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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network weekdays- if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click here for this morning's Farm news from Carson Horn on RON.
 Let's Check the Markets!
OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.
FedCattleExchange.com has a total of 294 cattle on their showlist for the Wednesday,
February 6th sale of finished cattle- details will be available after noon today by clicking here.
OKC West sold steer calves on Tuesday for $1 to $3 lower and heifers calve for $1 to $2 higher - click here for the details on yesterday's calf sales.
Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futures- click or tap here for the report posted yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
Okla Cash Grain:
Futures Wrap:
Feeder Cattle Recap:
Slaughter Cattle Recap:
TCFA Feedlot Recap:
Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor
Carson Horn, Associate Farm Director and Editor Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager Dave Lanning, Markets and Production
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Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
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Howdy Neighbors!
Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
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Featured Story: President Donald Trump Touches Lightly on Ag in State of the Union- Ag Groups Offer Reactions
The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, presented his State of the Union on Tuesday evening- and for agriculture, direct mentions were few and far between.
The first mention of farmers and ranchers came in reference to work done a year ago on raising the exemption levels of the estate tax. The Second reference was made in a mention of the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill that President Trump signed into law.
The third mention of US Agriculture came as President Trump talked trade deals- and specifically the proposed US- Mexico- Canada Trade Pact. That deal has been signed by the leaders of the three countries but faces an uncertain future in the US Congress.
Agriculture was not specifically mentioned in the limited comments offered by President Trump on infrastructure needs- although the needs of rebuilding our locks and dams to move farm products into the global market is very much on the minds of the US Agricultural Community.
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall quickly commented on the SOTU- saying "President Trump has outlined bold priorities in his State of the Union address, and we hope the administration and Congress can move forward in a bipartisan manner to make progress toward the goals that we all share.
"Farmers and ranchers across the country need reforms to our immigration system, and we echo President Trump's call for Congress to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to preserve and build on the export gains with our North American neighbors. At the same time, we support bipartisan efforts to rebuild and modernize our nation's infrastructure, including broadband technology in rural areas."
The new President of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Jennifer Houston, offered support on the President's call for passage of USMCA- "We welcome President Trump's call for quick passage of the USMCA, and we hope that members of both parties in both chambers heed that call. With 96 percent of our potential customers living outside the United States, there's no policy issue more important to American cattle producers than access to foreign markets.
"The sooner we can secure our access to Mexico and Canada, the sooner we can focus our time, energy, and resources on improving our access to lucrative markets in Asia and Europe."
And Chandler Goule, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers, offered a comprehensive statement on what he heard in the State of the Union- commenting on infrastructure, trade and the farm bill. On trade- Goule says "As we consider our place in the world stage, let's make sure that we preserve smart trade deals that keep American wheat producers in a strong position. This includes remaining in NAFTA until the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is in place."
Our complete story on the mentioning of ag by President Trump can be read by clicking here.
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As the 2019 Oklahoma Legislative Session gets underway, lobbyists like Steve Thompson of American Farmers & Ranchers, are striving to maintain a presence at the State Capitol in an effort to field questions and concerns that might arise among policymakers - and to protect the interests of the various groups they represent. Thompson says that has become of particular importance this year with nearly three quarters of Oklahoma's legislators are coming into this session with only two years or less of legislative experience. Given that situation, Thompson says it is vitally important to be on hand as a resource that can educate lawmakers on the issues and the benefits and/or consequences that each decision brings with it.
For instance, this year there are several bills that have broached two subjects taboo to the rural community - modifying or eliminating the ag sales tax exemption and tampering with the ad valorem taxes. Thompson contends that these are issues AFR members will insist legislators strike down and return to the drawing board on. Given the influence that rural Oklahoma had in this last election and the friendly repour the Stitt Administration has with the ag community, Thompson believes it is a request that the legislature will be obliged to pay attention to. Listen to Thompson's full remarks on the recent activities and sentiment of the 2019 Oklahoma Legislature, by clicking here.
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CattleFax CEO Randy Blach Shares Positive Outlook on Cattle Markets, Warns of Possible Setbacks
This past week in New Orleans during the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show, we had the chance to sit down with one of the industry's top analysists, especially when it comes to talking about the big picture of the cattle industry. Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, after the conclusion of his 2019 edition of CattleFax's annual Cattle Market Outlook Seminar, shared with Hays some of the highlights of his presentation which offered a generally positive sense of the market conditions ahead for 2019-2020.
"We've gotten along very well here over the course of the last three years and we still see more supply coming at us, but the export markets have been strong. Domestic demand has been strong," Blach said. "If we can keep things moving forward with some of these trade agreements and market access - that's going to be critical."
While Blach's message seems promising on the whole, it comes with its cautionary warnings as well. Come of the potential challenges that stand in the way of continued success in the beef industry include a growing concern that the US economy is headed for a possible slowdown in the coming year - perhaps even the beginnings of a recession - which Blach insists is something everyone should have on their radar. In addition, with the industry becoming increasingly dependent on the export market, Blach says the industry should also be aware of the risks involved - particularly now given the tense relationship the US has currently with many of its major international trading partners.
