Drought Re-Emerging Across Oklahoma, Southern Plains 

Drought is rapidly returning to Oklahoma and spring crop conditions are deteriorating under the heat and lack of rainfall.  Corn and peanuts were rated mostly good while sorghum, soybeans and cotton slipped to mostly good to fair.

Sixty percent of corn was silking by Sunday, 13 points ahead of the five-year average. 

Sorghum planting was 97 percent complete, and 86 percent had emerged by the end of the week, 20 points ahead of normal.  

Soybean planting was virtually complete, and 93 percent had emerged by Sunday, 22 points ahead of normal.

Almost all cotton had emerged by the end of the week, and 23 percent of the cotton crop was squaring by Sunday.

Click here for the complete Oklahoma Crop Weather Report. 

You can read the Kansas report here, and the Texas report is available by clicking here.

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Summer Crop Condition Scores Tumble In Latest USDA Crop Progress Repor 

The Crop Condition Slide continues. Corn, Cotton, Soybeans and Grain Sorghum have all slipped in the latest Crop Condition scores compared to one week ago, and corn and soybeans are in much worst shape than the 2011 crop was as we began the month of July 2011. Grain Sorghum has close to the same ratings of a year ago, while the 2012 cotton crop remains in much better shape than the 2011 crop that could blame the majority of its awful ratings on the historic drought of 2011 across Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. (our corn crop picture comes from Garvin County, Oklahoma last year- corn that was still green but very stressed)

Starting with the crop that agricultural observers seem to be most concerned with- the 2012 US Corn crop- the latest corn crop conditions as of July 1st show an eight percent point drop in the good to excellent conditions- from 56% a week ago to under fifty percent this week at 48% good to excellent. The 2011 corn crop stood at 69% good to excellent as of July first of 2011. Meanwhile, the poor to very poor ratings expanded from 14% poor to very poor a week ago to 22% this week.

One fourth of the US corn crop is now silking, well ahead of the five year average of just 8%- and with the current hot dry conditions grippping the midwest, means the 2012 crop is trying to mature in the midst of the worst possible weather scenario. When the Monday, July 2nd futures trade ended at 2 PM central time- corn futures were up twenty to twenty three cents per bushel on the day- and these latest numbers give fresh fodder for the trade to continue to march higher.  

To read more, about worsening crop conditions nationwide, click here.

Weather and Other Factors Change Cattle Market Outlook

Significant weather changes and fluctuating demand are having an impact on cattle markets. In his latest article in the Cow-Calf Newsletter, Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist analyzes the trends:

Prices for cattle of all classes and for beef are higher than this time last year. However, cattle market conditions have changed significantly in the past few weeks and most prices have declined recently. The biggest factor is weather which is impacting markets directly and indirectly, both in the immediate short run as well as farther down the road. Beyond weather impacts, beef demand remains a critical question for cattle and beef markets.

Weather is having a myriad of impacts on cattle and beef prices. Drought conditions have expanded dramatically, with 72 percent of the continental U.S. in some stage of abnormally dry conditions and over 51 percent of the country in moderate or worse drought. In Oklahoma and Texas, the better-than-last-year conditions so far are eroding rapidly. Oklahoma has received 46 percent of normal precipitation in the last 60 days and most all the state has had three to nine days of 100+ degree temperatures with some regions having had 17-21 days of triple digit temperatures.

Regional reports indicate that some drought forced cattle movement is beginning with some early marketing of calves and cull cow sales taking place. These are likely contributing to weaker feeder cattle prices recently and could have much more significant impacts in the coming weeks. In contrast to the 2011 drought which all in all had less market price impacts than would be expected, the drought area this year is bigger and is more likely to result in stronger market impacts and sooner than last year.

Click here for more of Derrell Peel's analysis of rapidly changing cattle market conditions.

