The following is the most recent harvest report from the Oklahoma Wheat Commission released on June 19, 2023.

Oklahoma Wheat harvest made slight progress this week as producers were in fields off and on again as rains came late last week and over the weekend. Harvest is still taking place from the Oklahoma/Texas line to the Oklahoma/ Kansas line, but heavy rains in parts of Southwest Oklahoma as well as in Central and Northern Oklahoma had everyone at a standstill yesterday, with hopes that producers will be back in the fields by this afternoon or late tomorrow depending on location. Harvest is just getting a good start in Northern Oklahoma from 81 HWY east to the I-35 corridor we are calling that region now 15% harvested. As you go further into Northwest Oklahoma around Cherokee and Alva they are calling harvest 5 to 10% complete. Shattuck just received a few loads over the weekend and no harvest is being reported in the Panhandle regions, out by Guymon or Hooker as of today. It is thought some dryland harvest might begin the end of this week in the Panhandle but the wheat in that region is further behind. (A large amount of the dryland wheat in the Panhandle has been terminated and will not be harvested due to the severe drought, and a lot of irrigated wheat has been laid down for hay.) In Southern Oklahoma test weights at most locations are still falling in the ranges of 60-62 lbs. per bushel. In Central and West Central regions, test weights are ranging from 57-60 lbs. per bushel. Early reports from Northern Oklahoma across the state have test weights ranging from 60-62 lbs. per bushel, with a few lower test weights being reported at 58 lbs. per bushel.

Yields on wheat being taken in as harvest progresses in Southern Oklahoma still favorable at this point, as the majority of the crop is now harvested in this region. Most are reporting 30 to 40 bushel per acre yields in Southern Oklahoma. In Central Oklahoma the yields are ranging from the low 20’s to mid 30’s, with some higher yields in the mid to high 40’s depending on location. Yields being reported in Northern Oklahoma locations from elevator managers as most locations are just getting good starts have many locations calling for a 35 bushel per acre average, with a few management intensive producers mentioning some higher yields, but those instances are rare. Protein has been ranging from 10.5% to 14.5% in most all locations with stronger proteins overall. State average as of today for protein is being figured at 12.8%. 

The Oklahoma Wheat Commission is calling harvest 43% complete.



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Farm Service Agency Now Accepting Nominations for Farmers and Ranchers to Serve on Local County Committees

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting nominations for county committee members for elections that will occur later this year. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is unveiling a new GIS tool to make it easier for producers to participate in the nomination and election processes for county committee members, who make important decisions on how federal farm programs are administered locally.

All nomination forms for the 2023 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2023.

“Producers serving on FSA county committees play a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the agency, and they serve as the eyes and ears for the producers who elected them,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “In order for county committees to be both effective and equitable in their decision-making at the local level, they must reflect the full diversity of American agriculture. I am excited that we have another opportunity through this year’s nominations and elections cycle to make our committees more inclusive, and in turn, better equipped to best serve all our customers. I encourage you to consider serving the farmers, ranchers and producers in your community on your local FSA county committee, and I thank you in advance for your public service.”

Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for members. LAAs are elective areas for FSA committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction and they may include LAAs that are focused on an urban or suburban area.

Certified Angus Beef Evolves with Changing Consumer Demands

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking with the president of Certified Angus Beef, John Stika, about consumer research for CAB.

Stika said through research, he has learned that consumers like to use Certified Angus Beef as a centerpiece of celebration with family, friends, work colleagues, and more.

“We love to say that beef is the protein of celebration, and you know, as we see inflation, as we see, maybe the amount of money spent on going on family vacations this summer, we don’t know for sure, but in the recession, we saw consumers back off on some travel, and we might see that similarly here moving forward,” Stika said. “What we know is they still want to get together; they still want to celebrate family, and they want to celebrate important events.”

Beef is typically the focal point of a good meal between family, friends, and more, Stika said, so it is critical that a product is provided that meets those high expectations.

“We have just got to make sure we provide them with a product that doesn’t disappoint when they spend their hard-earned dollars on our products to again celebrate those special occasions, or again, just a great meal on a Wednesday night,” Stika said.

As beef cow numbers have been lower at the start of this year and supplies will be tighter, Stika said, these next few years will be an opportunity for CAB to drive equity in the CAB brand so that when supplies return to normal, the brand will have increased power and volume.

The first regular session of the 59th Oklahoma legislature adjourned sine die on Friday, May 26, and the halls of the state Capitol have once again grown quiet.

