Continuing to push on livestock competition issues, USDA on Tuesday proposed a new Packers and Stockyards Act rule targeting how "injury to competition" should be interpreted in lawsuits brought by producers against packers. USDA’s Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets proposed rule would tackle longstanding challenges around interpretations of unfairness and competitive injury for the livestock, meat, and poultry sectors.

Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement during an event at the Center for American Progress showcasing the Administration’s agenda to create more affordable and competitive agricultural markets.

According to coverage by DTN- The secretary said the rule would translate unfair practices to mean "individual harm" to a specific operation."

"We know at the end of the day folks may very well challenge what we're proposing, so it's important for us to get it right," Vilsack said. He added, "The rule we proposed today, it's been a difficult one. It's one that's challenged folks for quite some time. With the Department of Justice's help, we fashioned a way in which we see a roadmap to how an individual producer can receive the protections of the Packers & Stockyards (Act)."

In the final days of the Obama administration in 2016, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pushed to finalize the "Farmer Fair Practice Rules" that included similar language. USDA had been blocked for years from implementing the rule because of riders in funding bills that prevented USDA from trying to finalize the rule. The Trump administration then froze the rule and rewrote it, which also restarted the regulatory process. The Trump rules went into effect in December 2020 and were then pulled when the Biden administration took office and Vilsack reclaimed the Cabinet post.

The proposed rule is being published in the Federal Register and comes with a 60 day comment period. It's expected that thousands of comments will be filed on both sides of this debate.

If President Biden wins the November election- it's likely a final rule will be published and then challenged in the courts- if Trump wins- this Fairness campaign of Tom Vilsack's will likely be shelved once again.



National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures. 

One of the newest additions to the National Family is Dakota Moss- and Livestock Risk Services.

National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.

NCBA and Meat Institute Disapprove of USDA's Fairness Proposal- NFU Cheers Move

Yesterday, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane released a statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest proposed Packers and Stockyards rule Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets:

“USDA’s newly proposed rule is a direct attack on cattle producer profitability. By creating criteria that effectively deems any innovation or differentiation in the marketplace improper, USDA is sending a clear message that cattle producers should not derive any benefit from the free market but instead be paid one low price regardless of quality, all in the name of so-called fairness.”  (We talked to Lane late Tuesday and he is being featured in the Wednesday Beef Buzz on our radio network)

The Meat Institute also released a statement saying the proposed changes to the Packers and Stockyards Act Rules will hurt meat poultry producers and consumers:

“Unfortunately for the Biden Administration, Secretary Vilsack has tried these changes before,” said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute. “They have failed before the courts, conflict with Congressional intent and are a blatant attempt to pick winners and losers in the marketplace."

One group that is pleased with the announcement by Secretary Vilsack is the National Farmers Union. NFU President Rob Larew expressed appreciation for the announcement: “We commend Secretary Vilsack and the Biden-Harris Administration for the continued progress in issuing important updates to the P&S Act. Family farmers and ranchers continue to face unfair practices at the hands of monopolistic meatpackers, and they need P&S Act rules that are clear, durable, and enforceable.”

Long Road Ahead for America’s Cattle Herd Rebuilding According to OSU’s Derrell Peel

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am back talking with Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Dr. Derrell Peel about the rebuilding of America’s cowherd.

To listen to Part 1 of the conversation with Peel at the 2024 LMA Convention and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in OKC, click here.

Peel said the rebuilding process will be a long haul, especially with extremely tight female numbers.



“There is a lot of tendency to compare this to a decade ago, but one of the big differences is that we are in a fundamentally tighter situation, particularly from the female side, so the process of putting together herd rebuilding is a slower process,” Peel said. “I think we are looking at multiple years to get herd rebuilding done once we start, and that means we are going to be at elevated prices for an extended period of time. Longer than what we saw in 2014 and 2025.”



Aside from tighter female numbers, Peel said there is still potential for more drought, which is another contributing factor to an extended rebuilding process.

Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Intern Kate Munson is talking with Beef Cattle Extension Specialist, Rosslyn Biggs, at the 2024 Cattlewoman’s Boot Camp presented by Oklahoma State University Extension. On Monday, June 10, Dr. Biggs spoke to cattlewoman about calving management with the assistance of a calving simulator.

Dr. Barry Whitworth, Area Food and Animal Quality Health Specialist, initially obtained the simulator some years ago, according to Dr. Biggs. With the assistance of the simulator, Dr. Biggs guided cattlewomen through the important aspects of calving. 

“I just want them to know what normal feels like,” Dr. Biggs said. “If you know what normal feels like, then when abnormal shows up you can call in the reserves.”

The three-day boot camp covered various topics including estate planning, record keeping, equipment safety and culling management. While the event has only occurred two years prior, the opportunities for connection and education run deep within the program. 

For more information, visit OSU’s beef extension website or contact your local extension group. 

The Farm Foundation named Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of Oklahoma State University Agriculture, the 2024 recipient of the R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award.

Since the mid-1990s, the R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award has recognized career achievement in government service, education or agricultural policy research. The award is given to individuals who embody the mission and vision of the Farm Foundation and have made a significant impact on policy or education through their research.

“I’m honored to be part of such a prestigious group of individuals presented with the R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award,” Lusk said. “I hold the Farm Foundation in high regard. I’m pleased to see the organization recognize individuals who are involved in not only ag policy but also food policy.”

Lusk received a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology from Texas Tech University, where he discovered his passion for food policy, and later pursued a doctorate in agricultural economics at Kansas State University.

Noble Transitions Team: Digging for Data in the Dirt

The Noble Transitions Team is monitoring soil health at 136 sample sites across all seven Noble Ranches, hoping to put “hard numbers” to the changes that come with regenerative grazing and management.

Spring is soil-sampling time on the Noble Ranches – 13,500 acres of working ranchlands across seven properties, including two pecan orchards. In multiple trips to 136 sample sites, Noble research associates and graduate students pull soil cores, measure water infiltration and count dung beetles, native bees, earthworms and more to get a detailed picture of soil health.

This is no casual effort, but just one part of the intensive multi-year ecological field research being conducted by the Noble Transitions Team.

With the start of Noble Research Institute’s decision in 2021 to manage all of its grasslands, grazing operations and orchards using regenerative practices based on soil health principles came the commitment to collect and record ecological, production and financial information. The ranch management team tracks livestock and pecan production and the economics of the operations, while monitoring the ecological changes falls mainly to the Transitions Team.

Kansas Wheat Harvest Report, Day 7

This is day 7 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.

According to the June 23, 2024 USDA/NASS Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report, winter wheat harvested was 53%, well ahead of 17% last year and 25% for the five-year average. Winter wheat mature was 94%, well ahead of 53% last year and 65% average. Kansas winter wheat condition rated 8% very poor, 15% poor, 35% fair, 36% good and 6% excellent.

Wheat harvest is just getting started in northwest Kansas, while south central areas are wrapping things up after last week’s rains.

The central parts of Kansas — from Dodge City to Great Bend to Hutchinson and beyond — were hit hard with the drought this spring.

After missing rain during most of the growing season, John Hildebrand of Stafford reports rain finally came a couple weeks ago — after the wheat was ripe, which delayed the beginning of harvest. The Hildebrands were able to start harvest on June 13 and were in the home stretch on the afternoon of June 24.