Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are proud to have KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555.

We are also excited to have as one of our sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and sunflowers on the PCOM website- go there by clicking here.
And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the April 2009 Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City. This year's show dates are April 23,24 and 25 (this week!!!). Check out details of both the Southern Plains Show and the Tulsa Farm Show 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.

In 2007, record flooding resulted in damage to flood control structures throughout the state, including two dams in Caddo County that suffered near breaches. In addition, millions of dollars of damage was done to additional conservation infrastructure state-wide. The bond issue reauthorized today by the Oklahoma State Senate was originally passed last session to start the process of repairing this damage. After its initial passage, the bond, which was included in a larger measure with additional funding for non-conservation projects in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, was struck down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The version passed by the Senate today was written to address the concerns the court expressed in its ruling. "In the closing days of the 2008 legislative session, the House, Senate and the Governor came together in a bi-partisan manner to do the right thing and pass a bond issue to help repair the catastrophic damage our state suffered," Lam said. "Unfortunately the Court struck that package down. Now, with the passage of this new version of the bond, we only need the signature of Governor Henry to make it across the finish line."

According to Clay Pope, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, this trip across the finish line comes just in time to match new Federal dollars being generated by the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the Stimulus Plan. "Oklahoma is in line to receive over $14 million for flood control dam rehabilitation from the recently passed stimulus plan," Pope Said. "To get these funds, however, we need state match. This bond will provide the funding we need to insure that these dollars come to our state to help us repair this damage to our flood control infrastructure. With the help of our Federal Partners at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, our local Conservation Districts will have the resources they need to start the repair work. We are extremely happy that the Oklahoma Senate took this action today and we look forward to working with the Governor's office to see that this act becomes law."

Gene writes in his email "We have toured many Winter Canola fields in Northwest OK.
This Canola crop has been through a drought, sleet /hale and two freezes. The canola plant is coming back very strong. The canola is branching out and putting on many clusters of buds. Where wheat has only one growing point per tiller canola will keep growing.
The harvest will be set back from one week to 10 days. the yield may not be as good but should give the producers a fair yield. We do have many aphids in the canola fields and the producer needs to check all fields very carefully. They are hard to spot and you may want to call your local Crop Consultant."

Gene also reminds us of more Winter Canola Field Stops going on this week. The stops this week are in Blaine, Dewey, Kingfisher and Grant Counties. Click on our link to our Calendar pages below and you will see the canola meetings for this week at the top of the remaining April events on the listing. Click on those specific events for more information.

Click here for more on the Winter Canola field stops for this week.

In Oklahoma, the report offers these words on the small grain situation - Producers continued to assess the severity of freeze damage as the wheat crop progressed into the heading stage. Winter wheat, rye, and oat conditions decreased to mostly in the fair to very poor range. Crop insect activities continued to range mostly in the light to no activity range. Winter wheat jointing was 97 percent complete, two points ahead of the five year average.

For the row crops- Work continued on seedbed preparation, with some of the State's row crops running ahead of normal. Corn seedbed prepared reached 90 percent, a six point increase from last week. Corn planted was one third complete, two points behind last year and ten points behind the five-year average. Corn emerged reached nine percent, 14 percentage points behind the five-year average. Seedbed preparation for sorghum was at 45 percent, four points ahead of normal. Soybean seedbed prepared increased two percentage points from the previous week to reach 45 percent, six points behind normal. Peanut seedbed prepared was up four points to 64 percent, six points ahead of the five-year average. Seedbed preparation for cotton increased two points to reach 73 percent, one point ahead of normal.
For the full report- including more details on crop conditions, pasture conditions and moisture supplies- click on the link below for Monday afternoon's report.

Johanns points out that - for a state like Nebraska, which ranks first in the nation in commercial red meat production, this EPA proposal could have devastating consequences. He said, - this 'cow tax' could cost farmers and ranchers tens of thousands of dollars per farm per year.

The proposed legislation would amend the Clean Air Act to preclude regulation of naturally occurring livestock emissions, including methane and carbon dioxide. If the EPA definition of air pollutants includes methane, USDA estimated that any agricultural operation of more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle, 200 hogs or 500 acres of corn would be subject to emission fees.

Clcik here for our earlier story on this move by the EPA- which includes comments from Congressman Frank Lucas and more

The article in the World says "Controversy about the veterinary school euthanizing animals after students performed procedures on them, called "terminal surgeries," arose after Madeleine Pickens told The Daily O'Collegian, OSU's student newspaper, she planned to move her $5 million donation from the school because she did not agree with such practices."

Michael Lorenz, OSU dean of veterinary medicine, said Hargis provided $300,000 from the university budget to finance the shelter medicine program, which will replace the terminal surgeries that students were performing in a third-year surgery lab.
We have the full article linked below- not much else was added by the newspaper- but I thought the comments under the story from readers were fascinating- overwhelming support for Mrs. Pickens and her power move to force change and ridicule for the Vet School. It's obvious no articulate supporters of the Vet School have elected to step up to the plate in this forum.

Click here for the Tulsa World story on the changes being made by the OSU School of Vet Medicine in response to demands by Madeleine Pickens

U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Philip Seng explains that In addition to the price pressure resulting from the stronger U.S. dollar, U.S. beef continues to face severe market access restrictions in Taiwan. Currently, Taiwan only allows boneless muscle cuts from cattle 30 month of age or less, while prohibiting all bone-in cuts and variety meat.

Seng says the solution is for government to government talks to take place- and help bring Taiwan up to OIE world standards for BSE. You can read more and hear Phil Seng's comments on this Asian market that is right now going the wrong way when it comes to US beef exports- just click on the link below.

Click here for more on Taiwan and their slowing of beef exports from the US

The Oklahoma Shorthorn Association will offer a tremendous set of Shorthorn bulls, Bred Heifers, Bred Cows as well as Semen from some of the leading Shorthorn bulls in the breed.

For details, call Sammy Richardson, Chairman of the Oklahoma Shorthorn Association at 580-658-2709 or his cell: 580-467-8267. And, we have the link to the catalog with more details of the event on our website in our calendar and auction listings. Click on the link below for more information.

Click here for more on the 2009 Oklahoma Shorthorn Association Sooner Shorthorn Sale on April 25 in Duncan.

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.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com

Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click on the name of the report to go to that link:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101 mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- Two Pager From The Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture. <
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.