Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
From: Ron Hays <ronphays@cox.net>
Date: 3/6/2018 6:57 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 145 head of cattle on their showlist for the Wednesday, 
March 7th sale of finished cattle - click here to jump to the website.
 

OKC West sold slaughter cows and bulls 2.00-4.00 higher on Monday compared to the last sale - click or tap here for details.


Oklahoma National Stockyards saw good demand for calves ready for grass- higher money too- and a mixed bag for yearlings- click or tap here for the report.


Feeder and Stocker Cattle Called Steady to Three Dollars Lower at Joplin in First Sale of March- click or tap here for the details.


Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
  
  
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futuresclick or tap here for the report posted yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
 
  
Okla Cash Grain:  
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture on Monday, March 5th.
  
  
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, March 6, 2018

Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 

StateLegislatureFeatured Story:
Republican Leaders of the Oklahoma Legislature Tell Farm Bureau- Ag Sales Tax Exemption is Safe

The Republican leadership of the Oklahoma Legislature both broke away from the State Capitol on Monday afternoon for a few minutes and talked to the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Leadership Conference- and both agreed that a high priority for the balance of this legislative session is to find extra recurring revenue to offer a pay raise for Oklahoma school teachers.

Senator Mike Schulz told the Farm Bureau leaders that it takes sixty million dollars of state money to offer a one thousand dollar a year pay raise to teachers across the state- which means three hundred million for the five thousand dollar raise many groups, including the Step Up coalition, have called for.


Speaker Charles McCall called it a miracle that Oklahoma has been able to crawl out of an almost one billion dollar hole over the last year- but acknowledges we must do more in order to include a pay raise for teachers before this current legislative session is done. 


Both McCall and Schulz assured the Farm Bureau gathering that reducing or eliminating the Ag Sales Tax Exemption is a non starter here in 2018- but that the search for more money means other Sales Tax exemptions are fair game. 

Click or tap here to read more- and to listen to some of the key comments made by both Speaker McCall and Senate President Schulz to the Farm Bureau Leadership Conference.


AND- we have the complete audio of the Gubernatorial Panel of five candidates that appeared at the Farm Bureau Leadership Conference on Monday afternoon- some common ground but a good amount of differences could be seen and heard from the contenders- click here to jump over to our audio podcast of the complete ninety minute event.



Sponsor Spotlight
 
 
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Leaders of the Senate Ag Committee, yesterday, encouraged Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to direct his people at the USDA to swiftly implement provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act as soon as possible to help producers still recovering from several recent natural disasters. Chairman Pat Roberts stated that his committee looks forward to continue working closely with USDA as the process of implementing the assistance programs move forward.


Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act last month, which included additional support for farmers and ranchers struggling to recover from natural disasters. The law also strengthened USDA's permanent disaster assistance programs and provided enhancements to risk management tools for cotton and dairy producers. The changes included in the Bipartisan Budget Act have helped to set the stage for Congress to write the 2018 Farm Bill.


Read the full letter to Secretary Perdue, in which Senators Roberts and Debbie Stabenow set expectations for USDA to implement these important changes quickly and consistently with similar programs, clicking here.

In the latest crop progress report released Monday, March 4, 2018, winter wheat grazed in Oklahoma reached 35 percent. Conditions of pasture and range rate this week at 55 percent good to fair. To view the complete Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Kansas, winter wheat condition rates this week 15 percent very poor, 35 poor, 37 fair, 12 good, and 1 excellent. To view the complete Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


Meanwhile, the lack of moisture in Texas has kept small grains in poor condition. Wheat conditions improved in the Blacklands, the Cross Timbers, East Texas, the Edwards Plateau, South Central and South Texas. At the same time, preparations for cotton are underway in the Southern Low Plains, the Coastal Bend and South Texas. Corn planting started in areas of South Central Texas. To view the complete Texas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


OSU Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel explained in his most recent article for the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter, what effects a limited run on wheat pasture this month may have on feedlot demand and cattle markets this spring.


According to Dr. Peel, increasingly dry conditions since last fall have resulted in much less wheat pasture than normal in Oklahoma. Much of the wheat was delayed in germination or simply didn't grow much due to drought. Fewer stockers were placed on wheat than normal and many of those that did graze were forced to move off wheat early due to lack of forage. As more cattle have moved off wheat pasture since the beginning of the year, Oklahoma's combined auction total volume has been up 14.8 percent over the first six full weeks of 2018. However, in the last two weeks of February, the combined auction volume was down 31.1 percent from the same period last year. To Peel, that means that there are relatively few stockers left to be marketed this March.


