Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Tuesday, September 20, 2022 |
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Southern Plains Winter Wheat Planting Moving Steady- Texas up 17 Percentage Points from the Average
- As Drought Persists, Cow Herd Liquidation Continues
- Oklahoma Emergency Drought Commission to Meet Wednesday at ODAFF in OKC
- Wheat Grazing Prospects Dim says OSU's Dr. Peel
- National Farmers Union President Rob Larew Outlines NFU Priorities for Producers at Fly-In
- The Time is Now for Ag to Close the Connectivity Gap
- Summer refusing to Let go with High Temps and Low Rain Chances Expected for Oklahoma
- This Thursday: September 22 Pork Checkoff Webinar
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Southern Plains Winter Wheat Planting Moving Steady- Texas up 17 Percentage Points from the Average |
Winter wheat planting moved ahead 11 percentage points last week to reach 21% as of Sunday. That is 1 percentage point ahead of last year and 4 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 17%. "Montana and Texas are well ahead of the average pace of planting, at 35% and 33%, respectively," said DTN Senior Analyst Dana Mantini.
Oklahoma:
Winter wheat planted reached 13 percent, down 1 point from the previous year but unchanged from normal.
Cotton bolls opening reached 56 percent, up 4 points from the previous year and up 8 points from normal. Cotton conditions rated 8 percent good to excellent, 29 percent fair and 63 percent poor to very poor. (Since last week, good to excellent cotton conditions have decreased by 4 percentage points and poor to very poor conditions have increased by 7 points.)
Corn dented reached 89 percent, down 4 points from the previous year but unchanged from normal. Corn mature reached 54 percent, down 11 points from the previous year and down 6 points from normal. Corn harvested reached 30 percent up 12 points from normal. Corn conditions rated 32 percent good to excellent, 33 percent fair and 35 percent poor to very poor. (Since last week, good to excellent corn conditions have decreased by 9 percentage points and poor to very poor conditions have increased by 9 points.)
Pasture, Range and Livestock:
Pasture and range conditions rated 9 percent good to excellent, 22 percent fair and 69 percent poor to very poor. Livestock conditions rated 31 percent good to excellent, 46 percent fair and 23 percent poor to very poor.
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National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures.
National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.
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As Drought Persists, Cow Herd Liquidation Continues |
In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking about cow herd liquidation with commentary from OSU’s Extension Livestock Market Economist, Dr. Derrell Peel and Bob Rodenberger with Stockman Oklahoman.
“There is little doubt that the drought is accelerating the herd liquidation,” Peel said. “It started last year. We were already in cyclical liquidation, again, from that peak in 2019, but the drought last year accelerated it.”
Until things change moisture-wise, Peel said there is no stopping the liquidation, but over the next three years, the cow herd can be stabilized and rebuilt.
Bob Rodenberger with Stockman Oklahoman says most of the cattle producers he is working with are doing a good job of orderly liquidation. In smaller barns in rural America, Rodenberger said cow kill is still up, but people are culling old and open cows that shouldn’t remain in the herd regardless of drought.
“I haven’t got into a set of true, young cows yet, which is very positive from my standpoint,” Rodenberger said.
Calves are coming to town a little earlier, Rodenberger said, which is to be expected.
“We are in survival mode,” Rodenberger said. “People are doing what they should be doing. Nothing has got into panic mode yet. I know a lot of us are thinking panic, but people are just responding normally. Relieving their cow, trying to get her into the winter in good shape, selling down to however much hay they’ve got available, and the herds that are selling more than normal have no hay, are short on water or both of the above.”
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Oklahoma Emergency Drought Commission to Meet Wednesday at ODAFF in OKC |
Last week, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt activated the Oklahoma Emergency Drought Commission. Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Conservation Commission Executive Director Trey Lam and Oklahoma Water Resources Board Executive Director Julie Cunningham make up the Commission and they have set the first meeting of the Commission for 10:00 a.m. on September 21, 2022 in the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Building Board Room.
The ramping up of the Commission by the Governor is in response to the persistent drought that Oklahoma has been battling for months. Currently- 48% of the state is in extreme or exceptional drought, and 99% of the state is abnormally dry or worse, based on the most recent Drought Monitor.
The Emergency Drought Commission shall determine the expenditures to be made from the Emergency Drought Relief Fund, totaling up to three million dollars as appropriated by House Bill 2959, and shall determine the appropriate agency to expend the funds.
During the meeting on Wednesday, an opportunity will be given for individuals to make a public comment. Comments should specifically address ideas for how Emergency Drought Relief Funds should best be utilized.
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For our farmers who have either- always have had cotton on their farms- or those who have more recently have added the fiber crop to their operations- we have a daily report heard on several of our Radio Stations- It's Called Cotton Talk!
Click on the Button below to listen to our most recent report
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Wheat Grazing Prospects Dim says OSU's Dr. Peel |
Weekly, 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 Derrell Peel, Mark Johnson and Paul Beck. Today, Dr. Peel talks about winter stocker prospects in the midst of drought.
