The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Adair County. The virus was detected in a commercial poultry flock.

“We’ve been preparing for situations like this due to HPAI circulating around the country for the last two and a half years,” said Oklahoma State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall. “Our Avian Influenza Response Plan has been activated, and we are working closely with USDA, poultry producers, and livestock producers to control and mitigate the spread of this disease in our state.”

A control area has been established in Adair and Delaware counties to assess the extent of the infection. Movement of poultry in and out of the established control area is restricted to manage the spread of HPAI.

Flock owners should take every precaution to protect their flock from HPAI by preventing their poultry’s exposure to wild birds and any areas where wild birds have been. Biosecurity resources and best practices are available at https://ag.ok.gov/disease-alerts/. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases should also be reported to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry at (405) 522-6141.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern. It remains safe to eat poultry products. There is no risk to the food supply, but the affected birds will not enter the food supply system. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses.

The Oklahoma Agriculture Mediation Program knows this is a hard time for farmers and ranchers. We want you to know we are still open, and we are still here for you. The Ag Mediation program is a free service that provides mediation to agriculture producers who may need help with ag-related disputes.

At Oklahoma Ag Mediation, we have been helping people in agriculture resolve conflicts since 1987. We know firsthand about working together to resolve conflicts, so you don’t have to go through the court systems. Let our professional mediators help you. Mediation is allowed for lease issues, farmer/neighbor disputes, family farm transitions, and more. These services are available at no cost for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers in all 77 counties. For more information, you can go to ok.gov/mediation, or give us a call at 800 248 5465.

Knowing many of you- I suspect that you have had more than one email, phone call, letter or other communication about what you should be giving to on this December 3rd- officially declared here in the US as Giving Tuesday.

From an agricultural perspective- most of our farm and ranch groups have Foundations that you may support- think Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Cattlemen, AFR and more.

Beyond my church- I'm mainly a supporter of Ag Youth- specifically you might check out the Oklahoma FFA Foundation and the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation The national Foundations are also a good option if you care to go that route for these Ag Youth organizations.

Many of you have also given over the years to the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program- if you are one of the Alums of the program- your gift will be matched by the Noble Foundation- Edmond Bonjour has provided us this walk thru to successfully give to OALP on this Giving Tuesday:

For contributions to the OALP, credit cards may be used by calling the OSU Foundation at 800-622-4678 and designate your gift for the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Fund 21-35700. For online donations, visit https://osugiving.com where you will: 1) click the “Give” button in the upper right-hand corner, 2) click the amount you would like to give or enter an amount under “Other” 3) click either “One-Time” or “Recurring”, 4) click the “Discover More Orange Passions” box if the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Fund does not show up, 5) type 21-35700 in the search box and click the search button, 6) click on Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Fund, and 7) click “Next” then enter the billing information.

There are countless other groups or schools that are also asking for your help on Giving Tuesday- be sure know the group you are giving to and understand what they intend to use the money for

Our neighbors in Lawton at KSWO have posted a brief tutorial on not getting scammed on Giving Tuesday- take a look by clicking here.

Projections for U.S. Beef Export Value Growth Amid Decline in Volume

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays caught up with the president and CEO of the United States Meat Export Federation, Dan Halstrom, and talked about the U.S. beef export market in 2024, and what he sees for the year 2025.

Halstrom estimates that beef export volume will be down, but value will be up five or six percent. This year was the second-largest export year ever, just behind 2022. “A year ago, when we were talking about estimates for 2024, we never would have thought we would be anywhere close to that,” Halstrom said. “In that regard, we are excited about what is going on.”

Latin America is one of the U.S.’s biggest consumers, and while Asia struggled early in the year, it is strengthening with the rebound of food service and tourism. Exports to Japan are steady from a year ago with a record-strong dollar, a publicly weak economy, and suffering food service.

“Early in the year, we were down ten or eleven percent, so to be able to claw back to where we were a year ago is a testament to the importance of that market in Japan,” he said.

The 31st Annual Tulsa Farm Show is set to take place from December 12-14, 2024, at the SageNet Center at Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This premier agricultural event will bring together farmers and ranchers from across the region to explore the latest in agricultural technology, ranching equipment, and services. With over 300 exhibitors, including event sponsor Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the Tulsa Farm Show is one of the nation’s largest agricultural exhibitions held under one roof.

