I got the chance to catch up with Mike Schulte of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission and talk about about historically poor winter wheat crop conditions in the Southern Plains.

“I don’t know that the rest of the world is taking into account how bad it is in the Southern Plains of the United States,” Schulte said. “I am hoping at some point in time that the market is going to react to some of that.”

This week’s crop progress ratings in Oklahoma reflected winter wheat was rated 3 percent good to excellent, 34 percent fair, and 53 percent poor to very poor. 

“Last year, we were at least in that 25 to 23 percent in that good to excellent range, and then if you look at the Kansas crop progress numbers, they are even worse,” Schulte said.

In Kansas this week, winter wheat conditions rated 14 percent good to excellent, 26 percent fair, and 60 percent poor to very poor. 

“You can just see when you look at the drought monitor overall, in those regions of areas that are in exceptional drought and extreme drought, you can certainly see why things are not favorable just looking at northwest Oklahoma and the panhandle regions where we have the majority of our top wheat producing counties, and then if you look in central and southwest Kansas and western Kansas as well, on the drought monitor you see that 60 percent of that area is facing drought with a large portion of that also being exceptional and extreme drought.”  



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According to the latest Oklahoma Drought Map, Exceptional Drought has increased from last week’s 16.53 percent to 20.62 percent this week.

Extreme drought or worse has also increased from last week, now at 43.03 percent (last week’s percentage was at 39 percent.)

Severe drought or worse has increased slightly from last week’s 48.59 percent to this week’s 49.87 percent.

Moderate drought or worse has increased from 53.68 percent to 54.07 percent this week.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions have increased from last week’s 59.71 percent to this week’s 63.57 percent.

According to the 6-10-day precipitation outlook map, aside from the far west end of the panhandle, the entire state is leaning below a 40 to 50 percent chance of precipitation through April 29. The far west end of the panhandle is leaning below a 33 to 40 percent chance of precipitation through April 29.

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

Introducing Shane Green of the Boswell FFA Chapter, Your 2023 Southeast Area Star in Agribusiness

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 concludes with Agribusiness competitor Shane Green of the Boswell FFA chapter representing the Southeast Area.

For Green’s project, he said he runs a stocker operation, cow-calf operation, and he also helps with his brother’s hay baling operation.

Green said he is grateful for the help of his family during his project. He also noted that like many producers in the state, the drought has made things more difficult.

One of Green’s favorite memories from his FFA career, he said, has been participating in Ag Mechanics.

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am featuring comments from the Chief Legal Strategist for the National Pork Producers Council, Michael Formica, about California’s Proposition 12 and its relation to all of the livestock industry.

Proposition 12 aims to require veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens to be housed in systems that comply with specific standards for freedom of movement, cage-free design, and specified minimum floor space. These regulations also prohibit a farm owner or operator from knowingly confining these specific animals in a cruel manner, as well as prohibits a business owner or operator from knowingly engaging in the sale of shell eggs, liquid eggs, whole pork meat or whole veal meat from animals housed in a cruel manner.

“We don’t know when the court is going to rule, but hopefully any day,” Formica said. “It could be next week. They are running really far behind.”

If the court makes a decision in favor of California’s Proposition 12, Formica said it is feared the decision will result in massive consolidation within the industry.

“Producers are suffering right now,” Formica said. “There is a terrible farm economy going on for pork producers. They are hurting. The last thing they need is for a law like this that has no basis in science and no basis in animal husbandry.”

AFBF’s Roger Cryan Sees Both Parties Working Together Well to Create a Functioning Farm Bill

At the 2023 National Association of Farm Broadcasters Washington Watch event in Washington D.C., Farm Director KC Sheperd got the chance to visit with the Chief Economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, Roger Cryan, about Waters of The U.S., 2023 farm bill and more.

“The WOTUS rule that the EPA put out under President Biden is not clear,” Cryan said. “It is very difficult for a farmer to figure out whether or not his or her land is farmable.”

Many are disappointed that the Biden Administration chose to veto the resolution from Congress, Cryan said, when there was certainly a bipartisan majority arguing against the rule.

Regarding the 2023 Farm Bill, Cryan said it is critical that the nutrition programs and farm programs stay together.

“There is a lot of folks on the hill that don’t understand what a farm bill is, except that is provides nutrition programs, it provides SNAP programs, but also because it is important that we provide help for folks who need it,” Cryan said. “We don’t want to see anybody starve in a country that is fortunate as this one is.”

Alliance releases updated Sustainability Impact Report in advance of Earth Day

The Animal Agriculture Alliance released its updated Sustainability Impact Report ahead of Earth Day on April 22. The U.S. farm and food community continues to be a global leader in sustainability efforts. The updated report highlights these advancements and includes a new section on the animal feed community’s role in environmental stewardship. View the full report here.

“Sustainability, including animal welfare, environmental stewardship, responsible antibiotic use, and other important concepts, is nothing new to the American farmer or the food supply chain at large,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, president and CEO, Animal Agriculture Alliance. “The food and farming communities have an incredible story to tell when it comes to progress made in reducing environmental impacts and ensuring the sustainability of food production. Everyone involved – from farm to table – should feel empowered to tell that story.”

The annual Sustainability Impact Report provides the latest data on the nutritional benefits of meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, and seafood and details U.S. animal agriculture’s achievements in modern environmental stewardship, animal care, judicious antibiotic use, and food safety.

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