I recently had the chance to talk with the Oklahoma Wheat Commission’s Mike Schulte about working with influencers to promote Oklahoma’s wheat and upcoming events relating to Oklahoma’s wheat industry.

“We have had a busy spring at the Oklahoma Wheat Commission in conjunction with our variety trials across the state,” Schulte said. “We did at the Oklahoma Academy of Registered Dieticians Annual Spring Meeting in April have a producer panel that consisted of agricultural producers as well as some of our research scientists at Oklahoma State University discussing the wheat industry and soil health initiatives that we focus on with our research and development programs.”

At the Registered Dieticians seminar, Schulte said influencers had the chance to learn more about how Oklahoma’s farmers produce a healthy and safe product for consumers. Schulte said attendees also learned about the health benefits of wheat regarding high fiber and high antioxidants in new varieties.

Schulte also talked about the upcoming Junior Wheat Show visual competition and what the competition has to offer to Oklahoma's youth. Click the blue button below to hear the full conversation!

AND- we are pleased to welcome the Oklahoma Wheat Commission as our newest Email Sponsor- we look forward to sharing with you more info about they work they are doing on behalf of Oklahoma wheat producers.

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. 

To learn more, visit www.oklabeef.org. Also, don't forget to like its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oklabeef for stories on Oklahoma's ranching families and great beef recipes. 

And Check out this video below that helps you learn more about the Beef Checkoff- .



Trade Sees Few Surprises in Latest USDA Acreage and Quarterly Grain Stocks Reports

The USDA released the latest Grain Stocks and Acreage reports on Friday, June 28, 2024. I had the chance to talk with Allendale’s Rich Nelson about key takeaways from both reports.

Starting with acreage numbers for the spring planted crops, Nelson said 1.4 million acres was added to the prior estimate of planted acres of corn in March- now at 91.5 million acres. Nelson said Soybeans were lowered from the March estimate, now at 86.1 million acres.

A minor change was seen in planted acres of wheat, Nelson said, down about 258,000 acres from the prior March survey.

“Overall, a little surprise for the corn,” Nelson said. “Soybean and wheat numbers were relatively okay.”

Regarding the quarterly grain stocks report, Nelson said the numbers released in the latest report represent usage after three-quarters of usage for corn and soybeans. Nelson added the report also “puts the stamp” on old crop ending stocks for wheat.

“We did have a small surprise for the wheat side,” Nelson said. “Wheat was 702 million bushels for old crop stocks. This would imply maybe a bit weaker feed usage and feed residual than we expected to see, so a little surprise for corn and wheat on this report”

Rabobank’s Lance Zimmerman – Consumer Attitudes Towards Beef Remain Positive

In this episode of Beef Buzz, Rabobank’s senior beef analyst, Lance Zimmerman, and I talked in depth about consumers and their attitudes towards beef. Overall, he says that the consumer is “hanging in there” despite current financial stressors and concerns about the future.

“When we look at the consumer, I always like to remind producers that demand has two elements to it. One is what their expectation is for the future,” Zimmerman explained. “What we’ve seen play out over the last eighteen months – even as we’ve seen heightened geopolitical risks, sky-high inflation, and challenges with interest rates – is when you look at the consumer sentiment data, they show that the consumer said, ‘Our situation is okay today. It’s not great. It’s not dire. It’s just okay.”

He went on to say how the consumer’s concerns for the future have been the “looming cloud” over demand discussion for some time. The consumer is keeping their personal finances in order proving they are stressed, but the consumer seems to realize that although they are worried, they aren’t helplessly sinking, so in essence, they are treading water.

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued a statement following the Supreme Court decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless v. Department of Commerce, which overruled its 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council. The Court’s ruling voids precedent that the courts will defer to federal agencies to interpret the law if a statue is unclear. Lankford has long been critical of the use of Chevron deference and the power it has given federal agencies. 