Most years, September would be occupied by lots of attention to wheat planting and budgets for winter grazing of stockers. However, the latest Drought Monitor shows that 99.97 percent of Oklahoma is abnormally dry or worse (D0-D4) with 48.81 percent in D3 and D4 (Extreme or Exceptional Drought). The three maps below from the Mesonet system show plant available water at 4-inch, 16-inch and 32-inch depths. The dark red and brown colors of the maps indicate that the soil profile of much of the state is very dry from top to bottom.
The USDA Crop Progress report for September 13 showed that 11 percent of Oklahoma wheat was planted, ahead of the five-year average of four percent for that date. I traveled across much of western Oklahoma last week and did see several planted fields and even a couple with wheat emerged. In many cases the wheat is being “dusted in”, planted in dry soil, hoping that rain will be forthcoming to germinate the wheat. Whether wheat is planted with enough moisture to germinate or is waiting for rain to emerge, the dry soil profile means that additional timely rains will be needed to sustain a wheat stand. The forecast for the next week or more is for unseasonably (maybe record!) warm temperatures with little chance of precipitation. Wheat grazing prospects look dim and risky this fall.
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network weekdays-
if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click below for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays and KC Sheperd on RON.
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Sponsor Spotlight
The Oklahoma Agriculture Mediation Program knows this is a hard time for farmers and ranchers. We want you to know we are still open, and we are still here for you. The Ag Mediation program is a free service that provides mediation to agriculture producers who may need help with ag-related disputes.
At Oklahoma Ag Mediation, we have been helping people in agriculture resolve conflicts since 1987. We know firsthand about working together to resolve conflicts, so you don’t have to go through the court systems. Let our professional mediators help you. Mediation is allowed for lease issues, farmer/neighbor disputes, family farm transitions, and more. These services are available at no cost for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers in all 77 counties. For more information, you can go to ok.gov/mediation, or give us a call at 800 248 5465.
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National Farmers Union President Rob Larew Outlines NFU Priorities for Producers at Fly-In |
At the National Farmers Union Legislative Fly-In this past week in Washington, DC, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network intern, Cheyenne Leach, had the chance to visit with NFU President, Rob Larew, to talk about putting American producers first and priorities for the 2023 farm bill.
Larew talked about the Fairness for Farmers campaign, a Farmers Union project aimed to advocate for fair agriculture markets and support specific policy actions regarding the Cattle Price Discover and Transparency Act, the Packers and Stockyards Act and more.
“This is an issue that farmers and ranchers have known about for a long time,” Larew said. “The fact that you have so much consolidation in ag, whether we are talking about cattle markets, or crop inputs, fertilizer, there is so many different places where you have almost a pure monopoly in some cases.”
This extreme consolidation, Larew said, puts huge pressure on farmers and ranchers who are trying to make it on slim margins. Larew said this ultimately impacts the consumer.
“The Fairness for Farmers campaign that NFU has launched is really about educating everyone about the challenges that farmers and ranchers are going through right now in this case,” Larew said. “We have so many other challenges as well, but if we don’t get a handle on getting more competition to make sure that these markets are truly fair and open and transparent, then we are going to be in a lot of trouble.”
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The Time is Now for Ag to Close the Connectivity Gap |
Digital connectivity is the key to agriculture’s future. Without ubiquitous connectivity, ag cannot fully embrace the new tools and technologies that will enable it to meet the productivity and sustainability demands of tomorrow.
“We’ve done a number of studies and spent a lot of time with farmers to gather insights on the sustainable practices they are using,” said Nate Birt, vice president of Trust In Food, AEM member Farm Journal’s sustainable agriculture division. “Unless farmers are able to capture data to quantify the things they are doing, it will be very difficult for them to qualify for new programs and markets in the more digitized economy that is developing.”
Capturing and sharing data requires connectivity, both on the farm and in the field. That requires more than just a myopic approach to closing the connectivity gap.
“The GPS satellite part of connectivity is pretty good, so farmers are generally able to get the positioning information they need,” said Andy Theisen, senior application engineer at AEM member company Kondex Corporation. “But farmers also need constant machine connectivity, yield map data, and other real-time data from things like weather and soil sensors. For a good portion of the country, the capabilities aren’t very good right now.”
As presented in AEM’s Future of Food Production whitepaper, just 25% of U.S. farms currently use connected equipment or devices to access data. Lack of adequate broadband coverage has been a big reason why. But that gap is already beginning to narrow. Tens of billions of dollars of state and federal funding have poured into rural broadband infrastructure, largely the installation of fiber optic cable. In many areas around the country, even the smallest of farms in the smallest of communities now have access to high-speed internet.
