Below is the final wheat harvest report released by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission on July 1, 2024:

Wheat harvest is pretty-well wrapped up in all areas of the state but producers in the Panhandle still have had challenges on getting the irrigated wheat crop out as they have had more rains over the weekend that hindered them. It is thought that 35% to 40% of the crop within this region remains to be harvested. Test weights have dropped on the irrigated wheat from previous rain events, but overall statewide averages still look favorable. This will be the last harvest report of the season as the Oklahoma Wheat Commission is calling the state 97% complete with harvest.

General Report:  At the time of reporting today, test weights across the state were ranging from 56 to 64 lbs. per bushel, with lighter test weights in the Panhandle region due to the heavy rains over the past couple weeks. Statewide averages for test weights ranging from 60lbs. to 61 lbs. per bushel. Proteins ranging from 9% to 13.5% with an overall average of proteins being at 11.8% as of today. Yields being reported at 40 to 50 bushels per acre in most regions. Higher yields being reported on intensively managed wheat with some yields on a few fields being reported in the mid 60’s to low 80’s. Irrigated wheat in the Panhandle reported to be making 75 to 85 bushels per acre, with some higher yields noted in a few places.  This will be the last harvest report of the season published by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission.

Statewide average numbers for Oklahoma:

• Statewide test weight average 60 lbs. to 61 lbs. per bushel
• Statewide protein average 11.8%
• Statewide yield average 40 to 45 bushels per acre

Midwest Farm Shows is proud to produce the two best Farm Shows in the State of Oklahoma annually- the Tulsa Farm Show each December and the Oklahoma City Farm Show each April.

The Tulsa Farm Show is Oklahoma’s premier agricultural and ranching event- and returns to the SageNet Center (Expo Square) December, 6-7-8, 2024. 

Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2024 Tulsa Farm Show.  To learn more about the Tulsa Farm Show, click here. 

Hot Weather Causes Oklahoma Crops Ratings to Slip as Wheat Harvest Wraps Up

USDA's Weekly Crop Progress reports that the 2024 Oklahoma wheat harvest is done just ahead of the July first- well ahead of normal- NASS has called harvest 100% complete in this latest report versus 84% done for the five year average and 73% complete at this point a year ago.

Our neighbors in the largest wheat producing state of Kansas has reached 80% complete this week- way ahead of the 49% five year average and the 39% harvested at the end of June 2023.

For our spring planted crops in Oklahoma- hot conditions have pulled crop conditions down from a week ago- Corn conditions rated 65 percent good to excellent, down one point from last week. Soybeans stand at 62% good to excellent this week- a drop of six percentage points from a week ago. Cotton is 69% good to excellent in the state- off six points from a week ago. AND Sorghum is just 52% good to excellent this week- off 8 points from a week ago.

US Pasture and range conditions in the 48 states have improved by one point this week versus a week ago to 48% good to excellent. One of the reasons the national number is up that one point may be the improvement seen down in Texas- they jumped six points to 37% good to excellent this week.

Here in Oklahoma- our pasture and range conditions are at 52% good to excellent- down five points- consistent with our declining spring planted crop ratings. Kansas also slipped a bit-off three points this week to 57% good to excellent. Our neighbors in Missouri continue to be in lush condition- at 82% good to excellent.

Worse spot in the US on Pasture and Range ratings continues to be New Mexico at 58% poor to very poor- but that is an improvement of 11 points this week.

Matt Perrier Encourages Producers to Actively Affect their Own Profitability

Matt Perrier, a Kansas Rancher spoke with me about producer profitability during the LMA Convention held in downtown Oklahoma City this past month.

Perrier is a past president of the Kansas Livestock Association, currently serves on the Kansas Beef Council Executive Committee, and has served on various local, state and national boards in the livestock industry.

Perrier encouraged producers to be proactive in positively affecting their individual profitability on their own. He said, “Producer profitability comes from a lot of directions and there are a lot of directions that it goes to. No two segments, regions, or cattle producers within a neighborhood are the same. There are plenty of things in the beef industry that are challenges that affect producer profitability, and we tend to dwell on those instead of asking, ‘What is the environment? What is the market? What are the opportunities telling us that we need to do to positively affect profitability.’”