“For far too long the courts have given federal agencies too much power in what’s been affectionally referred to as ‘Chevron deference.’ Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court overturned a longtime precedent that gave federal bureaucrats power and has tipped the scales of power back to the American people through their elected representatives. This will stop any Administration from using overreaching rules and regulations to harm businesses, and ultimately harm consumers. It is important that Congress corrects any imbalance in federal laws by passing legislation that ensures the legislative branch makes laws, not federal agencies.”

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on the benefits to farmers of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that strikes

down Chevron deference. Chevron deference instructed courts to defer to federal agencies’ arguments about the scope of their own authority. In essence, it multiplied the power of federal agencies and undermined the principles of separation of powers.

“Farm Bureau applauds the U.S. Supreme Court for recognizing the damage Chevron deference has caused to the federal government’s balance of power. For decades, Congress has passed vague laws and left it to federal agencies and the courts to figure out how to implement them. AFBF has been a leading voice on this issue and has argued on behalf of farmers who are caught in a regulatory back and forth when administrations change the rules based on political priorities instead of relying on the legislative process. We are pleased the Court heard those concerns.

“The Constitution built a system of checks and balances among three branches of government, to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. The legislative branch creates the laws, the executive branch enforces the laws, and the judicial branch interprets the laws. Chevron deference created a super-branch of government. The Supreme Court restored balance with today’s decision.”

Other groups including the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Ag Retailers Association applauded the ruling, while some groups like the Food and Water Watch had more negative things to say about the ruling. To read reactions from these groups, click the names below:

• NCBA
• Ag Retailers Association
• Food and Water Watch

Officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative hammered arguments made by Mexican representatives this week during oral arguments over Mexico’s ban on imports of genetically modified corn used in some food products.

The ban was issued in early 2023. USTR filed a dispute settlement under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement over the issue in August of that year after the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and state corn groups spent months pushing for action.

“The science overwhelmingly shows that genetically modified corn is safe for consumers and does not harm native plants,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA President Harold Wolle. “U.S. officials did an excellent job of making their case, and more importantly they successfully argued that the Mexican government does not have the scientific evidence to support its actions or claims.”

During the hearing, which was held on Wednesday and Thursday in Mexico City, U.S. officials made several convincing arguments, according to Wolle, including that Mexico did not conduct a risk assessment to support its claims and the documentation they provided was over 20 years old and lacked scientific rigor. They also argued that Mexico’s regulatory agencies have previously determined that genetically modified corn is safe for use and this abrupt deviation from those determinations is a way to restrict trade and target imports. The panel hearing the case is expected to render a decision toward the end of November.

AFBF Appreciates USDA Support of Dairy Farmers Impacted by HPAI

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on USDA’s announcement that the department will compensate dairy farmers for 90% of the value of milk production lost due to highly pathogenic avian influenza. AFBF requested support for impacted dairy farmers and met several times with USDA officials to discuss the potential parameters of such a program.  

“We appreciate that USDA listened when we requested this type of support for dairy farmers whose herds are affected by HPAI. While America’s dairy farmers are working to rapidly increase biosecurity on their farms to prevent the spread of the virus, this assistance will help farmers recover in the event of an outbreak. Ultimately, it will also help ensure the continued safety and affordability of our nation’s milk supply.”  

No Surprises in Oklahoma Acreage Numbers from Friday Report

Friday's Acreage numbers provided state by state numbers for all of our major crops- here's a rundown of the Oklahoma stats- showing Oklahoma wheat still the major crop in t he state (no surprise) with cotton and soybeans equal in the number of acres they are growing on in the state this summer.

Oklahoma winter wheat planted, at 4.35 million acres, is down 4 percent from a year ago. Harvested acreage, at 2.70 million, is up 10 percent from last year's crop. 

Oklahoma upland cotton is estimated at 460 thousand acres, up 10 percent from last year. 

Oklahoma soybeans is estimated at 460,000 acers- same as 2023.

Oklahoma corn growers planted 370 thousand acres of corn, down 5 percent from last year.  Oklahoma sorghum producers planted 340 thousand acres, down 17 percent from last year.