Scott Guttormson, Show Manager, shared his excitement:

“We are thrilled to celebrate the 31st Annual Tulsa Farm Show this year! This event provides an excellent opportunity for farmers, ranchers, and exhibitors to come together and showcase the newest innovations in agriculture. We are proud to have the continued support of Oklahoma Farm Bureau as our official sponsor.”

Farmers and ranchers from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas regularly attend the Tulsa Farm Show, making it an essential end-of-year event. Admission and parking are free for all attendees. The SageNet Center, a key venue at Expo Square, boasts over 350,000 square feet of exhibit space and is one of the largest clear-span buildings in the world, making it an ideal setting for showcasing large equipment and exhibits.

At the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention, Oklahoma Farm Report’s Maci Carter caught up with Bill Backhaus, BASF Midwest Agronomist, to talk about his role with BASF and more.

Focusing on the Midwest region, Backhaus’s specialty is soybeans. He finds solutions for building yield and maximizing each variety from a management standpoint.

“I like to put a picture of a triangle in peoples’ minds,” he said. “We have genetics on the bottom – so the foundation,” he said. “Then, the two legs are environment and management. To build yield, breeders have to think about how the genetics and environment interact, and as an agronomist, I have the management layer. What row spacing do I use? When do I plant it? What seeding rates do I use? When do I spray which fungicides? All of that timing stuff is what we agronomists really dig into.”

He explained further by using the example of a 100-bushel-producing bean variety. He said that 32 bushels of that outcome is contributed to selecting the correct bean variety for that farm indicating genetics. The environmental component depends upon the year’s rainfall and timing of the rainfall, the soil type and land slope, and the presence or absence of irrigation.

Today, Dec. 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed rule to revoke tolerances for chlorpyrifos, which establish the amount of a pesticide that is allowed on food. This rule revokes all tolerances for chlorpyrifos, except for those tolerances associated with the 11 food and feed crops that remain registered. EPA is taking this action in response to a decision by the U.S Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. This action will support EPA efforts to cancel most uses of chlorpyrifos on food to reduce exposure and protect public health.

“EPA continues to prioritize the health of children,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff.  “This proposed rule is a critical step forward as we work to reduce chlorpyrifos in or on food and to better protect people, including infants and children, from exposure to chemicals that are harmful to human health.”

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate (OP) insecticide that was used for a large variety of agricultural uses, including soybeans, fruit and nut trees, vegetables, and other row crops, as well as non-food uses. At high levels, OP exposures can result in neurological effects such as tremors, fatigue and nausea. There is also concern for exposures to pregnant women and children since chlorpyrifos has been associated with neurodevelopmental effects indicating it could impact the normal development of the nervous system during pregnancy or childhood.

In a final rule issued in August 2021, EPA revoked all tolerances for chlorpyrifos, which establish an amount of chlorpyrifos that is allowed on food, effectively stopping the use of chlorpyrifos on all food and animal feed. EPA took this action in response to an April 2021 order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for the agency to issue—within 60 days—a final rule addressing the use of chlorpyrifos in food or feed crops, without taking public comment or engaging in “further fact-finding.” 

Dr. Derrell Peel: U.S. Imports of Mexican Cattle Disrupted

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 discusses the disruption in U.S. imports of Mexican cattle.

The November 22, 2024 announcement that New World screwworm was detected in southern Mexico resulted in the temporary suspension of live cattle imports from Mexico. This raises many questions about the implications this might have on U.S. cattle markets. Some history and context are helpful to understand the potential impacts.

An average of 1.17 million head of Mexican cattle were imported into the U.S. in the 20 years from 2004-2023, ranging from a minimum of about 703,000 head in 2008 to a maximum of 1.47 million head in 2012 (Figure 1). Mexican cattle imports represent 3.3 percent of the total U.S. calf crop on average. Figure 1 also includes 2024 preliminary weekly imports through the first 47 weeks of the year. Imports of Mexican cattle have averaged 84.5 percent steers and 15.5 percent spayed heifers over the past 20 years. However, in the five years from 2019-2023, the percentage of heifers increased to an average of 21.3 percent.

Mexican cattle imports have maintained a relatively stable seasonal pattern for many years with peak months in the spring and in November/December with lows in summer. In recent years the seasonal pattern has equalized slightly with fractionally lower peak months and higher summer lows. However, the pattern remains