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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.
Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
FedCattleExchange.com
had a total of 461 cattle on their showlist for the Wednesday, April 24th sale of finished cattle- details will be available after noon today by clicking here.
At OKC West Livestock Auction in El Reno Tuesday, steer and heifer calves not well tested due to limited comparable receipts from last week. Click or tap here for the complete sale report.
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, April 24, 2019
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Howdy Neighbors!
Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
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Featured Story:
Bill to Increase Number of Volunteer Firefighters Heads to Governor- As Well as the Bill to Protect the Good Name of Beef
House Bill 2051, which would allow retired firefighters to return to service as volunteers without affecting their state pensions, is headed to the Governor's desk after passing out of the state Senate unanimously yesterday. The bill, authored by House Majority Leader Mike Sanders, R-Kingfisher, and Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, amends language to legislation previously passed by Sanders and signed into law that eliminated the 45-year-old age limit for new firefighters by giving them the ability to join a department without the requirement that they be added to the state's pension plan. The new legislation will allow retired firefighters to perform as volunteer firefighters for a volunteer department without it affecting their current retirement benefit but also without it counting as an accrued retirement benefit against the state's pension plan.
"Rural residents are dependent upon volunteer firefighters and fire departments to keep their lives and properties safe," Sanders said. "This law will allow those willing to serve in this capacity to so without damaging their own pension plans or without adding cost to the state."
Since this legislation took effect in November 2015, approximately 300 new volunteer firefighters have joined rural fire departments. According to Sanders, about 85 percent of the firefighters in Oklahoma are volunteers.
Click here to read the full story on our website to learn more about this bill.
ALSO- the House approved Senate Bill 392 this week- and it has landed on the Governor's Desk as well. The measure is similar to a bill in Missouri that prohibited cell based products from using the term "beef." The bill is very specific that all of the traditional marketing terms used by the beef industry to sell beef are off limits to products that don't come from a four legged bovine critter- either lab grown or plant based.
Within the language of the measure- it says "Misrepresenting the cut, grade, brand or trade name, or weight or measure of any product, or misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry; provided product packaging for plant-based items shall not be considered to be in violation of the provisions of this paragraph so long as the packaging displays that the product is derived from plant-based sources."
We'll watch the Governor's updates on action he is taking on bills and let you know how both of these measures are handled in the days to come.
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Sponsor Spotlight
Oklahoma AgCredit supports agriculture and rural Oklahomans with reliable, consistent credit today and tomorrow.
A proud member of the Farm Credit System, Oklahoma AgCredit offers loans and financial services to farmers, ranchers and country home owners. Whether you're looking for land, a country home, livestock, or equipment, Oklahoma AgCredit can help with long-term fixed rates or short-term loans for running your agricultural operation.
With 17 locations serving 60 counties, we're locals, too. Find an office near you to talk to a lender who understands agriculture. Financing rural Oklahoma. Equal housing lender, NMLSR ID# 809962. Call us today at 866-245-3633 or go to www.okagcredit.com.
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Claiming an alleged price-fixing conspiracy, attorneys specializing in antitrust and securities litigation and representing the populist group R-CALF USA, have filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Chicago against the four largest beef packers in the country.
The complaint was filed against Tyson Foods, Inc., JBS S.A., Cargill, Inc., and National Beef Packing Company, LLC. Collectively, these four companies purchase and process over 80 percent of US fed cattle. The suit alleges that from at least January 1, 2015 through the present, these packers conspired to depress the price of fed cattle they purchased from American ranchers, thereby inflating their own margins and profits. The complaint is supported by witness accounts, including a former employee of one of the packers, trade records, and economic evidence.
"R-CALF USA is taking this historic action to fulfill its promise to its members to prevent the Big 4 packers from capturing the U.S. cattle market from independent U.S. cattle producers," said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard, adding "we have exhausted all other remedies but now, with the expert help of Scott+Scott and Cafferty Clobes, our members' concerns will be addressed and we hope U.S. cattle ranchers can be compensated for years of significant losses."
The class action lawsuit seeks to recover the losses suffered by cattle producers who sold fed cattle to any one of the four from January 2015 to the present and those incurred by traders who transacted live cattle futures or options contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange during the time in question.
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Opportunity Abounds for US Beef - USMEF's Greg Hanes on Tapping New and Growing Markets
Essentially, the world is the US beef industry's oyster, according to Greg Hanes, VP of international marketing programs for the USMEF and soon to be CEO of the Cattlemen's Beef Board. In a recent conversation, he said the US beef industry has the potential to expand its share of the global marketplace. That includes existing markets where our foot is already in the door, and new and emerging markets as well - places like South and Central America, Africa, even Europe despite their restrictive standards. Some of our greatest opportunities though, lie in existing markets like Japan and Korea - especially if we ever get the bilateral trade deals the Trump Administration continues to work on.