Throughout the nearly four-month legislative session, Oklahoma Farm Bureau members and staff worked hard to make the voice of rural Oklahoma heard at 23rd and Lincoln.

In a session overtaken largely by education funding discussions, OKFB members still saw success in several key agricultural areas.

Landowner Advocacy

OKFB was pleased to see the passage of HB 1962 by Rep. Carl Newton and Sen. Darcy Jech. This bill allows persons between the ages of 14-17 who live on or work for a farm in Oklahoma to apply for a farm permit to operate Class D motor vehicles. Teenagers with this special driver’s permit will be allowed to drive to and from the farm, drive to conduct farm-related business and drive to school.

Farm Bureau members were quick to take action and encourage their legislators to vote “yes” on HB 2053 by Rep. David Hardin and Sen. Brent Howard in late May when the Senate-amended bill returned to the House and eventually back to the Senate for secondary votes.

HB 2053 clarifies who qualifies as an interested party in a groundwater permit application protest. Those appealing a groundwater permit based solely on the industry or entity applying to use the water are no longer considered an interested party, and such claims would be considered frivolous – opening the protestor up to court sanctions.

Custom Harvester Sees Wheat Harvest in Southern Plains Better Than Expected

Farm Director KC Sheperd is back talking with Paul Paplow from U.S. Custom Harvesters about a wheat harvest update. A few weeks ago, when Sheperd and Paplow spoke, Paplow said wheat harvest was taking place in Wichita Falls, TX, and Walters, Oklahoma.

Now, Paplow is harvesting in Kiowa, Kansas. So far in Kansas, Paplow said yields are better than expected. Next, Paplow said he will be harvesting in Pratt, Kansas.

“In Kiowa, we have lost about a third of our acres that were zeroed out because of drought, but what we have combined has been in-between the 30- and 40-bushel range,” Paplow said.

In Walters, Oklahoma, Paplow said there was an average of just under 40 bushels per acre.

“I probably have about four days left in Kiowa,” Paplow said. “We probably have close to a week left in Anthony. For time-wise, I’d say we are pretty close to normal in the time frame. I’d say as we get to western Kansas, we are going to be a little bit later than normal.”

Beef Trade Update with OSU’s Derrell Peel

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 beef trade.

For the first four months of the year, beef exports are down 9.0 percent year over year from record exports in 2022 following a 12.0 percent decrease in April compared to last year. With beef production falling, a relatively strong dollar and some global macroeconomic weakness, a decrease in exports has been expected. Thus far in 2023, South Korea is the largest beef export destination, outpacing Japan in the months of March and April to achieve a 23.3 percent share of total beef exports. South Korea, along with Mexico were the only major beef export markets to be larger year over year in April. 

Beef exports to Japan were lower in March and April, including a 27.0 percent year over year decrease in April. For the January to April period, beef exports to Japan are down 7.3 percent year over year. Japan has a 22.7 percent share of total beef exports for the January through April period. Beef exports to the combined market of China/Hong Kong were down 3.6 percent in April and are down 8.8 percent year over year for the first four months of the year. China/HK remains the third largest beef export market with a 19.0 percent share of total beef exports thus far in 2023. 

BASF supports innovative urban farm project focused on food security

BASF Agricultural Solutions launched a pilot sponsorship of Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm (PPHUF) in Baltimore, Maryland at this year’s Juneteenth Celebration (17th June 2023) and tandem launch of the AgriHood Baltimore Farmers Market. “Promoting agriculture education and training the next generation of farmers is a priority for BASF,” said Max Moncaster, BASF Manager of Public and Government Affairs Manager, Agricultural Solutions North America.

The pilot mission is to support PPHUF’s summer 2023 programming and identify future alignment opportunities. “We are excited about this summer’s pilot sponsorship from BASF,” said Farmer Chippy, founder of PPHUF. Internal Plantation Park Heights was founded with the goal of transforming the quality of life for the Park Heights community by creating the nation’s first “AgriHood,” where agriculture and food production can provide healthy meals, education, and employment opportunities for those who were left out prior to COVID-19. “It takes a village to transform our food system. BASF is joining a great group of community partners, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maryland Farm Bureau, University of Maryland, Morgan State University, and Rite Aid to be a part of that village. BASF’s expertise we believe will play a critical role in our current and future operations,” said Farmer Chippy.

BASF’s presence at the event included a booth with agriculture-focused activities and giveaways geared toward school aged children. In addition to a butterfly coloring project, kids visiting the booth were introduced to a vegetable growing kit that provides all the resources they need to grow tomatoes and bell peppers at home over the summer.