The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture crop progress report rates 73 percent of the US Corn Crop as being in good to excellent condition- down 1 point from a week ago, 19 percent fair and 8 percent poor to very poor. Harvested corn reached 24 percent, 3 points below average. National soybean conditions bounced 1 point from a week ago in the good to excellent ratings- now at 74 percent while soybeans are 19 percent fair and 7 percent poor to very poor. The national grain sorghum condition is unchanged from a week ago at 66 percent good to excellent, and still 28 percent fair and 6 percent poor to very poor, as well. Harvested sorghum reached 41 percent, 5 above the average. National cotton conditions are up 1 point from last week in the good to excellent ratings- at 49 percent, 36 percent fair, 12 percent poor and 3 percent very poor. Harvested cotton reached 15 percent, just above the average by 1 point. For the complete USDA Crop Progress report, click here.


In the weekly crop progress report from USDA, Oklahoma winter wheat planted reached 42 percent, up 3 points from the previous year but down 2 points from normal. Winter wheat emerged reached 16 percent, up 4 points from the previous year and up 2 points from normal. Canola planted reached 40 percent, down 14 points from the previous year and down 16 points from normal. Corn mature reached 81 percent, down 15 points from the previous year and down 16 points from normal. Corn harvested reached 60 percent, up 1 point from the previous year but down 9 points from normal. Sorghum mature reached 74 percent, down 3 points from the previous year but up 11 points from normal. Sorghum harvested reached 40 percent, down 4 points from the previous year but up 3 points from normal. Soybeans dropping leaves reached 30 percent, down 3 points from the previous year but up 14 points from normal. Soybeans harvested reached 3 percent, up 1 point from the previous year but down 4 points from normal. Cotton bolls opening reached 63 percent, unchanged from the previous year but down 7 points from normal.

Click here for the full Oklahoma report.


In Texas, winter wheat and oats seeding was in full swing across the state, while cotton harvest continued across the southern half of the state. Meanwhile, areas of West Texas and the Plains, harvest was just getting underway. Corn harvest was 75 percent complete, 11 points higher than last week and 5 up from normal. Mature corn reached 86 percent, 1 point below normal. Sorghum harvest was 69 percent complete, 4 points higher than last week and just 1 above normal. Across the state, sorghum was 80 percent mature, which is equal to the five-year average. Soybeans dropping leaves were at 85 percent, 2 points higher than normal. Cotton harvest was at 17 percent, equal to normal. Cotton bolls opened were at 59 percent, 8 points under the 5-year average.

Click here for the full Texas report.


Crop progress reports in Kansas, show winter wheat planted was 40 percent, equal to last year, and near the five-year average of 43. Emerged was 12 percent, near 15 last year and 16 average. Corn condition rated 2 percent very poor, 7 poor, 26 fair, 54 good, and 11 excellent. Corn mature was 91 percent, near 92 last year and 89 average. Harvested was 47 percent, behind 56 last year and 52 average. Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 24 fair, 55 good, and 16 excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 56 percent, behind 64 last year and 66 average. Harvested was 7 percent, behind 12 last year and 13 average. Sorghum condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 21 fair, 59 good, and 16 excellent. Sorghum mature was 63 percent, behind 69 last year, but ahead of 46 average. Harvested was 18 percent, near 22 last year, but ahead of 11 average. Cotton condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 29 fair, 64 good, and 4 excellent. Cotton setting bolls was 96 percent, near 100 last year and 99 average. Bolls opening was 51 percent, ahead of 46 last year, but near 54 average. Harvested was 4 percent, equal to last year, and near 1 average.

Click here for the full Kansas report.

Each week, Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his economic analysis of the beef cattle industry. This analysis is a part of the weekly series known as the "Cow Calf Corner" published electronically by Dr. Peel and Dr. Glenn Selk. This week, Dr. Peel offers a little perspective on the fear and uncertainty in the cattle markets being caused by recent bearish activity.