Preventing and Relieving Heat Stress in At-Risk Cattle Herds

With the probability of temperatures soaring to near one hundred or above for much of the next two months, heat stress in cattle herds becomes a very real danger.

In the latest edition of the Beef Buzz, Kansas State University beef veterinarian Larry Hollis discussings heat stress and its remedies. You can hear his comments by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story.

Hollis says there are a number of signs to look out for indicating cattle are becoming heat stressed.

"They're going to be off feed. One of the things we'll commonly see, very commonly, is with them standing in a water source if they're pasture animals with a pond available that they can stand in. They'll stand in the water to cool themselves. Or, if they're watering out of some sort of tank, they'll be standing with their head over the water tank trying to pick up a little coolness from that water. "

Hollis says if that doesn't do the trick, cattle will employ other methods in an attempt to cool themselves. 

Read more by clicking here. 

Farm Service Agency Now Accepting Pollinator Habitats in Continuous CRP

Francie Tolle, executive director for the Oklahoma Farm Service Agency (FSA), announced that pollinator habitats, which support a variety of pollinator species, will now be accepted as a Continuous Sign-up Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) practice. CCRP is a voluntary program that helps producers apply conservation practices to safeguard environmentally sensitive land.

Pollinator habitats are areas of permanent vegetation located in an agricultural landscape: field edges, field middles, odd corners, or any agricultural location that is suitable for establishing pollinator habitat.

Pollinators provide a very important ecological service. Approximately three quarters of all flowering plants rely upon external assistance to pollinate their flowers. In addition to agricultural crops such as fruits and many vegetables, these plants include seed producing wildflowers, fruit producing shrubs and nut producing trees which provide a source of food for many wildlife species. Studies indicate that birds, bees, bats, and other pollinators are in significant decline across the country and around the world. Nearly 80% of the crops grown in the world require pollination. In the United States, insects pollinate crops that producer $40 billion worth of products annually.

Participants of newly enrolled pollinator habitat practices are eligible to receive a $150 CRP Sign-up Incentive Payment (SIP) per acre. The SIP is a one-time payment issued to CRP participants after the contract is approved.

You can read more about the pollinator CRP by clicking here.

Choice Boxed Beef Prices Drop While Finished Cattle Trade Steady

 

Choice boxed beef prices dropped and the finished cattle traded steady last week.

This N That- Midweek Holiday Market Break and In the Field Video for You to See of Bailey Ballou

Our Agricultural futures markets and the US Equity markets will all be taking a break at the close of trade today- to celebrate the birthday of the United States.  For Ag Futures- the open outcry and electronic trade will all end at 2 PM central time today(for the grains- earlier for the livestock and later for the cotton) and the electronic trade will not reopen until Wednesday afternoon.  Their will be no open outcry in the futures markets until Thursday morning. 

AND- if you wanted to market cattle the balance of this week at a local livestock sale barn- check with that market before you load up and head to town- most sale barns are closed for the balance of the week- including the McAlester Union Stockyards who have Tuesday as their sale day- their next sale is next Tuesday, July 10. 

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One of our stories in yesterday's email featured Bailey Ballou of Elgin, the 2012 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion- we have updated that story to include the video from our In the Field visit with Bailey that was seen on KWTV, News9 in Oklahoma City this past Saturday morning. Click here for that new link that will jump you over to both hear our audio conversation as well as to see the video and listen to Bailey's award winning chant from the 2012 competition.

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One other quick reminder- our email will take a Fourth of July holiday break- we will return on Thursday.  Our wish for each of you is that you have a great Fourth of July- and keep in mind that as you enjoy family and friends this holiday- a lot of our friends in the eastern part of the US are still dealing with no power and lots of damage from the huge wind storm that tore across several states, leaving 18 dead, many injured and millions of dollars of damage to homes and businesses. We pray for a quick recovery- and yes- we pray for rain across our great land- Lord, that would be a much welcomed birthday present for America here in 2012.  Happy Fourth of July to you and yours!!!