That said, while the opportunity is there, Hanes says success in these markets doesn't just happen. Rather, it takes significant effort and investment. This is something he says the US beef industry recognizes and proactively acknowledges. According to him, several state beef councils contribute additional funding to the USMEF to help with their market development endeavors. That includes the Oklahoma Beef Council. Combined with other stakeholder funding, Hanes says the USMEF is able to reach customers far beyond our own borders.
"We're able to leverage that with our government funding that we get through the USDA. A lot of corn states are contributing additional dollars, so we can leverage it with those too," he explained. "So, your one-dollar contribution now has a $9 or $10 impact in the markets. It's hugely impactful for what we're doing."
Listen to my full conversation with Hanes about the beef industry's global opportunities, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.
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As part of Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is launching Ace the Waste! A student competition for food waste reduction ideas. This first-ever competition calls on students to come up with creative solutions to reduce food loss and waste in the United States.
Students may submit 1-2 page proposals or 1-2 minute videos. Proposals will be judged on impact potential; originality and creativity; clarity of expression; and adherence/appropriateness to theme.
Get ideas for topics, more information about judging, and find out what winners will receive in reading the full article here.
The deadline for proposals is 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 24, 2019. Submit your ideas to the Ace the Waste! competition today!
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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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Checking in on the Beef Checkoff - How Chuck Knows Beef will Revolutionize the Way We Buy Beef
You may have heard about it by now. Chuck Knows Beef, powered by Google's most advanced artificial intelligence technology, is the first ever all-knowing digital beef expert. "Chuck," as he is affectionately called sometimes, was officially launched earlier this spring.
In our most recent edition of our continuing series, Checking In on the Beef Checkoff, Exxecutive Director of the Oklahoma Beef Council Heather Buckmaster says Chuck is out there and ready to interact with consumers. Through various modes of interaction, either by text message, smart speaker or via the web, Chuck is designed to engage with consumers to teach them about beef, how it is produced, how to cook it and ultimately help drive beef demand.
Buckmaster says that as tech savvy Millennials become parents, the Checkoff is using Chuck to target this next generation of family cooks looking for inspiration and information when it comes to making their beef purchasing decisions.
To learn more about Chuck Knows Beef and his various applications, or for more stories about what your Beef Checkoff is doing, click here and listen to our latest edition of Checking In on the Beef Checkoff.
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Introducing Blake White of Chickasha FFA, Your 2019 Southwest Area Star in Ag Production
Our latest of the 2019 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists to feature is Blake White of the Chickasha FFA Chapter, your 2019 Southwest Area Star in Ag Production.
Blake hopes to keep up the White family legacy by becoming a farmer/rancher and possibly becoming part of his father and grandfather's appraisal business. Aside from his stocker and cow/calf operation, he's also found a way to bring more revenue into the White's farm appraising business using drone technology.
Blake is heavily involved in his chapter and credits the FFA for making him into the person he is today. Upon graduating, Blake plans to attend OSU and ambitiously pursue a double-major in plant and soil sciences and ag business. Eventually, he hopes to join his father and grandfather in growing their cattle operation and follow in their footsteps as a ranch appraiser.
Read more about Blake or listen to him talk about his experience in ag production, by clicking over to the Blue-Green Gazette on our website.While you're there, be sure to check out all the other finalists we've featured so far and be sure to check back each day this week to see more.
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Kendall Frazier Announces Plan to Step Down as CEO of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association
After 34 years with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the past four as CEO, Kendal Frazier announced his plans for retirement Tuesday.
Frazier's career began as a farm broadcaster in Kansas, where he also served as director of communications for the Kansas Livestock Association, before moving to Denver, Colorado, to join the staff of the National Cattlemen's Association, the predecessor organization to NCBA.
Frazer says it "has been an honor to serve the men and women who make their living in the cattle business," adding he is confident that he is "leaving NCBA in a good place." During his tenure, the organization says his commitment to improving domestic and international demand for beef has been unwavering. Likewise, he has dedicated significant resources to ensuring beef producers continue to enjoy the freedom to operate by ensuring member's priorities in Washington, D.C., remain a core focus for the association.
NCBA will begin the search process to select a new CEO immediately, and Frazier will remain in place to assist with the transition process, until December 31, 2019.
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, AFR Insurance, 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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