the Association. "The typical U.S. cow-calf operation will spend $35 more per cow in 2007 to meet herd nutritional requirements compared to what they spent at the beginning of the decade. That's a sizable increase, and it underscores the need for producers to optimize their cow size and milk genetics according to feed costs and feed availability within their individual operations."

Northcutt, formerly on staff at Oklahoma State University, adds that the reason the Angus Association was especially interested in this research was to update the value of Milk EPDs for Angus bloodlines.

Dr. Northcutt adds that the rising costs to cow calf operators means you have to search for creative ways to manage costs. You can't simply shrug and accept the upward pressure in feed costs and remain profitable," she says. "Each producer must find creative ways to combat these inflationary trends. Part of the solution is making sure your cows have the right mature size and milking ability for your environment." We have linked additional details of this study in a news release provided by the American Angus Association for you to consider- it's a unique take on how to use modern technology to manage your cost profile in the cattle herd.

Click here to read more on this research from the American Angus Association


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