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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Tuesday January 27,
2009 A
service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Midwest Farm Shows and KIS
Futures!
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-- Payment Limit Rules Left Alone for 2009 Crop Year- But Secretary
Vilsack Wants Comments for 2010 and Beyond
-- A Preview of the Cattle Industry Convention- and State Legislative
Session with OCA's Scott Dewald
-- Even with the Ice Storm- Burn Ban By County Commissioners Grows to
39 Counties
-- The 1000 Restaurant Advance- Under the Golden Arches
-- Will Congressional Winds Blow Favorably for This Renewable
Fuel?
-- Wheat Pasture Conditions and the "D" word
-- Superior Livestock Auction is Coming to Oklahoma City Next Month-
You Can Sell Cattle the Superior Way
-- Let's Check the Markets!
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 are crushing, including sunflowers
and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and
sunflowers on the PCOM
website- go there 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. | |
Payment Limit Rules Left Alone for 2009 Crop Year- But Secretary Vilsack Wants Comments for 2010 and Beyond ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced he will extend the comment period
for the 2008 Farm Bill Farm Program Payment Limitation and Payment
Eligibility rulemaking process."Let's be clear - in no way is this move a signal that we will modify the rules for the 2009 crop year," Vilsack said. "Sign up has begun and it's important that clear and consistent rules remain in place so that producers can prepare for the crop year and manage their risk appropriately." To date, USDA has only received seven comments on the payment limits rule and Vilsack says that by extending the comment period additional farmers and other interested parties will have the opportunity to comment. "In keeping with President Obama's recent pledge to make government more transparent, inclusive, and collaborative, I would like to pursue an extended comment period so that more farmers and other individuals can participate in this rulemaking process," he said. "I'm particularly interested in suggestions that would help the Department target payments to farmers who really need them and ensure that payments are not being provided to ineligible parties for future crop years." We have more on the Vilsack media teleconference- his first opportunity to mix with reporters from outside the beltway on a national basis. He had already held a news briefing at the end of last week for reporters that cover USDA and the ag scene and are located in our nation's capitol. Besides our story on our website that we have linked- you can click here for the page on our site where we have the entire audio from this first Vilsack media teleconference. Click on the link below for our story and audio wrap of the Vilsack teleconference- Click here for more on the Secretary Vilsack Media Teleconference from Monday. | |
A Preview of the Cattle Industry Convention- and State Legislative Session with OCA's Scott Dewald ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Cattle
Industry Convention is cranking up in Phoenix this week, and if the ice
storm will cooperate- about 130 Oklahomans will be there that have been
planning to attend. Scott Dewald is the Executive Vice President of the
Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association and he expects the cattle producers who
attend will focus on the changes going on in Washington with the Obama
Administration. They will also be discussing how the industry needs to
position itself in order to survive the current economic crisis in this
country and the resulting slowdown in beef demand that is one of the
consequences that the industry is facing.
Besides the industry convention this week in Phoenix, we also spent some time with Scott talking with him about the upcoming State Legislative session that really moves into high gear after Governor Brad Henry delivers his State of the State address this coming Monday, February 2. Dewald agrees with others we have talked with about this 2009 session- it will be all about the money- or lack of money as Oklahoma figures out how to cut spending to meet revenues in the upcoming fiscal year. Scott expressed his thankfulness that Oklahoma has a balanced budget law on the books- which means the state cannot spend more than it has. Click on the link below to jump to our story with Scott. And we invite you to check back on our website regularly over the next three or four days for coverage from Phoenix and the 2009 Cattle Industry Convention. One of the late additions to their program is the brand new Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, who will be making one of his first public appearances outside of Washington as the USDA chief at this event. Click here for our conversation with Scott Dewald of the OCA | |
Even with the Ice Storm- Burn Ban By County Commissioners Grows to 39 Counties ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jack Carson
with the Oklahoma Department of Ag writes in the Department's blog that as
of yesterday afternoon that "ODAFF Forester, George Geissler, reports that
Texas and Harmon Counties announced burn bans this afternoon. That brings
the current total to 39 Oklahoma counties under county commissioner
declared burn bans."
There is currently no statewide ban or ban mandated by the Governor- but rather a total of 39 separate County bans- as declared by County Commissioners in those counties. Some of those end as early as today- while the ones just announced on Monday run through next Monday. The majority of the counties with a burn ban in place is south of I-40, altho Craig County has had a burn ban going that lasts through today, while Texas County is one of those counties announcing a burn ban yesterday that goes through next Monday. Click here for a map and list of those counties now under a county mandated burn ban. | |
The 1000 Restaurant Advance- Under the Golden Arches ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ McDonald's
reported lower fourth quarter earnings but beat Wall Street expectations
and said it plans to open about 1,000 new restaurants in 2009. Oak Brook,
Ill.-based McDonald's reported fourth quarter net income of $985.3
million, or 87 cents per share, compared to $1.27 billion, or $1.06 per
share a year ago. Reuters reported on Monday that Wall Street analysts
were looking for the burger giant to earn about 83 cents per share in the
quarter.
