U.S. winter wheat condition, already the lowest in decades, dropped another point last week, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress Report on Monday. Nationwide, winter wheat was rated 27 percent good to excellent, down one percentage point from 28 percent the previous week and five percentage points below last year’s rating at this time of 32 percent. The current rating is tied with 1996 for the lowest in four decades.

The three major Southern Plains Hard Red Winter Wheat Crop slipped further in this latest report- Kansas dropped three points to 13 percent good to excellent, Oklahoma is now at 20 percent good to excellent- down six points from last week and Texas is at 17% good to excellent- off one point.

OKLAHOMA:

Winter wheat jointing reached 45 percent, up 13 points from the previous year but up 11 points from normal. Winter wheat headed reached 2 percent, up 2 points from the previous year but unchanged from normal. The poor to very poor rating for the 2023 crop now stands at 46%- up 6 points from last week.

Corn planted reached 8 percent, up 4 points from the previous year and unchanged from normal.



Pasture and Range Conditions rated 11 percent good to excellent, 25 percent fair and 64 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 14 percent good to excellent, 23 percent fair, and 63 percent poor to very poor.

Livestock conditions rated 38 percent good to excellent, 43 percent fair and 19 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 38 percent good to excellent, 42 percent fair, and 20 percent poor to very poor.



Oklahoma Farm Bureau works to improve the lives of all Oklahomans by supporting our state’s agriculture community. As Oklahoma’s largest general farm organization led by Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, OKFB takes grassroots values and advocates for agriculture at the state Capitol and in Washington, D.C., to ensure our way of life continues for generations to come. Farm Bureau hosts leadership events, supports our state’s agricultural youth and connects consumers with agriculture in order to build a brighter future for our state. Become an OKFB member today online at okfarmbureau.org/join. Together, we are rural Oklahoma.

Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his economic analysis of the beef cattle industry as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner” published electronically by Dr. Peel and Mark Johnson. Today, Dr. Peel talks about fed cattle prices.

The daily 5-Market negotiated cash fed cattle price reported on Thursday, April 6, 2023, by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, was $172.33/cwt., a new record daily fed cattle price. This was followed on Friday with at price of $175.87/cwt. The previous record daily price was $172.08/cwt. on November 26, 2014. 

Where do fed prices go from here? In a steady market, fed prices would typically peak seasonally about now and move lower through the third quarter before increasing to the end of the year. This sort of typical pattern is currently priced into the Live Futures with futures prices decreasing from the nearby April (currently just over $171/cwt.) to June (about $163/cwt.) and August ($162/cwt.) before increasing in the October contract ($166/cwt.) and December ($171/cwt.). At this time, Live Futures prices do not exceed nearby levels until the February 2024 contract (currently $174/cwt.). 

Will fed prices follow this typical seasonal pattern this year? Figure 1 suggests maybe not. In 2021 and 2022, the strong uptrend in fed prices offset seasonal tendencies, with prices moving continually higher. There is good reason to expect the uptrend to continue in 2023. The seasonality priced into the markets now may fade as markets trend higher going forward. 

Introducing Caleb Willoughby of the Byng FFA Chapter, Your 2023 Southeast Area Star in Agricultural Placement

During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report are spotlighting the 17 Area Stars of Oklahoma FFA that are among the highest achievers in the organization.

The stars come from the five areas in four categories- Star in Ag Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness, and Star in Agricultural Production.

One Star Finalist featured in the coming days from each of the categories will be named the State Star Award Winner during the 97th Oklahoma State FFA Convention coming up on May 2nd and 3rd in Tulsa, Okla.

This week, our coverage of the 2023 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists begins with Ag Placement competitor Caleb Willoughby of the Byng FFA chapter representing the Southeast Area.

“I have three basic SAEs,” Willoughby said. “I have forage production, fruit production, and beef production. It keeps me pretty busy through the entirety of the year.”

Willoughby works for his family’s operation, where he helps with the beef side year-round, bales hay in the summer, and picks pecans in the fall.

Willoughby said he is grateful for the support he has received from his family and his ag teacher during this project.



“I plan to go to Oklahoma State University this fall,” Willoughby said. “I am going to double-major in ag business and animal science and go on to get my vet license and also my embryology license to come back and resume roles as the farm and open up an embryo transfer center.”

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am visiting with the vice president of economic analysis at the United States Meat Export Federation, Erin Borror, about the relationship between U.S. beef exports and food security.

“It takes natural resources to produce red meat, especially on the beef side,” Borror said. “Many of the growing populations in the world and certainly our heavy importing populations, you know, they live in countries where they don’t have the natural resources that we have. So, to be able to sustain, let alone grow, that red meat consumption in so much of the world requires trade.”

Beef exports not only ensure food security around the globe, Borror said, but also allow the U.S. to maximize the value of each animal produced, therefore growing production. Successful trade also requires a system based on rules and science, she added.

In some countries where hunger is an issue, Borror said solutions could be found in increasing access to meat imports and improving food security policies. For example, Borror said that while many associate Africa with having hunger issues due to low funds, the U.S. offers variety cuts that could be extremely affordable for Africa.

“We know we have these variety meat products that we can export in there competitively if we have access,” Borror said.

OSU's Food and Ag Producers Center- Rooted in research

The annual research symposium at Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center is an opportunity for students to share their research with the community and industry stakeholders throughout the state.

The March 28 symposium at FAPC included oral and poster presentations. Sponsors included the Institute of Food Technologists-Oklahoma section, International Association for Food Protection and KBR, formerly known as Kellogg Brown & Root. 

“As represented by the various student presentations, conducting research is important to finding integrative solutions in the food science industry,” said Peter Muriana, FAPC food microbiologist and symposium chair. “As a multi-faceted discipline, the food science program at OSU focuses on providing safe, nutritious and high-quality foods to the people of the world.”

For both the oral and poster presentation categories, prizes were awarded during the symposium. First-, second- and third-place winners received $500, $250 and $125, respectively.

Graduate students from the University of Central Oklahoma also participated in this year’s symposium.

Don’t Miss Ag Day at the Oklahoma Capitol on Tuesday, April 11. This is always an excellent opportunity to get a great look at the many aspects of agriculture in our state.

Several vendors will be on hand at the event on the Second Floor Rotunda. There will be some tasty samples of Oklahoma products as well as the Oklahoma Cattlewomen and the Oklahoma Beef Council who will be promoting beef with their tasty samples!

The annual event celebrates the impact agriculture has in Oklahoma while highlighting the many commodities grown across the state.

New to the schedule this year is the 1 PM Launch of Oklahoma MyPlate. Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell will be on hand as nutritious and delicious food grown by Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers will be promoted as the perfect items to fill your family's plate.

At 2 PM- Governor Kevin Stitt will be on hand for the induction of the late Bob Howard of Altus as the 26th member into the Oklahoma Ag Hall of Fame.

Facebook Warning- Ron Hays Has Been Hacked

A Note from Ron Hays- Sunday evening- my personal Facebook account was hacked and since several of you are friends with me on that account- this is quickest way I can warn you not to accept any friendship invites with that account or respond to any help requests via Messenger. I am locked out of that account and there appears to be no help from Facebook on getting it back. I do have some cyber pros lined up to help restore the account later today.

Our Network page- Oklahoma Farm Report/Radio Oklahoma Ag Network is safe and can be trusted.

Once I set up a new account- I will let you know details and we will work on reestablishing contact on that platform. I apologize in advance if these people have bothered you in any way.

UPDATE- the scammer posted on Monday afternoon a lengthy list of items that he is trying to sell- DON'T bite- this is all lies and a scam- don't give the man any money.