In the latest crop progress report released Monday, July 24, 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture rated the US corn crop condition at 62 percent good to excellent down 2 from a week ago, and up 1 in fair at 26 percent and up 1 at 12 poor to very poor. The US soybean condition is rated 57 percent good to excellent down 4 from a week ago, up 1 at 29 percent fair and rising by 3 at 14 percent poor to very poor. For the complete USDA Crop Progress report, click here.


According to the weekly crop progress report from USDA, Oklahoma corn silk reached 64 percent, down 14 points from normal. Corn dough reached 9 percent, down 23 points from normal. Sorghum headed reached 36 percent, down 1 point from the previous year. Sorghum coloring reached 21 percent, up 15 points from the previous year and up 13 points from normal.  Conditions of pasture and range were rated at 88 percent good to fair. Livestock condition was rated at 92 percent good to fair. To view the complete Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Kansas, corn condition rated 3 percent very poor, 6 poor, 31 fair, 49 good, and 11 excellent. Corn silking was 72 percent, behind 83 last year, and near 76 for the five-year average. Dough was 8 percent, near 12 last year, and behind 23 average. Sorghum condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 30 fair, 57 good, and 7 excellent. Sorghum headed was 11 percent, behind 25 last year, and near 14 average. Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 30 fair, 56 good, and 8 excellent.. To view the complete Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Texas, cotton squaring is now 70 percent complete, behind of both the previous year and the average by 10. Cotton's condition in Texas is currently 45 percent good to excellent, 40 fair, and 15 poor to very poor. Corn condition rates 74 percent good to excellent, 24 fair and 2 percent poor to very poor. Sorghum condition in the state is rated 63 percent good to excellent, 35 percent fair and 2 percent poor to very poor. 79 percent of the crop is headed, on par with last year and behind the average by 1. 58 percent of the crop, meanwhile, has reached the coloring stage. Pasture conditions are rated at 41 percent good to excellent statewide, 41 fair and 18 percent poor to very poor. To view the complete Texas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association's top lobbyist, Colin Woodall, spoke to the members of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association this past week, as the keynote speaker for the Association's 65th Annual Convention and Trade Show. Offering an update on the policy issues currently being pursued by NCBA in the interest of the American cattle industry, Woodall described many of the dynamics playing out in Washington now that the Trump administration is settling in to the White House.

Our own Carson Horn, associate farm director, was there to speak with Woodall about today's political scene in DC.

Currently, he says, DC is a much friendlier place for agriculture, and other industries as well. Trump has put successful businessmen in leadership roles throughout the government. He contends these officials understand what it is like to try to run a business under burdensome, restrictive rules and regulations, just as farmers have been compelled to do for many years now.

"They recognize what we do to feed not only ourselves here in the US, but around the world," Woodall said. "So, that mentality, I believe, has given them some good perspective in looking at these rules and trying to figure out which ones need to be eliminated."

But while it's been refreshing to have an administration and a Congress willing to listen and cooperate for a change, Woodall says NCBA and the ag community must work diligently with policy leaders to get as much done as possible over the next ten or twelve months. The cooperation being enjoyed right now could potentially come to an end with the Midterm election of 2018 just over the horizon.

Woodall says Congressional leaders up for reelection will have to fight to keep their seats. Each and every one is critical for the Republican party in order to maintain control, particularly in the Senate where there is only a two-seat margin keeping Democrats at bay.

He asserts that NCBA is doing everything it can to help our elected officials to pass priority issues as soon as possible so incumbents can focus on their reelection come November 2018.

Listen to Woodall speak with Carson about the DC dynamic under the Trump Administration, as well as his thoughts on the Farm Bill and a recap of the NCBA Summer Business meeting, by clicking here.

 
Earlier this summer, the faculty of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources' Animal Science Department at Oklahoma State University, invited members of the Oklahoma ranching community to join them on a bus tour of several ranches around the Lawton area, to meet with fellow cattlemen and open a dialogue share insights on the advantages or disadvantages of certain management practices. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn caught up with Gant Mourer, an organizer of the event within the Animal Science Department, during the 65th Annual Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association State Convention and Trade Show, to find out how the trip went.

"It seemed to work really well," Mourer said. "We had hoped for 30 participants and we got 30 or just a few more and really, that worked out great for us because we were able to visit with producers on the tour, everyone could get one on one time and ask questions and it really flowed well."

This tour was a first for the Department. Mourer says the idea to conduct a tour came about, when the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association shifted its local ranch tour format to an international experience. Mourer explained that the Department felt there was still a need for such a tour that could allow ranchers in the state to connect and learn from each other. The concept, though, was to keep the group small and the stops close, which Mourer believes maximized interaction.