The burger giant has been watched with interest as consumers have traded down from casual dining to fast casual and quick service restaurants. CEO Jim Skinner says that "McDonald's begins 2009 with six years of momentum, a business model that has delivered even in challenging economic conditions and January sales that remain strong. Skinner adds that "For 2009, we plan to invest $2.1 billion of capital to open about 1,000 new McDonald's restaurants and reinvest in our existing locations." | |
Will Congressional Winds Blow Favorably for This Renewable Fuel? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today, the
Senate Finance Committee considers the economic stimulus package. And
plans are made to offer amendments. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking
Member of the committee, says he will offer several amendments to
strengthen federal efforts to expand production of clean and abundant wind
energy.
According to Grassley, his amendments would make the tax credit for wind energy permanent or extend the tax credit for five years. Also, Grassley proposals would maintain the option for producers to take either the production tax credit or investment tax credit for 2009 and 2010. These amendments mirror the bill passed last week by the House of Representatives. In addition, Grassley said he hopes to extend the carry back to 10 years so that the PTC or ITC can be used against prior income taxes paid by a wind energy company. Senator Grassley believes - a longer carry back period would help get more wind projects started again. | |
Wheat Pasture Conditions and the "D" word ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dr. Derrell
Peel of Oklahoma State University offers some thoughts on wheat pasture
and how the conditions this winter are impacting cattle gains and
movement. Dr. peel writes "The entire state of Oklahoma has gotten
significantly dry over the past 90 days. Precipitation statewide is 29
percent of normal and roughly one third of the state has received less
than 20 percent of normal precipitation since October. The most recent
Drought Monitor indicates that 71 percent of the state has some level of
drought conditions. The driest regions are the south central and western
parts of the state."
He adds that "much of the principal wheat production area in the state is in the driest regions and wheat pasture conditions have deteriorated significantly in recent weeks. In many areas the wheat has grown little or none recently and cattle are rapidly depleting available forage supplies. Some stocker producers have already destocked and many others are faced with imminent destocking of wheat pasture. There were fewer cattle than average on wheat pasture this winter and the early and extended movement of cattle off wheat means that there is little likelihood of a typical wheat pasture run of feeder marketings in late February and March. In other parts of the state, stock ponds are drying up and forcing some
producers to alter cattle and pasture management. In general, cow-calf
producers have had adequate hay supplies and good grazing conditions this
winter. The one benefit of dry winter weather is that standing dry forage
has maintained quality better than normal. Another concern is fire danger,
which is usually elevated this time of year but may become more severe
than usual in the coming weeks without moisture soon. | |
Superior Livestock Auction is Coming to Oklahoma City Next Month- You Can Sell Cattle the Superior Way ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Superior
Livestock Auction is planning a sale they are calling their Prime Time
Roundup Sale- and while it will be seen on RFD TV like all of their sales-
this one is a little different in that it will be originating in Oklahoma
City at the Holiday Inn Airport on south Meridian a few blocks south of
I-40.
The Closing date for consignments to be in the catalog is this coming
Monday, February 2, 2009. The number to call to begin the process of consigning your cattle is 1-800-422-2117. And then make plans to be in Oklahoma City on that Friday to watch the sale in person as Superior Livestock sells some 30,000 cattle from across the U.S. Click here for our auction listing for Superior Livestock, complete with a link to their website. | |
Our thanks to Midwest Farm Shows, Producers Cooperative Oil Mill and KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked at the top of the email- check them out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis! 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. | |
Let's Check the Markets! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first
report of Monday's Oklahoma National Stockyards Monday sale was a run of
9,200 head- by the midsession report- they had backed that number down to
8,400 with prices steady to $3 lower on feeder cattle. Jerry Alexander of
the USDA Market News office wrote at midsession "Demand improved for
steers as the day progressed with many sales coming back to near steady.
Winter storm moving thru the state with temps in the 20's and freezing
drizzle or light precept expected to last thru the night. This weather
producing weighing conditions in cattle that are very favorable to
buyers." Click
here for the full report that runs down the Monday prices from the
Oklahoma City market.
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: | |
God Bless! You can reach us at the following: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
phone: 405-473-6144
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