Oklahoma Drought Conditions Show Little Change from Previous Week

According to the latest Oklahoma drought monitor report, exceptional drought remains at zero percent, unchanged from the start of the calendar year.

Extreme drought or worse remains at zero percent, we last had extreme drought numbers the week of October 29th- when it was 41.57%.



Severe drought or worse is unchanged at 1.85 percent last week.

Moderate drought or worse, increased to 17.91 percent, up from 17.90 percent last week.

Abnormally dry or worse have decreased to 46.70 percent, down from 52.78 percent last week.

As for our neighbors, generally dry conditions prevailed this week, especially in the western portion of the Southern Plains, with little or no precipitation observed across the western half of Texas and Oklahoma. However, light to moderate rainfall (2 to 4+ inches) was observed in isolated areas of southern Louisiana and Mississippi leading to minor improvements in drought-affected areas of southeastern Mississippi. Significant parts of Kansas and southeastern Colorado were among the areas that received the heaviest precipitation (1.5 to approaching 3.0 inches) where improvement was introduced.

Kansas Drought Monitor shows Moderate Drought only changing from 31.19 percent last week to 31.20 this week. Texas Drought ratings saw a slight increase from 48.51 percent a week ago to 49.92 percent.

Click here for the Kansas Drought Monitor Page and Click here for the Texas Drought Monitor Page.

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.

We are just a WEEK AWAY from the 2024 The Tulsa Farm Show- Oklahoma’s premier agricultural and ranching event- which returns to the SageNet Center (Expo Square) December, 12-13-14, 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. 

At the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention, Farm Director KC Sheperd stopped by The Fertilizer Institute booth where she spoke with the organization’s President and CEP Corey Rosenbusch.

While fertilizer prices are fifty percent lower than last year and still below the ten-year average, Rosenbusch said that there is always a crisis in his realm, citing the rail crisis in Canada and the Florida hurricane’s impact on phosphate production.

As far as the election, Rosenbusch said that The Fertilizer Institute was prepared for any outcome.

“From a positive standpoint, I think we are all optimistic that we are going to see a lot of regulatory pressures lifted,” he commented. “On the flip side, we are really concerned with what Trump does with trade and the Inflation Reduction Act. A lot of our member companies have invested billions because of the incentives of the 45 Tax credits. Fertilizer was named in one of the requirements of some of the grower sustainable jet fuel 45 Tax Incentive.”

Nearing the end of his previous term as president, Trump made the fertilizer industry happy when he approved the use of phosphogypsum. “It is a byproduct of phosphate production, and companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars maintaining those in giant stacks – the mountains you see in Florida,” Rosenbusch explained. “He allowed for that to be used in road construction to contribute to the circular economy.”

How Mexico’s Screwworm Outbreak Affects US Feeder Cattle

On November 22, 2024, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Mexico notified the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of a positive detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in Mexico. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays talked to OSU Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel about the disruption of feeder cattle coming into the U.S. from Mexico.

Dr. Peel said that the U.S. typically imports cattle from Mexico throughout the year, but on average 22% of the total number of Mexican cattle are brought in during the months of November and December.

“We’ve been on a pretty good pace this year, in terms of the numbers coming in,” Dr. Peel noted. “This disruption will take out the last six weeks or so of imports, and I think that will reduce our annual total imports by roughly eighteen percent.”

The disruption is likely to impact the feed supply and cattle on feed numbers, but Dr. Peel doesn’t anticipate a huge impact.

By the end of the year, Dr. Peel expects to see a decline of about 250,000 to 300,000 fewer imported cattle but says it will only serve to add additional support to an already strong feeder market. Although the Mexican imports are generally lighter weights this time of the year, he noted that feedlots are starting them smaller to maintain their numbers with today’s tight supplies. Dr. Peel expects to see a decrease in available placement numbers relatively quickly, and later the decrease will occur when the light calves would have been moving out of a backgrounding program into the feedlot system.

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Jamieson Greer as nominee for the position of United States Trade Representative.

Josh Gackle, American Soybean Association president and soy farmer from North Dakota said, “ASA congratulates Jamieson Greer for his nomination to serve as United States Trade Representative. Soybeans are the United States’ largest agricultural export, and USTR’s work at addressing market access and non-tariff issues is critical for continued market growth. ASA looks forward to working with Ambassador-Designate Greer on issues of importance to U.S. soybean farmers.”

Both soy farmers and staff at ASA look forward to working with Greer and other members of the incoming administration as the industry continues to advance U.S. soy in the global marketplace.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers also issued the following statement:

“Trade deals with Japan and Mexico won by the previous Trump Administration protected crucial U.S. wheat export markets. U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers strongly support an Office of the U.S. Trade Representative actively focused on enforcement of trade rules and opening markets under Jamieson Greer. The organizations look forward to working with him and the next Agricultural Trade Negotiator on behalf of American wheat growers.”

November 5, 2024, marked the implementation date for the updated federal animal disease traceability regulations requiring electronic identification tags in certain classes of cattle and bison crossing state lines.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service implemented the new rule to better pinpoint and respond to animal disease outbreaks in hopes of limiting both the spread of disease and the economic impacts of disease on livestock producers.

It is important for producers to know that the classes of cattle required to be identified have not changed. The rule applies to all dairy cattle, sexually intact beef cattle and bison over 18 months of age, and all exhibition and rodeo stock moving interstate. The rule does not apply to stocker or feeder cattle.

In accordance with the new rule, any animal tagged after Nov. 5 will need an 840 electronic identification tag. The ear tags must be visually and electronically readable for official use. Cattle already identified with a sliver Brite metal tag or orange bangs metal tag prior to Nov. 5 will not need to be retagged with an electronic tag.

At the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention, Farm Director KC Sheperd visited with U.S. Wheat Associates’ former Past Chairman Darren Padget about the export conditions expected under the new Trump administration.

Padget hopes for less regulatory pressure. “If you were in the natural resources business, it seems like you have had a target on your back for the last few years,” he said. “I’m hoping to put that somewhere else for a while.”

Ninety percent of Padget’s crop is exported. “We are very sensitive to tariff talks, the strength of the dollar, and all things pertaining to trade,” he said. “During Trump’s first term, when they started saying tariffs, I bristled. I still do a little bit, but I also realize that is the only economic stick that we can really swing and bring people into line. It seems to work, so I am cautiously optimistic.”

About the pending farm bill, he said that he, personally, would like to see it drafted and approved by the incoming administration. “I think we might find a more friendly ag bill for the farmers without maybe so many green restrictions,” he said. “I wish they would just extend it a year. It could be a lot worse than it is right now. Let’s just get through it and see what our people come up with. We have the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, so maybe we can put something together that’ll work.”

The status of crop insurance is the biggest piece of the farm bill to Padget, seconded by trade policies.