In general, Peel suggests there is no reason to expect feeder markets not to follow regular seasonal tendencies. While there may be relatively fewer feeder cattle marketed in the March to May period, feedlot demand is likely to be somewhat muted as feedlots are already quite full and will remain that way until some cattle are marketed. Thus, he says the overall demand/supply balance will likely not change a great deal for the spring period.
 
 
Click here to read Peel's full analysis on Oklahoma's cattle markets heading into this upcoming spring season.

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. 


The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking steps to assist cotton producers through a Cotton Ginning Cost Share Program. The program is designed to maintain and expand the domestic marketing of cotton.
 
 
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the program at the 66th annual Mid-South Farm and Gin Show. He says American producers have faced four years of intense financial stress, similar to other commodities, but with a weaker safety net.
 
 
 
"In particular, cotton producers confront high input and infrastructure costs, which leaves them more leveraged than most of their colleagues," Perdue says. "That economic burden has been felt by the entire cotton industry."
 
 
The sign-up period for the program runs from March 12 through May 11. The program will be administered by the Farm Service Agency.
 
 
Cotton producers will receive a cost-share payment, which is based on a producer's 2016 cotton acreage reported to the FSA and then multiplied by 20 percent of the average production cost in each production region. Payments will be capped at $40,000 a producer, who must meet conservation requirements, be actively engaged in farming, and be under adjusted gross income limits.
 
 
Click here to read more about this program being offered by the USDA.

BUZZRetired USMEF Chief Phil Seng Sees Another Good Year Ahead, But Says We'll Have to Fight for It

Former head of the US Meat Export Federation, Phil Seng, is now retired but continues to do some work with USMEF from time to time. He sat down recently with our own Carson Horn during the Commodity Classic to talk about an impressive year for US red meat exports in 2017 and his expectations for markets moving forward.


"We had a great year in 2017 as far as the red meat portfolio internationally," Seng said. "Last year we exported $13.75 billion worth of meat. We thought we might reach that $14 billion mark but not quite. But we're going to probably get there this year we hope."


Seng says despite some people's thinking to the contrary, our Asian markets performed very well particularly in regard to Japan and Korea. Closer to home, both Mexico and Canada made up 35 to 40 percent of our total red meat exports alone. While these markets continue to grow their demand for red meat imports - the opportunity abounds. But, nothing comes without its challenges as well. Seng says ongoing NAFTA negotiations brings uncertainty to our North American markets and our major Pacific competitor Australia is now coming back online after dealing with the effects of drought. He expects the Australians to aggressively market their product this year to make up for lost time. This threat is compounded with Australia's tariff advantage over the US in Japan as a member of the Trans-Pacific partnership. In the meantime, too, Seng says the US must also continue to nurture its newest market in the region - China, which he describes as the market of the future.


"It's definitely a market of the future. As time goes by, that market is going to pay dividends for us," Seng said. "But, the thing about China is, the market itself, there's a lot of competition in the market or trying to get in and China - it's hard to really get statistics and know what's going on. So, we're still learning as we go in China because it's an opaque place to work."


Listen to Carson speak with Phil Seng about this past year and his predictions for 2018, with me on yesterday's show - click here.
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During the 2018 Commodity Classic this past week in Anaheim, Calif. our own Carson Horn had the chance to speak with Patrick Delaney, American Soybean Association policy communications director, about his organization's priorities when it comes to the 2018 Farm Bill. As talks progress, Delaney says he will be closely monitoring a few key points.


Like many commodity associations right now, ASA's priorities are focused on upholding a strong safety net - in the form of both Title I programs like ARC and PLC and a strong crop insurance system. Delaney says the ASA is also strongly advocating for further investment in research, conservation programs and especially trade programs such as MAP and FMD that help expand US trade access.


He says, with the cotton seed and dairy issues already being addressed for this next Farm Bill and the fact that ASA and the other commodity groups have spent time these past two years getting on the same page, there shouldn't be any major problems arise over the next several weeks and months that derail the process from smoothly moving forward. This will allow policymakers to focus solely on the necessary tweaks that Delaney says are needed here and there in the existing policy.


"We may not agree on everything, but at least we're all at the table so those little disagreements don't pop up," he said. "I think we've done a really good job keeping everybody in the tent so that everybody understands this isn't a complete revolutionary process. It's just making those needed changes and tweaks so the bill works for everybody."


In Delaney's view, there is no reason why the Bill should not be finished before we reach the Midterm elections. In a situation like that, when politics muddy the waters, Delaney says, "no one wins."


Click here to listen to Carson's full conversation with Delany on ASA's approach to the Farm Bill this go around.
Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K EquipmentAmerican Farmers & Ranchers, Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National StockyardsOklahoma Farm BureauStillwater Milling CompanyNational 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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