"The beef industry's transition to larger beef supplies in 2016 has been challenging. A persistently bearish psychology and ridiculous volatility in live and feeder cattle futures recently has contributed to a meltdown in cash markets and a mood among producers that is best described as fear. As a result some producers (and lenders) seem unable to do much of anything at this time. There seems to be a fear that that there is no bottom to markets once the cow herd expands and beef production starts to rise. Perhaps the fact that the industry has not experienced a cyclical expansion since the early 1990s is part of the problem. Some younger producers and traders have never participated in herd expansion and no one in the industry has in more than 20 years. There seems to be a feeling that any data with a positive year over year change (herd inventory, cattle slaughter, beef production, feedlot placements, etc.) is cause for rampant bearishness.


"A little perspective is in order. The beef cow herd is probably still expanding in 2016. There is no way to be sure since USDA-NASS has not provided any inventory update since January. Nevertheless, the beef cow herd is expected to grow another 1.5-2.5 percent in 2016. Added to the expansion in 2014 and 2015, the January 1, 2017 beef cow herd inventory is likely to be near 31 million head. This puts the beef cow herd inventory back to the level at the beginning of 2011; before drought liquidation dropped the herd by an unplanned 2 million head. Although the expansion since 2014 is properly characterized as cyclical expansion, it can also be thought of drought recovery so far. There is little doubt that the herd was poised to expand in 2011 in the absence of drought so it hardly seems likely that expansion to get back to that level can be thought of as drastically overshooting the mark. True, the sharp jump in carcass weights recently (steer carcass weights increased 28 pounds from 2013 to 2015) means that less expansion now will be required to produce the needed total level of beef production. The need for additional herd expansion in 2017 and 2018 is questionable but the expansion thus far is not too much. 

Participants in this year's American Farmers & Ranchers LEAD conference will receive an "inside the ropes" view of the horse racing industry, Oct. 15, Remington Park in Oklahoma City.


"We are excited to partner with Remington Park and the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association to bring this unique opportunity to our LEAD participants," said Megan Albright, adult education coordinator.


The statewide conference kicks off with a 9 a.m. tour of the Remington Park stables followed by a presentation on the horse industry by the OQHRA.


There will also be presentations on the Chickasaw Nation economic impact and agriculture department, and a discussion on the upcoming Oklahoma State Questions on the ballot.


The AFR LEAD program is a diverse, flexible and innovative program to assist in the needs of growing Oklahoma communities through informed leaders. The all-day program features lunch, dinner and evening social at the thoroughbred races at Remington Park.


For more information, contact Megan Albright at (405) 218-5416 or malbright@afrmic.com. 

 
As we get ready to push the send button and publish this morning's email- there are a couple of lines of storms working their way across Oklahoma- and there will likely be more showers developing later in the day- and then another shot of rain by the end of the week- Jed Castles has this graphic which gives you a blow by blow between now and the middle of next week- notice the cool temps on Friday:




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At noon today- the Junior Market Show at the Tulsa State Fair cranks up- and three of the species that are a part of the largest fall market animal show in the state will be showing this Tuesday afternoon- and then continuing at 8:00 AM tomorrow morning.

Barrows, Lambs and Meat Goats all begin their selection process today- the Market Steer Show starts tomorrow morning(Wednesday) and then the McDonalds Night of Champions will begin at 6:00 PM tomorrow evening.

At 5:00 PM on Thursday, the 2016 Premium Auction happens- the steer show, the Night of Champions and the Premium Auction all happen at the Ford Truck Arena.

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I would invite you to join me in prayer for Haiti as the island nation is taking the brunt of Category 4 Hurricane Matthew as you receive this on Tuesday morning- by the end of the week- farmers in the Carolinas could be dealing with tropical storm conditions- and the Commissioner of Ag in North Carolina Steve Troxler has already asked and received a Disaster Declaration as farmers rush to harvest their crops ahead of Matthew.

The declaration is especially helpful in that it allows the Governor to lift restrictions on the loads that agricultural trucks can carry and liberalizes the hours they can operate.

Click here for a North Carolina view on getting ready for this deadly storm that could cause fellow farmers in the southeastern US a lot of misery before the week is out.