Typical to the Capitalist country that the U.S. is, not everyone is going to profit; however, when taking into account sustainability, long term profitability is the most important piece. Regardless of a producer’s choice of lifestyle or stewardship methods, if they don’t profit enough, they aren’t going to continue.

Farm Director KC Sheperd is talking with United Soybean Board Director, Communication and Education Chair, Matthew Gast, about the latest innovations for soybeans, Checkoff work, and more.

While animal agriculture is the biggest customer of the soybean industry, Gast said the presence of soybean crush facilities has increased. Gast said soybean use continues to grow, as soybean oil has recently been used to make tires, firefighting foam, synthetic lawn turf, and much more.

“We are continually finding new uses for soy and expanding what it is used for,” Gast said. “We are very proud of those things and things that we have funded and projects to help increase the value of U.S. soybeans.”

Every five years, Gast said the Soybean Checkoff performs a Return on Investment study. As of now, Gast said for every dollar a farmer puts into the checkoff, they get a $12.34 return on investment.

A Look at Irish Agriculture 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 agriculture in Ireland.

The 2024 Ferguson College of Agriculture Study Abroad group crossed from Scotland to Ireland by ferry to finish up the two-week experience. The island of Ireland is just slightly larger than Scotland; both are about the size of South Carolina. Ireland consists of Northern Ireland, part of the U.K. in the six northern counties and the Republic of Ireland making up the remaining 83 percent of the island. Over 80 percent of land in Ireland is used for pasture and hay production, with under 10 percent used for arable crop production. However, some of the cropped area is extremely productive. Major crops are wheat, barley and oats. The photos provided show winter wheat production in northeastern Ireland and the size of the developing wheat heads relative to my hand. Average wheat yield is about 175 bushels/acre. 

Unlike the U.K., cattle outnumber sheep in Ireland with a total cattle inventory of 6.6 million head, compared to 4.0 million sheep. The are 1.5 million dairy cows in the country compared to 0.9 million beef cows. Dairy production is a huge industry with over 90 percent of dairy products exported. Most dairies are pasture-based on ryegrass forage (photo below). Dairy production is seasonal with many cows bred to calve in the spring so that lactation coincides with summer pasture production. Dairy production drops sharply in the winter months, with export production sharply curtailed and domestic fluid milk production maintained by a small set of specialized dairy farms.

Pecan Industry Votes to Continue Research and Promotion Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that pecan producers and importers voted to continue the American Pecan Promotion Board’s research and promotion program.

In the referendum held May 10 through June 10, 2024, 74.89% of pecan producers and importers voted in favor of continuing the program. This meets the requirement that the majority of those voting were in favor of the program continuing.

The Pecan Promotion, Research, and Information Order, which established the American Pecan Promotion program, requires USDA to conduct an initial referendum no later than three years after assessments are first collected. Subsequent continuance referendum will be conducted every seven years or at the request of 10% or more of all eligible pecan producers and importers.

More information about the program is on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) American Pecan Promotion Board webpage and on the American Pecan Promotion Board website.

2024 Rabobank BBQ Index: Consumers Battle Fatigue Over Food Inflation

Over the past five years, a series of macro factors have catapulted prices higher, weighing on their wallets and testing their endurance. These hurdles included geopolitical crisis, severe drought, higher restaurant overhead and wages, rising interest rates and higher inflation throughout the supply chain.

As a result, food inflation jumped 25% from 2019 to the end of 2023. But the additional inflation we have seen in the first half of 2024 on top of that, albeit far more modest, has been the tipping point. Many consumers who stayed the course by continuing to spend in the face of 40-year highs in food prices are now pulling back and reevaluating their budgets.

“The consumer is waving the white flag on food inflation,” said Tom Bailey, senior consumer foods analyst at Rabobank. “With an added 2% in price hikes in 2024 coupled with the cost disparity between dining out and cooking at home at its widest margin in history, we’re seeing heightened fatigue and frugality.”