Several groups within the livestock industry last week confronted the USDA, calling on the agency to withdraw the Obama Administration's Midnight GIPSA rules, or what has been referred to (some say misleadingly) as the Farmer Fair Practices Rules. It is widely believed within the ag sector that these rules will be damaging to the industry, leaving segments exposed to unreasonable litigation and lawsuits. In fact, GIPSA admits it is "unable to quantify the benefits" of these proposals.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association's President Craig Uden testified that "these rules are just as troubling as they were when USDA initially proposed them in 2010, after which Congress immediately stepped in to defund the rules, recognizing them as a flawed concept that limits producers' ability to market their cattle and adding layers of crippling bureaucracy." You can read the full statement released by NCBA on the matter, by clicking or tapping here.

National Pork Producers Council President Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill. said, "These regulations could impose staggering costs on the pork industry. The only people who would benefit from this heavy-handed government intrusion in the hog market are trial lawyers."

No lie either, as a study by Informa Economics found that the 2010 GIPSA Rule coupled with the interim final rule would cost the U.S. pork industry more than $420 million annually, with most of the costs related to the interim final rule's "no competitive injury" provision. Click here to read NPPC's statement.

Finally, the National Chicken Council explained that the rules are contrary to President's Trump's regulatory reform agenda. GIPSA has failed to identify regulations to remove in conjunction with finalizing these rules, and GIPSA has not identified the regulations that would have to be removed to ensure a net zero total cost increase from the regulations. Moreover, the strong likelihood that the rules will increase litigation and uncertainty flies in the face of the current administration's priorities.

"In fact, given the Administration's emphasis on clearing red tape, lowering costs, and increasing certainty for American businesses," noted NCC President Mike Brown, "it is shocking that GIPSA would continue to move forward with a set of rules that GIPSA expressly recognizes will cause extreme uncertainty and significant amounts of needless litigation for years to come with zero quantifiable benefits."

Click here to review NCC's statement regarding the GIPSA Rules.

Just as the Beaver County Fire Relief Information meeting wrapped up last week, I reached out to Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese, who attended the meeting along with approximately 150 farmers and ranchers affected by the recent Northwest Oklahoma wildfires, there to learn about the available assistance programs available through the Farm Service Agency and other organizations. You can listen in on our conversation regarding the meeting, by clicking here.

Reese offered his observations on the scene, saying that every day gets a little better for the victims.


"I think the first day was just total devastation," he empathized. "You think there is no recovery; you're totally blindsided by the size of the job in front of you."


However, he continued that as assistance of all kinds, through programs, hay drives and just genuine support, the attitudes seem to lift some.


"They're past the ugly part; they're spirits are getting better," he added. "People get just a little bit more optimistic every day."


If you, or someone you know, has been affected by these fires, Reese encourages you to complete an application through the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, which is helping to coordinate efforts to distribute assistance as soon as possible. To fill out your application in order to be accounted for, visit the OCA website, here.

 
The numbers have been crunched: the March 7 wildfires that ravaged parts of Beaver, Harper and Woodward counties had an economic impact exceeding $16 million.


"In Oklahoma, more than 310 thousand acres burned causing a wide variety of losses to livestock, pastures, hay, fences and facilities," said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension livestock marketing specialist. "Estimates of losses based on preliminary information currently available sum to a total of $14.6 million for cattle operations."


In addition, the Plum Thicket Sow Farm owned by Smithfield sustained losses of some 4,000 sows and an unknown number of weaning pigs. Peel said hog farm losses of animals and facilities likely total $2 million dollars or more.

To read the full release from OSU on the economic impact to Ag for the Northwest Oklahoma wildfires- click here.

NOW- in the headline- I asked the question- is that number too small of a damage number?

Well- the cattle loss number of $14.6 million is probably a decent starting point- and one that will grow.  Dr. Peel points out that equipment is not included in the losses at this point- that will need to be added in. Also not included is a loss of income for 2017 and possibly for 2018 for the ranchers impacted.

We also don't know at this point how many ranches were damaged from the wildfires- and getting a handle on that number will help us get a handle on the true level of economic loss in those three counties.

I think the key phrase for that written about the hog losses was "or more."  Last week- we rode around and looked at the losses sustained to the Smithfield Hog Farm that sits right on the state line of Kansas-Oklahoma- just south of Ashland, Kansas and just south of the legendary Gardiner Angus Ranch.

We were told that six sow barns were destroyed- did not really get a number of pig nurseries if any that were burned.  The news release furnished by Smithfield said they had a loss of about 4,000 sows.

When you figure the value of the genetics bred into those sows for Smithfield- plus the unknown of how many pigs with their mamas plus weanling pigs- you get a lot of that two million dollar number that OSU offered. 

