Oklahoma Harvest Report by the the Oklahoma Wheat Commission:

Oklahoma Wheat Harvest had test cuttings with small deliveries last Thursday evening in Eldorado, OK. Rains over the Memorial Day weekend delayed producers from getting into the fields, but machines started moving across the Southern border of Oklahoma in many locations on Monday and Tuesday this week. Light rains and high humidity in parts of Southwest Oklahoma will make a slow start today, but producers are hopeful to get rolling in these locations by late this afternoon.  All locations being reported this afternoon are reporting favorable test weights in all locations with ranges from 60-64 lbs. per bushel. Several locations are reporting 62-64 lbs. per bushel.

Moisture has been ranging from 12-13.5%, with most wheat being taken in at around 12.5%. Early yields being reported in Southern Oklahoma are ranging from the mid 20’s to low 40’s depending on location and management practices. Some high management intensive producers have reported a couple locations to be making in the mid 40’s with one report coming in at 55 bushels per acre. Most yields being reported are ranging from the low 30’s to low 40’s in Southern and South Central Oklahoma. Those regions are predicted to have the best overall crop conditions for Oklahoma this year. Protein has not been reported on most early samples throughout the region, although some locations have reported proteins ranging from 12.5% to as high as 15%.



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At Cattlemen’s Conference, I caught up with the Executive Director of the American International Charolais Association and former animal science department head at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Clint Rusk, about the future of the cattle industry.

The most valuable part of the conference, Rusk said, was the ability to see individuals in the cattle industry come together and talk about operational goals and goals of the industry as a whole.

“Some of the things that actually end up changing our industry are some of the discussions that happen in the hallway, or in the evening,” Rusk said. “But just getting people to come together and openly talk about their feelings is really good.”

These conversations had over the course of the conference, in and out of sessions, Rusk said, are bound to change the industry in a positive way. Many points of discussion at the conference aimed to leave cattlemen with questions to take home and apply when they are working their operations.

“When I left here, the thing we talked a lot about at the university was ‘how do we feed the world in 2050,’” Rusk said. “I am not going to be here in 2050, but some of my children will still be involved in 2050, and other people. I think we are going to have to use the best technology and the best crossbreeding systems we can.”

Wheat Harvester Paul Paplow Overviews Wheat Conditions in the Southern Plains

Farm Director KC Sheperd is talking with Paul Paplow from Paplow Harvesting and Trucking about wheat harvest in the southern plains.

Paplow Harvesting and Trucking is a full-service harvesting business, Paplow said, that starts harvesting in Wichita Falls, Texas, and Walters, Oklahoma.

“Their ground conditions (in Walters) are a little bit dryer, so they have no trouble moving up there,” Paplow said. “They have got a very nice crop up there. I would say 35-to 40-bushel wheat and all the quality is really good on it also.”

The next stops will include Kingfisher, Oklahoma, and a few locations in Kansas. They finish up harvest in North Dakota, he added.

Wheat conditions around Wichita Falls are good, Paplow said, but looking into Oklahoma and Kansas, conditions worsen.

“Hopefully, we are surprised with what the yields do, but Kansas is going to be a pretty rough year for most farmers there and for harvesters passing through there,” Paplow said.

At this year’s Cattlemen’s Conference, Blueprint for the Future, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Intern, Maci Carter, had the chance to visit with Katelyn McCullock of the Livestock Management Information Center about consumer and economic trends of the next decade.

As a speaker at Cattlemen’s Conference, McCullock was asked about the future of the beef industry moving forward.

“Beef prices at the retail level have remained relatively stable thus far,” McCullock said. “What that tells us is that we’re probably not losing a lot of demand, but they haven’t really been able to go any higher. So the question is, do we eventually hit a price point where things really back off? I think we do. But with the recessionary pressure that the consumer might be feeling, that might actually not actually happen until maybe 2024 or 2025.”

As forecasts are only available through 2024, McCullock said a daily record-high for fed cattle has already been reached in April, which has moved down slightly since. McCullock said she expects an all-time annual average record high in 2025.

