Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
From: Ron Hays <ronphays@cox.net>
Date: 2/20/2018 6:58 AM
To: ron@ronhays.com



 
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network weekdays- if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click here for this morning's Farm news from Carson Horn on RON.
 

  
Let's Check the Markets!  
Marketlinks


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.
 
 
   
FedCattleExchange.com has 218 head of cattle on their showlist for the Wednesday, February 21st sale of finished cattle - click here to jump to the website.

Oklahoma National Stockyards say higher yearling prices and steady to firm calf trade- Big numbers, too- click here for details.

 
OKC West sold slaughter cows steady to 3.00 higher and slaughter bulls steady to 2.00 higher on Monday compared to the last sale - click or tap here for details.


Joplin reports Good Demand- Heavy Supplies and Higher Prices- click here for details of the 2/19 sale.


Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
  
  
Since markets were closed yesterday in observance of Presidents' Day, here's a recap of last Friday's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futuresclick or tap here for the report posted Friday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
 
  
Okla Cash Grain:  
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture on Friday, February 16th.
  
  
Futures Wrap:  
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network - analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day.
  
Feeder Cattle Recap:  
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
  
Slaughter Cattle Recap: 
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA.
  
TCFA Feedlot Recap:  
Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
  


  
Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
  
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor

Carson Horn, Associate Farm Director and Editor
  
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
  
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production

Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
 
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
   Tuesday, February 20, 2018
 
Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 

Peel2Derrell Peel Reviews January, Highlighting a Good Start to the New Year in Beef and Cattle Markets 

In his article for this week's edition of the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter, Dr. Derrell Peel's analysis of current beef and cattle markets highlights a relatively good start to the new year. In review of this past January, Peel writes that retail beef prices so far this year are up year over year and the current choice/select spread has held up a bit stronger the typical seasonal low. In addition, the price of fed cattle is also up and he says this is all in despite of the fact that beef consumption on a per capita basis is up, too.
 
 
Peel states that although the strong start for beef and cattle markets is encouraging, plenty of challenges still remain in 2018. Increased beef production, for instance, is a cause for concern. This will bring several supply and demand factors into play during 2018. He says, too, that carcass weights will be the key to just how much supply pressure will affect beef markets in the coming year, which are currently higher than we've seen in previous years. On top of these pressures, growing pork and poultry production will result in record total U.S. meat production in 2018 adding to the supply challenges for all meat industries. In the meantime, even more uncertainty is being pumped into the marketplace as ongoing or threatened trade negotiations between many of our major international partners dampen global optimism.
 
 
"So far so good as the saying goes and 2018 could be a repeat of the better than expected conditions that characterized 2017," Peel said. "However, the challenges are clear as are the market risks for cattle and beef. Producers should move ahead to take advantage of opportunities that currently exist but also be prepared to go on the defense if conditions deteriorate."
 
 
For Peel's complete analysis of the current beef and cattle markets, by clicking or tapping here.

 

Sponsor Spotlight
 

Oklahoma AgCredit supports rural Oklahomans with reliable, consistent credit. Part of the 100 year old Farm Credit System, Oklahoma AgCredit offers variable and fixed interest rates to help you manage your budget.
 
Oklahoma AgCredit loan terms fit your cash flow for land, livestock, equipment and operating costs. Click or tap here for their website to find an office near you.
 
Talk to a local team who understands agriculture. Talk to Oklahoma AgCredit. Financing rural Oklahoma. Equal housing lender. 

RainfallRAIN!!!!  And Some Ice, too

After Oklahoma had received virtually no precipitation since late fall- the past few days have offered a little bit of relief.  

Here's the rainfall map going back seven days to capture most of the rain we have received for all of 2018 thus far- but several weeks back into last year as well:




There is rain and in northern Oklahoma- frozen precipitation this morning- so these totals will improve a bit.

For the winter crops- wheat and canola- any drink of water received will help- the same is true for our pasture lands- obviously a lot more is needed to break the nearly 100% drought we are in the middle of- but as I have been wrapping up this email this morning- I heard thunder- and that's okay with me!


Prop65Battle
A national agriculture coalition, led by the National Association of Wheat Growers will appear in court today, in an attempt to stop the State of California from implementing a policy that would add glyphosate as a Prop 65 listing - a move the coalition is describing as unjustified and false and asserts would cause massive damage to American farmers.
 
 
The coalition contends that California has ignored facts, data and science, when it added glyphosate to the state's Prop 65 list.