Then you add the cost of clearing the debris of six hog barns of carcasses and damaged pens from the heat of the fire- then the rebuilding of those barns and the repair of the lagoons that are associated with those barns back up to the level of meeting strict regulatory guidelines- you are talking several million dollars.

And then there is the loss of income of a year or so for those facilities- it would not surprise me if the Plum Thicket Sow Farm loss was in the seven to eight million dollar ballpark.

Somebody had to throw a number out there to get the conversation going- I am glad OSU did- and we will eventually get a grasp on the losses of earlier this month.  We do know for sure that for those in the eye of the firestorm- the losses were overwhelming.

I spoke with John Collison, Oklahoma Farm Bureau's VP of Public Policy last week for an update on what's been going on at the state capital so far this legislative session. According to him there's one bill in particular that has managed to pass through, or "squeak by" rather, the House and is headed for the Senate now.

Collison believes the bill, HB1374, to be absurd and contends that if it were to pass, it would be like opening Pandora's Box.

"H.B. 1374 - allows cities and municipalities with just a simple majority, to go out and ask the people if they want to raise ad valorem taxes to start funding city services," he explained. "Police salaries, fire salaries - that's unprecedented!"

Collison explains that if this sort of thing is allowed to happen, then every other group out there will be fighting for a piece of the pie as well, at the expense of rural Oklahomans. However, Collison says he committed to killing the legislation before that happens.

"We're going over to the Senate," Collison directed, "and we're going to make sure it dies a painful death."

Click here to listen to Collison review the politics of the past week at the state capital with me.

Nebraska feedlot and cattle producer and President of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Craig Uden testified before the House Subcommittee on Agriculture last week on a variety of issues relevant to the cattle industry.


He revealed in an interview after giving his testimony that one of the major issues discussed in the meeting was the imperative nature of Congress' investment in the protection of the livestock industry from pathogenic outbreaks like Foot & Mouth disease.


"We believe that a strong animal health program, including a vaccine bank, is vitally funded," Uden said. "We're asking $150 million for five years to develop a vaccine - not in this country - but to have the vaccine ready to go in case we ever did have that type of an outbreak."

Since this particular disease poses such a risk to the US livestock industry, work with the disease itself can't be conducted on our domestic soils. Uden insists it is a very complex issue and will continue working with other groups like the pork industry to see this imperative project through.

Listen to Craig Uden and I discuss his meeting in Washington this past week with the House Ag Committee, on Friday's Beef Buzz - click here.

The Coalition to Advance Precision Agriculture is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, www.DiscoverPrecisionAg.org. The mission of CAPA is to facilitate communication between farm and agribusiness associations and government decision-makers about precision agriculture, innovation, tools and practices. Filled with informative resources developed by coalition members, the new website helps CAPA promote science-based policy decisions to advance a safe and sustainable food system. Members of the coalition include a range of organizations from across the agricultural community, from grower groups to agribusiness associations working to develop the most advanced technology possible for farmers.


Daren Coppock, president & CEO of the Agricultural Retailers Association, shared, "Precision agriculture is where many of farming's challenges and solutions come together. The precise application of nutrients and crop protection products as well as the analysis of production variables - such as soil type, fertility, past yield, slope and other data - help generate what essentially are prescriptions for healthy and abundant crops. Agriculture today is a high-tech enterprise, and CAPA is a way to share these innovative technologies and practices with policymakers who otherwise might not know about or have access to the state of the art in farming."


"From AgGateway's perspective, CAPA is an important resource, informing government and industry leaders about the essential work being done to facilitate the exchange of electronic information for precision agriculture. The ability to manage data is key to the continuing success of U.S. agriculture," said AgGateway President and CEO Wendy Smith.

To continue reading the complete version of this story for more on the new website launched by The Coalition to Advance Precision Agriculture, click here.

 
Last night- the storms fired up in central and western Oklahoma and moved quickly eastward- little rain was received until you hit eastern Oklahoma- where amounts over an inch were common- here's the Oklahoma Mesonet graphic that shows off the rain in the east:



NEVER FEAR those of you wanting a drink of water for your pastures or your canola or wheat- the latest seven day precipitation map for the US- as posted on Twitter by Bryce Anderson of DTN- shows beaucoup rainfall ahead:


Yes my dear- those are four inch rainfall totals shown for central and southwestern Oklahoma- Bryce wonders on Twitter if these amounts dead ahead could impact the drought conditions that are nagging our state. In last week's Drought Monitor- almost 80% of the state was in moderate to severe drought- and that could change in not the next Drought Monitor out this week- but perhaps by next week if Mother Nature makes good on these rainfall totals.