Exceptional and Extreme Drought Categories Decline This Week, While Remaining Categories Improve

After drought conditions showed improvement in each category last week, this week’s Oklahoma drought monitor shows slight increases in the exceptional drought and extreme drought categories. As for the other three categories of drought, those continue to show improvement.

Exceptional drought increased slightly from last week’s 8.07 percent to 8.86 percent this week.

Extreme drought or worse has also increased just slightly from last week’s 36.58 percent to this week’s 36.64 percent.

Severe drought or worse is now at 56.47, down over 10 percentage points from last week’s percentage of 66.94.

Moderate drought or worse is now at 74.65 percent, down from last week’s 80.07 percent.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions are now at 80.78 percent, down from last week’s 85.03 percent.

According to the 6-to-10-day precipitation outlook map, the majority of the state, with the exception of the southern border, is leaning above a 33 to 40 percent chance of precipitation through March 4. As for that southern border, that part of the state is standing at a near-normal percent chance of precipitation through March 4.

To view this week's Oklahoma drought numbers, click the Oklahoma Drought Map above the story.



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.



OALP International Experience Leaves Members with New Outlook on Agriculture and Different Ways of Life

As Class XX of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program finishes up their international travels, I got the chance to sit down and visit with OALP member, Meg Stangl of Okarche, Oklahoma, about the experience.

“The thing that stuck out in my mind more than anything probably is the community sense in the Kibbutz- the farming communities that we have been able to visit,” Stangl said. “All the different enterprises that they have found that succeed for their Kibbutz, and then the technology they have in all of those communities have just blown me away.”

The group has visited several Kibbutz, where members of those communities are working together for the benefit of everyone in the Kibbutz as a whole. Each Kibbutz is different, Stangl added, with a different niche and way to thrive- many of those using innovative technologies.

“Some of them did start before Israel was actually a country in ’48, but some of them, I just am amazed of what they have accomplished in that short time,” Stangl said.

Stangl said it was interesting seeing farming on smaller acreages.

“It is a very small country, so they don’t have very much, but they can do so much with the little amount they are given and the variety of the vegetables, the fruits, and the crops to grow for their animals,” Stangl said.

Megan Williams with Kansas City Fed Explains Why Higher Interest Rates Should Eventually Boost Economy

At the 118th American Farmers and Ranchers state convention in Norman, Oklahoma, Farm Director, KC Sheperd had the chance to visit with Megan Williams, Associate Economist and Manager in the Regional Affairs department at the Kansas City Fed’s Oklahoma City Branch office. Sheperd and Williams talk about higher interest rates and Oklahoma’s economy.

The economy is continuing to grow at a good rate, Williams said, but unfortunately, inflation still remains too high. The labor force participation rate is lower than it was before the pandemic, Williams said, so communities are still having trouble gaining back individuals who left the workforce during the pandemic.

“When businesses have trouble attracting workers, they will have to start to increase wages to try to attract those workers,” Williams said. “Once that happens, businesses are paying more for workers, then they will have to look at their own balance sheets and increase their prices to the consumers.”

Wage inflation growth is an issue, Williams said, because once those wages go up, it is difficult to bring them back down. Some businesses have turned to automation in the place of workers for jobs, she added.

“Everything has pretty much gone up, and definitely impacts the average consumer,” Williams said.

At the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention, I had the chance to visit with the Executive Director of Government Affairs at National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Kent Bacus, about the state of U.S. beef trade deals.

The 2023 Cattle Industry Convention coverage is being powered by Performance Ranch, a part of Zoetis, and by Farm Data Services located in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Regarding any updates in trade deals, Bacus said the biggest issue recently has been resolving the Japan beef quota issue.

“That was truly something that we were thankful for the Biden administration engaging on in securing that,” Bacus said. “Other than that, there hasn’t been a lot of progress on a lot of other issues.”

With some good players such as Alexis Taylor, who was confirmed to serve Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs and Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip, Bacus said he is expecting great things to come.

“It is good to have people at the table, but we have got to get in the game,” Bacus said.

Getting back into robust comprehensive trade, Bacus said, will be a challenge with some new members of congress who have campaigned on anti-trade agendas.

“You have got to find a balance there,” Bacus said. “You have got to find the people who understand and have experienced the real benefits of trade. For us in the industry, exports account for about 450 bucks per head, so there is no denying that we have been a significant beneficiary of aggressive trade policies over the last few years. We have to reengage. We have to open new markets; we have to secure new markets.”

Kim Anderson Talks Estimates of More Planted Wheat, Corn, Soybeans, and Less Cotton

This Week on SUNUP is Oklahoma State University Extension grain market economist Kim Anderson. During this week’s edition, Anderson talks about planted acreage estimates and the grain markets.

The big talk in the markets this week, Anderson said, is the war in Russia and Ukraine.

There are export agreements coming up in March, Anderson said, and Ukraine is asking for a one-year extension.

“There has been quite a bit in the market about China assisting Russia in the war,” Anderson said. “It is unknown what they are going to do and the talk is they are toying with giving Russia additional support for the war.”

Regarding the pre-release numbers for the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum from market analysts, Anderson said the analysts estimated the total wheat planted acreage at 48.5 million acres, which is up 2.8 million acres from last year.

Corn and soybean acreage is also estimated to be up from last year, Anderson said, and cotton acreage is lower.

“Wheat ending stocks is expected to increase at 650 million bushels compared to 568 this year, up 82 million,” Anderson said.

Dairy MAX: Preparing for the Unpredictable

Issues and crises are unfortunate realities not localized to agriculture, a specific region, or even a country. The threat to dairy farming and the reputation of dairy is an ever-changing landscape; with this in mind, Dairy MAX recently expanded the Issues and Crisis Team to meet challenges head-on in the dairy sector. With combined experiences of 50+ years working in issues and crisis, the team works on enhancing, preparing, and strengthening its relationships with dairy farmers and professionals across the industry to protect dairy’s image.

“Dairy MAX is recognized as a leader in training and preparing farmers for potential crises; our expanded team will elevate this work in many different ways,” says Kay Johnson Smith, chief operating officer at Dairy MAX.

Dairy MAX will continue to prioritize crisis readiness and work together across the industry to ensure preparedness. Telling Your Story is the flagship communications training for dairy farmers and industry professionals in the Dairy MAX region. Participants work in small groups to enhance their communication skills and dive deeper into how communication in a crisis is different yet critical. Trainings are held several times a year for various groups offering storytelling techniques, suggestions for handling difficult questions, and tips for managing an on-camera interview.

More than 200 farmers and stakeholders have been trained through Telling Your Story. Upon completion, participants can confidently deliver messages about modern dairy practices and share dairy’s story in today’s changing media landscape.

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