"While farmers are readying our fields and making plans to put seeds in the ground, California is engaging in aggressive legal wrangling, placing us at risk to crippling liability for using a product that hundreds of studies and the U.S. EPA say is safe for use," said Gordon Stoner, President of the National Association of Wheat Growers. "We intend to make clear in this hearing that agriculture is under attack and implementation of this erroneous Prop 65 listing for glyphosate should be halted until there is a final ruling from the judge." 


Today, the coalition will argue for a preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, which would halt the implementation of the Prop 65 listing until a final ruling is decided by the court. This action follows a temporary injunction that was first filed by the group in December.
 
 
 Click here to read the release issued by NAWG this week, for more details on this developing story.


If you take a listen to the conversation that I had with Chandler Goule of NAWG(featured in the story just below)- my last question had to do with Prop 65 and he explains why NAWG- a group that has no Roundup Ready products to protect- is front and center on this issue- interesting stuff! 

 
NAWG2NAWG's Top Hand Chandler Goule Takes the Temperature of Policy Leaders in DC on Next Farm Bill


I had the chance to catch up with Chandler Goule, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers, during the American Farmers & Ranchers Convention this past weekend. We touched on several topics during our conversation, including the status of the upcoming Farm Bill. Goule said he had the opportunity to speak directly with several leaders from both the House and Senate ag committees during a recent fly-in meeting with members of his organization.
 
 
According to Goule, both bodies of Congress are at different places right now, with the House eager to get moving on drafting its version of the Farm Bill as early as March. The Senate, on the other hand, has made it clear that attention will be paid first to improving our nation's infrastructure.
 
 
"I hope we get one done on time," Goule said, "but those comments I heard on the Senate side lead me to believe that we could still be pushing that timeline pretty close."


Regarding the changes to the next Farm Bill that Goule and the Association is pressing for include above all a close evaluation of the underlying program changes to ARC and higher prices for the PLC program, which he insists will bring more equitable risk management to the wheat industry compared to other commodities. Maintaining a strong crop insurance program (regardless the President's budget outline) is too a top priority.


Goule insists these priorities are being championed by Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas and others in their respective committees and believes at the end of the day, farmers will inevitably enjoy a strong Farm Bill.
 
 
You can listen to Goule and I discuss the upcoming Farm Bill more in depth, as well as other topics including the loss of wheat acres to competing crops and also matters of trade, by  clicking or tapping here.


AFRThompsonAFR Delegates Focus on State Budget Woes- Steve Thompson Recaps

The state's dire budget situation and need for revenue dominated policy discussion during the business session of the annual convention of the American Farmers & Ranchers, Feb. 16-17 in Norman, Oklahoma.

A proposed 6 cent per gallon fuel tax attracted much of the delegate's attention. The farm organization, consisting of mostly rural residents, has traditionally been opposed to fuel tax increases because of the long distances many of them must travel for business and personal use. However, the group has softened their opposition to such a tax.

Lobbyist Steve Thompson says that the delegates explored ideas that could lead to "common sense ways to raise revenue" to help pay for a teacher raise and essential government services. 

He adds that "the delegates really want to help the state- be a part of the solution but are very cautious to do that in a wise way." 

Click or tap here to read more- and to hear all of Steve's comments about the policy development part of the 2018 AFR convention.

BY THE WAY- we also have posted a release from AFR on their elections- there were two contested races for Board seats- winning those was newcomer Randy Gilbert and incumbent Joe Ed Kinder.  Read about the elections at the AFR meeting by clicking here.


Sponsor Spotlight

 
The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association is the trusted voice of the Oklahoma Cattle Industry. With headquarters in Oklahoma City, the OCA has a regular presence at the State Capitol to protect and defend the interests of cattlemen and cattlewomen.
 
Their Vision Statement explains the highest priority of the organization- "Leadership that serves, strengthens and advocates for the Oklahoma cattle industry."
 
To learn more about the OCA and how you can be a part of this forward-looking group of cattle producers, click here for their website. For more information- call 405-235-4391.

BUZZBeef It's What's for Dinner Brand Demonstrates Impressive Staying Power with New Market Re-Launch

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association contracts with the Beef Checkoff to conduct consumer and market research on behalf of cattle producers. Recent efforts in this area have shown that the "Beef. It's What's for Dinner" brand has developed and retained a lot of equity among consumers over the past 25 years. Alisa Harrison, who heads up NCBA's Global Marketing and Research division explained to me in a recent interview that the decision was made over the past year to invest a significant amount of resources into a project to rejuvenate and relaunch the "Beef. It's What's for Dinner" brand with the intention of capturing a new modern audience and reconnecting with an old one.


