Oklahoma Wheat Commission’s Mike Schulte met with Oklahoma Farm Report’s Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays to discuss many of the topics covered in meetings during Schulte’s recent trip to Washington, D.C.

Schulte shared, “We have been having several discussions on the Food for Peace program, which has previously been housed under the U.S.A.I.D. (United States Agency for International Development), but those programs were set up in 1954 under President Eisenhower to find a way excess commodities in the United States to find other places to feed people in their time of need. We certainly think the work that goes on with U.S.A.I.D. and our International Food Aid programs with the USDA are important. Our goal is to help those people in their time of need, no matter what. I think there is a lot of debate about what the best way to do that is.”

Schulte’s goal is for agriculture to be involved in those debates, citing a loss of sight of the possibility of developing domestic markets while helping people in their time of need.

“As we have progressed with some of these programs over the last twenty years, we have seen less commodities being utilized by U.S. with the transfer of more cash donations to these countries in their time of need,” Schulte said. “Some of that has been brought up because there has been thought that we don’t want to create market distortion in these countries; if they have producers growing in this region, then we impact the price.”

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February exports of U.S. pork were moderately lower than a year ago, despite continued success in Mexico and Central America, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). February beef exports were also below last year after trending higher in January, while lamb muscle cut exports posted a year-over-year increase for the fifth consecutive month.

February pork exports totaled 241,179 metric tons (mt), down 4% from the large year-ago volume, while value fell 2% to $671.5 million. For the first two months of 2025, pork exports were 3% below last year’s record pace at 485,144 mt, with value down 2% to $1.34 billion.

“I can’t say enough about the tremendous demand for U.S. pork in Mexico and Central America, where the U.S. industry continues to move a wider range of center-of-the-plate cuts to a variety of end users,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “Unfortunately, the strong performance there has been offset by a slow start to the year in Japan and South Korea. And although February shipments to China were slightly above last year, exports may have been larger if not for the uncertainty over plant eligibility, which wasn’t resolved until mid-March.”

In February and March of this year, many U.S. pork, beef and poultry plants and cold storage facilities were due for a five-year eligibility renewal by China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC). Pork and poultry plants were renewed on the March 16 expiration date, but GACC still has not renewed the eligibility of any U.S. beef establishments, and the majority of U.S. beef production is now ineligible for China. 

NCBA’s Ethan Lane Supportive of President Trump’s Efforts to Broaden Market Access

President Trump announced his tariff plans this month, and the markets have responded negatively. Many ag groups are concerned, but NCBA and its Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Ethan Lane, are not. They are on board with what Trump is trying to accomplish. Oklahoma Farm Report’s Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Lane to get the latest update about the tariff discussions.

“We were really pleased that the White House invited us to the ceremony in the Rose Garden,” Lane said. “It was important for us to be there to make sure we are showing the president and his team that we are, as an industry, supportive of the president using this tool as a means to rectify some of the longstanding imbalances in those trade relationships for U.S. beef producers around the world.”

He emphasized the superior quality of U.S. beef, which causes resentment in some countries that don’t want to see U.S. beef on the store shelves next to their own. Many of these countries enjoy market access to sell in the U.S. but restrict U.S. beef from being marketed in their own countries, creating a one-sided trade relationship.

Australia is the best example of a one-sided trade relationship. In twenty years of free trade with them, they have shipped more than $28 billion worth of beef into U.S. markets while continually creating multiple non-tariff barriers to prevent U.S. beef from being sold in their country. Leaders in the country often create disparaging propaganda around U.S. beef, but the fact is that U.S. beef is better than their own.

The Oklahoma CattleWomen’s Association hosted a Beef Advocacy Competition for youth today at the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Headquarters in Oklahoma City. It was open to youth, grades 5th – 12th, with the goal to create and implement youth advocates who will further their knowledge of beef education and consumer interaction.

Organizer Tammi Didlot was on hand to talk with Oklahoma Farm Report’s KC Sheperd about the success of the event.

“We’ve had this competition for at least 25 years,” Didlot shared. “The Beef Advocacy contest started about ten years ago as the Beef Ambassador. We switched it to Beef Advocate because we really want people to advocate for agriculture, beef, and the rural communities in America and the way of life.”

In the Junior Division, 6th grader Jamie Parsons of Valliant Schools earned top honors. Second place was awarded to Raylynn Parson, an 8th grader also from Valliant Schools, and Harper Perkins, a 6th grader at Newcastle Public Schools, claimed third place.

Allison Schneeberger, a senior from Ponca City, won first place in the Senior Division. Mulhall Senior Bridger Arrington claimed second-place honors, and Samantha Graves, a Senior from Ramona, rounded off the awards by placing third.

We talked to more than one farmer who was smiling as they walked through the 2025 Oklahoma City Farm Show this past weekend as they mentioned the rain received in the last few days. While the northwestern Oklahoma counties came up short- Beaver, for example, only getting .28 inches of rain from this multi day event- not enough to put much on a dent in the severe drought- much of the Oklahoma wheat belt getting from one to two inches will carry the 2025 wheat crop forward.

Broken Bow and Talihina both topped seven inches of rain and they are areas that were already wet- and places further east of us are dealing with flooding which appears to be historic.

The map above is linked to the Mesonet map online so you can explore rainfall amounts across all 77 counties.

On this Monday morning- we have clear skies and temps right around the freezing mark and then warming temperatures and really a nice calm week of weather conditions ahead of us.

On April 3, 2025, the Oklahoma State University Ferguson College of Agriculture presented scholarships to more than 150 continuing students at the annual Scholarships and Awards Banquet.

The scholarships presented are part of the more than $1.8 million students receive from the Ferguson College and its academic departments for the 2025-26 academic year.

In addition to the scholarship recipients, 20 seniors were

named Ferguson College Seniors of Distinction. Several faculty members were also recognized for their achievements in teaching, advising and student mentoring, and two Ferguson College alumni were recognized for success in their respective careers.

“The banquet is an opportunity to recognize students, faculty, alumni and friends of the college,” said Cynda Clary, associate dean of academic programs. “Their dedication, leadership and excellence continue to inspire our college community, and we are proud to honor them.”

USDA Secretary Rollins Heading to Vietnam- One of the Countries Asking to Negotiate a Deal to Avoid Trump Tariffs

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she is headed to Vietnam, after President Donald Trump said the Southeast Asian nation is looking to cut a deal to avoid sharp tariffs on their exports to the US.

According to Politico- Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, spoke by phone with Trump last week after the tariff announcement and sent a letter this weekend asking for a 45-day delay to provide time to negotiate a deal, according to published reports.

About a week ago- USDA announced that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will visit six international markets in her first six months as Secretary to expand markets and boost American agricultural exports. At a time when the agricultural trade deficit is at nearly $50 billion following the previous administration’s little to no action in the international marketplace, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working to diversify global markets, strengthen existing markets, and hold existing trading partners accountable for their end of the deal.

Among the countries mentioned in that release was Vietnam.