The beef cow herd declining in 2023 and 2024, McCullock said, means the new all-time record high is yet to be seen. This does not mean new record highs will not be set in between now and the all-time high.

“So beef exports in terms of volume for both 2021 and 2022 are new record highs, which is fantastic for the beef industry,” McCullock said.

Rising Cost of Grain Storage Will Force Elevators to Lower Bids, Widen Basis

The cost of storing grain, commonly referred to as the cost of carry, has soared to record highs due to rising interest rates, high commodity prices and increasing costs for labor, insurance, transportation and energy. That is putting a significant squeeze on grain elevators, which may be forced to lower their local bids on grain to manage through the unfavorable economics of holding commodities.

According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the interest-related cost of carry in the 2023-2024 crop year will increase 21% for corn, 42% for soybeans and 50% for all-wheat, year-over-year. Each of those costs is estimated to be the highest on record. The projections are based on the forecasted average annual interest rate for grain merchandisers of 7.75% for the 2023-2024 crop year, and USDA’s marketing year average price forecasts of $4.80/bu. for corn, $12.10/bu. for soybeans and $8.00/bu. for all-wheat. 

Financing the ownership of corn, wheat and soybean inventories is a major cost of carry for grain elevators. Interest expense as a percentage of the total cost of carry can vary widely among grain merchandisers and between crop years. But it can typically comprise one-quarter to one-third or more of a grain elevator’s total cost of storing grain and oilseeds.

“For grain elevators, the sharp rise in interest rates couldn’t have come at a worse time as they borrow higher-priced funds on commodities that have also remained at historically high prices,” said Tanner Ehmke, lead grains and oilseeds economist for CoBank. “And while grain elevators are motivated to move inventory as fast as possible to lower carrying costs, processors and end users will want to delay ownership of commodities to reduce their own inventory costs.” 

Listen to Dr. Frank Mitloehner's Full Presentation at the Recent Cattlemen's Conference

Episode one of Season two of Cattlemen's Congress Conversation has arrived- a podcast for cattlemen and women to discuss all things cattle industry related.

The first guest this season is Dr. Frank Mitloehner, professor at University of California-Davis and director of the CLEAR Center. Dr. Mitloehner was the 2023 Cattlemen's Conference keynote speaker, and this episode includes his complete presentation about the relationship between livestock and climate.

According to Dr. Mark Johnson of OSU- Dr. Mitloehner's presentation had several key points:

• The most concerning greenhouse gas from animal agriculture is methane. Cattle (as a ruminant animal), swamps and even more sources produce methane. Methane is quite different from other greenhouse gases because it is naturally destroyed within about 10 years. While there is a constant source of methane produced by cowherds, it is not contributing to additional global warming because a similar amount of what is produced is also destroyed. The same is not true of other greenhouse gases, like vehicle emissions, which accumulate in the atmosphere.
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• Furthermore, as a result of his work, California Dairy herds have actually been successful in reducing the amount of methane produced and in some cases, as a result of covering lagoons to trap biogas (much of which is methane) it is being converted into transportation fuel. As such, it has turned into a second “cash crop” for these Dairy operations.
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• Decreasing methane emissions will decrease global warming. This means the cattle industry can be part of the climate solution because there are ways to reduce methane that are cost-effective and have positive impact on climate.
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• Dr Mitloehner’s most important “take home” message was that this is a positive news story for the beef industry and cattle producers which we should embrace.

You can hear Dr. Mitloehner's complete presentation at Cattlemen's Conference by clicking here or searching for Cattlemen's Congress Conversation wherever you listen to podcasts.

Wines of the West Coming up Saturday June 3 in Historic Stockyards City

Come to Historic Stockyards City for the 13th annual Wines of the West event on Saturday, June 3rd from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. This year’s event will be held in a new location in the heart of the business district, directly behind 1910 Western Wear and Oklahoma Native Art and Jewelry, in the 2200 block of Exchange.



Attendees will be able to sample different varieties and to purchase bottles of wine, watch live entertainment, and enjoy a Made in Oklahoma Market. While in Stockyards City, shop at the most unique boutiques and knowledgeable western merchants around! There will be entertainment and dining options throughout the evening as well.