"This next year we expect we're going to export in excess of 17 billion pounds of beef, pork and poultry. That's a big number," Blach emphasized. "If you start having misses... markets close or access issues come up - that becomes a big deal. That protein has got to go somewhere. Obviously, if it all had to come back into the US, it wouldn't be pretty."
Listen to our complete conversation discussing some of the major market outlook expectations for the near future, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.
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Governor Kevin Stitt to Join Other State Leaders in Address to Oklahoma Farm Bureau Members
Oklahoma Farm Bureau members will have the chance to visit with Oklahoma's new Governor, Kevin Stitt, and other senior state leaders this month during the organization's 2019 leadership conference scheduled for Feb. 18-19 at the Embassy Suites Hotel near downtown Oklahoma City.
Stitt will speak on that Monday at 1:45 p.m., joined by Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur and other state legislative leaders, during which they will discuss issues pertinent to Oklahoma's rural community. You can find a full conference agenda and information about attending the conference, by clicking over to our website.
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Sponsor Spotlight
The vision of the Oklahoma Beef Council is to be a positive difference for Oklahoma's farming and ranching families and the greater beef community and its mission is to enhance beef demand by strengthening consumer trust and exceeding consumer expectations.
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NCBA's Danielle Beck Touts Beef Industry's Recent Wins in Fake Meat Battle, But War's Not Over
Danielle Beck covers many different issues on behalf of cattle producers as a lobbyist in Washington, DC for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. One of her priority issues that she is focused on currently here in 2019, is what the beef industry has dubbed "fake meat," or cell-based cultured protein.
According to her, the beef industry has made some real headway in the last year since this issue first appeared. If you recall, the USDA and FDA were battling over which agency had rightful jurisdiction over the regulation of this product. Recently, both agencies have come to an agreement to share oversight authority - with USDA coming out on top in this agreement, winning the right to regulate the product's day-to-day production and labeling. Beck says this bodes well for beef producers, believing the USDA will hold fake meat companies to the same standards as conventional beef producers. However, the terms of this agreement are yet to be finalized, which could potentially take years. Until such time that occurs, Beck says we won't be seeing any fake meat at the grocery store. So, between now and then, she will carefully be monitoring these discussions to ensure beef producers' interests are upheld, remarking that if these companies intend to compete with beef then the playing field must be fair.
In addition, Beck is tackling several other issues here in 2019. Right now, she is gearing up to promote beef's role in a healthy diet as the government prepares to update the National Dietary Guidelines. She is also working to find ways in which to make certain favorable provisions in the current tax code permanent. But with a divided Congress, she is trying not to be too optimistic. Listen to Beck and I discuss these issues in detail, by clicking here.
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A group of more than 80 conservation organizations led by the National Wildlife Federation and the Izaak Walton League of America claim a new rule adopted by NRCS subsidizes the destruction of valuable wetlands. In a letter sent this week to the USDA agency, the groups called upon NRCS to scrap its interim final rule and begin the process of rewriting a new rule.
Currently, the Farm Bill's conservation compliance measures require farmers to refrain from draining wetlands on their properties in order to receive taxpayer-funded crop insurance and other agricultural subsidies. This rule, however, systematically excludes many seasonal wetlands from these requirements which would allow producers to convert these parcels to cropland without losing federal subsidies. The groups argue if left unchecked, the impacts to ducks and other wildlife could be devastating.
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OSU's Glenn Selk Looks at Methods of Increasing Calves Immune Status to Fend Off Risk of Disease
As many of our readers know, calf diarrhea continues to be one of the most costly diseases in the beef industry. Last week in the Cow Calf Corner newsletter, OSU's Dr. Glenn Selk examined management practices that would reduce the risk of calf diarrhea (scours) by reducing the exposure of the calf to the pathogens that could cause the disease. This week, Selk revisited that topic to look at methods of increasing the immune status of the baby calf so that when the calf comes in contact with the pathogens, it will have a much better chance of fending off the disease entity.
The main thing, Selk says, is to make certain that your calves are getting passive immunity - in other words making sure they receive the antibodies via the first milk called colostrum that is provided by the mother. There are of course a couple factors that impact the success or failure of this passive transfer of immunity: the amount of colostrum produced that's available to the calf; and whether or not the calf receives the colostrum within 6 hours of birth.
Another option to ward off sickness is to consider pre-calving vaccine for the cows and pregnant heifers. Given far enough in advance of the calving season, this can also help fight calf diarrhea causing organisms. For more options and advice from Selk, click here to jump to his full article and continue reading.
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, Herb's Herb Hemp Farm, the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association and KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis- at NO Charge!
We invite you to check out our website at the link below too that includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.
God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
phone: 405-473-6144
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