You can read more about the tour- and also listen to Carson and Gant's conversation about the tour- by clicking or tapping here.

The Senate Appropriations Committee this week granted the National Resources Conservation Service an ample sum of $874 million for the Conservation Operations account, in its 2018 Fiscal Year budget. A release from the National Association of Conservation Districts states that figure is nearly $10 million more than President Trump's budget request.

Of that total amount, $768.8 million is reserved for the Conservation Technical Assistance program, which will allow America's 3,000 conservation districts to continue providing millions of private landowners with on-the-ground technical conservation assistance and local solutions to protect water quality, build soil health, and enhance wildlife habitat nationwide, according to NACD President Brent Van Dyke.

While the NACD is thrilled by this generous allocation, they are left scratching their heads why the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, an equally important tool for conservationist, has been slashedapproximately $300 million dollars by the Senate committee.

"EQIP is an exceedingly popular program that has helped hundreds of thousands of landowners take their first steps into farm bill conservation programs. Chipping away at this program won't save any dollars in the long-term - it will only make protecting and conserving our natural resources more costly in the future," NACD CEO Jeremy Peters said.

Peters strongly encouraged Congress on the NACD's behalf to reconsider funding EQIP. To read more about the NACD's predicament here, click over to our website to read the full release.

The United States Department of Agriculture, last Friday afternoon, released several reports on the beef industry, including the monthly and quarterly Cattle On Feed reports. I caught up with Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel during the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Convention over the weekend, for his reaction to the reports.

Peel says feedlots surprised the industry with placements in the On Feed report, a full 10 percent higher than what was being estimated.

"This pushed feedlot inventories for July 1 up 4.5 percent from last year despite continued strong June marketings," wrote Peel in his latest article in the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter. "Feeder cattle demand has been extremely strong based on very good feedlot profitability recently."

He says with the cost of gain so cheap these days, feedlots dipped even deeper in feeder supplies, putting more lighter weight cattle on feed - trying to feed anything they could get their hands on.

"This is important when anticipating the impacts of larger placements the past four months. The lightweight placements in May and June will not be on top of earlier heavy placements. Moreover, placements have clearly pulled cattle ahead, meaning that more cattle placed now imply fewer relative placements later. However, overall feeder supplies are larger and will continue to grow into 2018," writes Peel.

For more highlights from these reports, or to hear Peel explain his analysis of the reports to me, click here for yesterday's Beef Buzz.

You can also jump back by clicking here and take a listen to our complete conversation with Derrell from Friday afternoon which includes his take on the Cattle on Feed reports and the Mid Year Inventory Report.

 
For years, THE Summer Highlight for Oklahoma FFA has been Alumni Camp as 1,500 members are able to gather for one of the sessions planned each year at Camp Tulakogee.

There's a new focal point that was added this summer- and former State FFA President Courtney Maye, who was a part of the Horizon TV Show that was cancelled back in June-(She is still with Career Tech and is still telling stories via video for the Agency as the Communications and Marketing Coordinator for Career Tech) has a great video account of the new flag pole that is now in place for years to come at the camp.

Here's that video for you to check out:


ONE OTHER OKLHAOMA FFA NOTE- I had not had the chance to offer Congrats to Piper Merritt of Owasso FFA- Piper served as State Secretary wtih last year's state officer team(2016-17) and she has been selected as the National Officer Candidate that will represent Oklahoma in that process this coming October in Indianapolis. 

We are already making plans for our coverage of the 2017 National FFA Convention- and we will be in Indy to help tell  the many stories of how Oklahoma FFA members are making all of us proud in the national spotlight!

Beginning at 7:30 a.m. this morning, the Senate Ag Committee will commence a hearing to receive the testimony of witnesses regarding their experience and knowledge of matters concerning commodities, credit and crop insurance.

The hearing entitled, Commodities, Credit, and Crop Insurance: Perspectives on Risk Management Tools and Trends for the 2018 Farm Bill, will feature testimony from three panels of witnesses totaling 17 individuals in all.

If you care to watch this morning's proceedings, the hearing will be webcast live on www.agriculture.senate.gov/

Notable witnesses include David Schemm, a farmer from Arrow S Farms in Sharon Springs, Kan. and president of the National Association of Wheat Growers.; Roger Johnson, President, National Farmers Union; Mark Haney, President, Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation; and Dan Atkisson of the National Sorghum Board.

For a complete list of witnesses slated to offer testimony at today's Farm Bill hearing, click over to the calendar page of our website.