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Summer refusing to Let go with High Temps and Low Rain Chances Expected for Oklahoma |
According to State Climatologist, Gary McManus, we are having a hard time letting go of summer around here! We did have a slight "fall" about the third week of August, but that's about it so far. McManus says we we will get a couple of cold fronts through here, first on Thursday and again late in the weekend, but don't expect much of an actual cooldown just yet. The second front over the weekend could stick around for a day or three, but we zoom back up later next week.
Temperatures will climb higher as we head toward the end of the week with highs in the upper 90's, and very few chances of rain over the next couple of weeks. McManus says we "MIGHT" see a little bit of rain with the second front that moves in over the weekend, but it looks mostly dry into the end of September.
McManus says this is classic drought behavior for Oklahoma, where we see longer periods without appreciable rainfall, then a hope-inducing bout with moisture for a few days, some drought improvement, then back to the longer period without rain. These maps are by and large gonna get worse...much worse...before they get better.
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This Thursday: September 22 Pork Checkoff Webinar |
With food inflation, hunger and nutrition insecurity at all-time highs, low-income families are challenged to keep nutritious meals on home menus while staying within their budgets.
In August of 2021, the USDA announced a 21% increase in benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The extra benefits are based on USDA’s review of the Thrifty Food Plan, which estimates the cost of a healthy diet to feed a family of four.
This means more families will have better access to foods that satisfy their nutritional needs. NPB is working to ensure protein-packed pork is at the top of their grocery lists.
Pork has a huge role to play as a high-quality, affordable and nutrient-dense protein that satisfies many taste and cultural preferences.
NPB has assembled experts with roles in academia, government-adjacent organizations, and non-profits in the food policy sector to update dietitians and others in health professions.
They'll talk about what it takes to put an optimized, affordable and nutrient-dense eating plan into practice and what this increase in benefits means for their patients and clients.
Pork producers are invited to register and tune in as experts share insights generated from menu modeling research funded by Pork Checkoff dollars.
Webinar: Insights from Food Modeling Research — Putting the Thrifty Food Plan into Practice
When: Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. CT
Can't make it? Register anyway, and we'll share a recording afterwards.
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OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.
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Today's First Look:
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
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Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices were mixed- Choice Beef was up 5 cents and Select Beef was down 76 cents on Monday 09/19/2022.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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Oklahoma National Stockyards had 6,800 head on Monday, September 19, 2022.
Compared to last week: Feeder steers mostly 3.00 - 5.00 lower, instance to 7.00 lower. Feeder heifers steady in a light test. Demand moderate for feeder cattle. Steer calves 2.00 - 6.00 higher. Heifer calves mostly steady. Demand moderate to good for calves. Weather remains warm and dry.
Click below for the complete closing report.
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The Joplin Regional Stockyards had a total run of 5,125 head for the Monday September 19th sale.
Compared to last week feeder steers traded steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 500 lbs. traded 2.00-6.00 lower with heavier weights trading steady. Supply and demand was moderate.
Click on the button below for details of the trade as compiled by the USDA Market News Service.
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Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futures - click below for the latest update on the Livestock and Grain Futures Trade..
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Okla Cash Grain:
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture- The report available after the close of the Futures Trade for that day.
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Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
Ron Hays, Senior Farm/Ranch Broadcaster and Editor
KC Sheperd, Farm Director and Editor
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production
Reagan Calk, Farm News and Email Editor
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
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Rural Oklahoma is full of some of the greatest success stories throughout the entire state and is a big reason why Oklahoma is on track to become a top 10 state.
The Road to Rural Prosperity dives into these stories, bringing you stories covering rural life, agriculture, energy, healthcare, tourism, and politics affecting rural America.
The Road to Rural Prosperity is here to tell stories about rural America, for rural America.
KC Sheperd shares the story of Joey Carter, a hard-working farmer who was widely regarded as a model citizen in a rural North Carolina town. Carter is the focus of a movie coming out in October called Hog Farmer- the Trials of Joey Carter.
He was not the type of person who ever expected to find himself caught up in the middle of a federal lawsuit involving some of the nation’s most ruthless trial lawyers and one of the world’s largest food companies.
But that’s exactly what happened when Joey’s family farm became the focal point in a series of nuisance trials that attracted national and international media attention. While his neighbors leveled charges of environmental racism in hopes of winning multi-million-dollar verdicts, Joey was left wondering how this could happen to a man who has always taken pride in playing by the rules.
Search for Road to Rural Prosperity and subscribe on your favorite Podcast platform.
To hear this podcast, you can click here or tap below:
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program, Great Plains Kubota, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, Union Mutual Insurance, the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, and KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update.
For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites 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- at NO Charge!
We invite you to check out our website at the link below too that includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.
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God Bless!
Reach Out To Us:
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Tim West
President/General Manager
Rural Oklahoma Networks
405-317-6361
***************
Mike Henderson
Director of Sales
405-615-4922
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KC Sheperd
Farm Director
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
405-443-5717
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Ron Hays
Senior Farm/Ranch Broadcaster
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
405.473.6144
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