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 conditions remain at zero percent, unchanged since the week of October 29, 2024.

Severe drought or worse conditions have increased to 14.10 percent, up from 13.6 percent last week.

Moderate drought or worse conditions have increased to 47.52 percent, up from 42.48 percent last week.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions have increased to 76.95 percent, up from 73.22 percent last week.

As for our neighbors, drought-related impacts further spread and intensified across parts of Texas amid March winds, dust, and dryness. In fact, two previously separate areas of drought were connected across Texas and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, little rain has fallen since mid-February across Arkansas and portions of neighboring states. 

On March 18—for the second time in 5 days—a ferocious dust storm across the southern High Plains and neighboring regions led to sharp visibility reductions and increasingly stressful conditions for rangeland, pastures, and winter grains. The dust, lofted by high winds, was drawn into a storm system crossing the central Plains and upper Midwest.

Kansas Drought Monitor shows Moderate Drought increased from 48.56 percent last week, to 56.84 percent. Texas Drought ratings increased from 62.46 percent a week ago to 69.66 percent.



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

Click here for the US Drought Monitor details for this week.

The Oklahoma Wheat Commission promotes greater use of wheat in domestic and international markets through research, market development and public education.

Our Commissioners develop policy and programs, direct the funding, represent producer interests and, of course, promote Oklahoma wheat!

Learn more about the Oklahoma Wheat Commission by clicking here for their website.

As of Mar.1, there were 74.5 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down slightly from March 2024 and down 1% from Dec. 1, 2024, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Other key findings in the report were:

• Of the 74.5 million hogs and pigs, 68.5 million were market hogs, while 5.98 million were kept for breeding.
• Between December 2024 and February 2025, 33.7 million pigs were weaned on U.S. farms, down slightly from the same time period one year earlier.
• From December 2024 through February 2025, U.S. hog and pig producers weaned an average of 11.65 pigs per litter.
• U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.91 million sows farrow between March and May 2025, and 2.96 million sows farrow between June and August 2025.
• Iowa hog producers accounted for the largest inventory among the states, at 24.3 million head. Minnesota had the second largest inventory at 9.2 million head. North Carolina was third with 8.1 million head.

Oklahoma remains a top five state in the number of breeding animals (sows) with 440,000 head as of March first. That's despite a six percent drop in sow numbers compared to a year ago in the state. The top five sow states in this latest report are Iowa, North Carolina, Illinois, Minnesota and Oklahoma. 

The Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report and all other NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.

Enhancing U.S. Beef Trade: Robby Kirkland’s Testimony Highlights Needs

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) member and chairman of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) Robby Kirkland testified before the House Ways and Means Committee earlier this week, and Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays is featuring portions of Kirkland’s comments during the hearing titled American Trade Negotiation Priorities.

Kirkland highlighted the benefits of past trade agreements for U.S. cattle producers and the need for greater access to foreign markets. “The United States has some of the safest and most efficient production practices in the world,” he said. “We utilize science and technology to produce 18 percent of the world’s beef with 6% of the world’s cattle, while generating only two percent of the U.S.’s greenhouse gasses.”

He highlighted the trust that consumers near and abroad have in U.S. beef and that 85% of it is consumed stateside. However, certain cuts, such as short ribs, tongues, livers, and other organ meats, are in high demand in Asia and Latin America.

“Even facing global economic headwinds, demand for U.S. beef remains strong,” Kirkland noted. “In 2024, we exported 10.45 billion dollars’ worth of beef, which equates to a value of $415 per head of fed cattle.”

The agricultural sector is undergoing significant transformations, and the American Bankers Association (ABA) is at the forefront of advocating for policies that ensure farmers and ranchers have access to crucial financial resources. Farm Director KC Sheperd recently visited with Ed Elfman from the ABA, who shed light on the organization’s priorities and the challenges facing agricultural lenders and producers.

Elfman emphasized ABA’s commitment to supporting agricultural lending across the United States, given that 82% of the banks in the United States have agriculture in their portfolios.

Elfman articulated the ABA’s central mission to ensure that “We’re getting money out to those farmers and ranchers to make sure that they’re able to do what they need to do. Then we’re always keeping track of things in Washington, DC, to make sure that credit can continue to flow out to rural America.” This underscores the organization’s dual role as both a credit facilitator and a policy advocate.

Today, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) announced that he has secured a total of $10 billion for economic assistance for farmers through his legislation, the American Relief Act. An estimated total of over $230 million of that dollar amount will go to farmers and producers in Oklahoma specifically. After securing the funding, Congressman Cole released the following statement:

“As a lifelong Oklahoman, I know firsthand just how important our farmers, ranchers, and producers are. While the agriculture industry does drive our state’s economy, farmers are essential to not only Oklahoma, but to the entire country. Therefore, today, I am proud to announce that I have secured over $230 million in economic assistance for farmers in the state of Oklahoma, which will bridge the gap until a new Farm Bill is passed through Congress,” said Congressman Cole. “As the representative for over 13,000 farms and ranches in Oklahoma’s Fourth District alone, I will always ensure that these farmers and ranchers are properly represented in Congress. I would also like to thank both House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson of Pennsylvania and former Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Frank Lucas of Oklahoma for helping target the money in ways that would most benefit the hardworking producers that are the backbone of the rural economy.”

This week on SUNUP, OSU Agriculture Economist Dr. John Michael Riley analyzes why the export market is impacting the futures price for wheat.

Springtime brings a lot of activity with crops and that spills over into the crop markets.

Wheat markets saw some positive trends nearing the end of March with prices above $6 per bushel on the futures market due to persistent drought conditions throughout most of the wheat country.

“Since then, rains to the North of us have created a little bit of pressure, but I think the biggest pressure that we are seeing in regard to wheat is exports,” Riley detailed. “We are certainly seeing exports starting to lag a little bit. They’ve been keeping up pace for the most part through the beginning of 2025, but since then, there is certainly some pressure coming from the export side of things given a lot of anticipation of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs given the changes in regard to our administration.”

In Oklahoma, wheat prices are $0.20 to $0.30 below the futures market, depending on location. “Earlier in the year, we’re speaking to weakening basis across most of our crops,” Riley said. “That is still persistent in some of our other commodities, but we’ve certainly seen wheat basis improve from those weaker levels that we started 2025 with.”

P&K Celebrating 40 Years of Service to Farmers and Ranchers

It all began back in 1985 when Barry Pollard bought his first John Deere dealership in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. Over the past 40 years- the P&K name has expanded to 20 locations across Oklahoma and Arkansas- and into Iowa and Illinois as well.

This weekend- it's time to celebrate that beginning- and P&K is hosting an Open House and 40th Anniversary Celebration at the location where it began- Kingfisher.

Check out the details below- and if you are in the area on Saturday- stop in and celebrate with them!!!!

More Weekend Reading/Listening to Check Out