"We found that it has a tremendous amount of equity and millennials remember it," Harrison said. "It brings back great memories for them growing up and for those who don't remember it - it still evokes a great thought and inspires them to go out and eat beef, which is really what we're trying to do. Our overall goal is to make beef the No. 1 protein choice for consumers."


In today's marketplace, the consumer has a lot of proteins to choose from. And while beef is at the top of that list for consumer preference, Harrison says the industry works hard to stay in that position. Harrison and her team's efforts to relaunch the "Beef. It's What's for Dinner" brand is proof of that. Consumers today are growing more and more curious about where their food comes from and who is producing it. The relaunch Harrison is overseeing, is much more than a slogan - the whole brand has beef refreshed with a new look, updates and outlets, especially with digital media that helps connect beef's message with consumers in a way that they prefer to digest the information. For example, the relaunch includes a new centralized website with all the beef industry's knowledge found right there. This information, features highlighting real life producers and instructional recipe videos can all be found online and even pushed directly to the consumer via social media. The fact that the brand still holds enough integrity to get the job done after more than two decades, is something Harrison says really distinguishes beef from other proteins.


"Cattle farmers and ranchers are a beloved people in this country. So, we wanted to connect "Beef. It's What's for Dinner" with the people who are raising the product and that's what we did," she said. "We put together a fantastic new website that is really geared on helping consumers understand how beef is produced from farm to plate, but also helping them prepare the product as well."

Listen to my complete conversation with Harisson, as we discuss the staying power of the Beef brand, by clicking here to hear yesterday's Beef Buzz.
Want to Have the Latest Energy News Delivered to Your Inbox Daily?
 

Award winning broadcast journalist Jerry Bohnen has spent years learning and understanding how to cover the energy business here in the southern plains- Click here to subscribe to his daily update of top Energy News.

 

RedCedarsEastern Redcedars Encroachment on Tallgrass Prairies Present Major Threat to OK Water Resources


Redcedar invasion has been a known problem for nearly 80 years and it does not seem to be going away, according to researchers at OSU.
 
 
An ongoing Oklahoma National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research project conducted by Oklahoma State University discovered eastern redcedar encroachment in the tallgrass prairie can significantly impact our state's water resources.
 
 
Chris Zou, OSU ecohydrologist and collaborator of a study on how eastern redcedar encroachment affects the annual water runoff in the tallgrass prairie, revealed the study's results showed that less than 2 percent of annual precipitation became runoff in watersheds encroached with eastern redcedar, which was significantly lower than about 5 percent from grassland watersheds for the four years of the study. The researchers also found that eastern redcedar encroachment resulted in the reduction of both surface and subsurface flows and the magnitude of reduction depended on annual rainfall.
 
 
This has important implications because eastern redcedar uses more water than tallgrass prairie vegetation, leaving less water available for streamflow, which is important for ecological and human uses.
 
 
If the problem continues to grow, Zou says it could have devastating effects. 
 
 
Continue reading about this study and the threat posed by the Eastern Redcedar, by clicking here.


CommodityClassic2Act Now Before It's Too Late - Pre-Registration for 2018 Commodity Classic Closes TOMORROW!

The deadline to pre-register for America's largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show - the 2018 Commodity Classic- is tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. The event will be held next week, Feb. 27-March 1 in Anaheim, California this year.


Both full registrations and one-day registrations are available. Walk-in registrations for one day or all three days will also be available on-site in Anaheim.


The trade show this year features more than 360 exhibitors, nearly 2,000 booth spaces and is open all three days of the convention. A wide range of educational sessions is also being offered throughout the three-day event covering topics such as soil health, fertility, marketing, farm policy, pollinators, cover crops and high-yield strategies.


To register, or to view a complete schedule of events and educational sessions, trade show exhibitor information and other details, click over to our website.

By the way- our own Carson Horn will be covering this event for us- we look forward to the reports from Carson next week! 
 
Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K EquipmentAmerican Farmers & Ranchers Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma AgCredit,  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 also appreciate our Market Links Sponsor - OKC West Livestock 
 
 
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.   
 

 
God Bless! You can reach us at the following:  
 
phone: 405-473-6144
 

 



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