Ron Hays talks with Heather Buckmaster of the Oklahoma Beef Council about the U.S. Meat Export Federation Conference she is participating in this week in West Africa.

She referenced a previous conversation with Hays in which she detailed the demographics of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its 1.2 billion consumer base is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. In comparison, the U.S. population is 340 million.

“The event this week has been amazing,” she said. “There have been fifty companies here from twelve countries learning about U.S. beef and making connections with each other. We have traders, retailers, and food service here. They are looking towards solutions which U.S. beef can be a part of and also be a part of the market.”

National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures. 

Dakota Moss with Livestock Risk Services is also a part of the National Livestock Family. 



National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.

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 learn how tariffs may affect the beef industry.

“I think it is too early to really tell what the impact could be,” Lane cautiously stated. “The president is employing a strategy, here, using a tool that he believes in very much. It is something that he was completely clear about on the campaign trail and something he has been consistent about since the early eighties, quite frankly.”

President Trump’s strategy is to toss tariff numbers at countries that trade with the U.S. while letting them know that he is open to negotiations. Trump is a known negotiator and enjoys the process.

Editor's Note- After our Beef Buzz was released- Wednesday happened- President Trump pauses most tariffs for ninety days- EXCEPT for China- and the markets rallied HUGE- Trump saying we need time to cut deals with many countries who have signaled they want a deal with us.

Introducing Preslee Watley-Kindt of the Stillwater FFA Chapter, Your 2025 Central Area Star in Agriscience

During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report are spotlighting the 19 Area Stars of Oklahoma FFA, who are among the highest achievers in the organization.

This week, our coverage of the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists continues with Agriscience competitor Preslee Watley-Kindt of the Stillwater FFA chapter representing the Central Area.

“My project has ranged from trying to grow and meet demand for poultry meat in the United States and across the world,” Watley-Kindt described. “I have found ways to increase growth rates in these chickens to provide more food for consumers. Then, I wanted to move into the safety aspects of it so be sure that when they are consuming this meat, they are not getting sick from harmful bacteria.”

According to Politico- House Republican leaders canceled a vote on the Senate’s budget resolution Wednesday night, as Speaker Mike Johnson came to terms with what had been clear for many hours: Too many Republicans would vote in opposition and the measure was bound to fail.

House GOP leaders continued to meet with holdouts late Wednesday and are considering tweaks to get fiscal hawks on board with the budget framework essential to passing President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

“I just got off the phone with President Trump. And he wants us to get it done. But we’re going to rework things,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) told reporters as she left the meeting with House leaders that prompted the decision to call off the vote.

“I’m very optimistic about the outcome of this ‘one big, beautiful bill,’ and this is just one of the steps in getting there,” the speaker said.

Editor's Note- Watch for our Beef Buzz Conversation in tomorrow's email with Ethan Lane on the Big Beautiful Bill efforts.

U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced joint resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal California’s EV waivers that prohibit the sale of new gas-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035, and set unrealistic and stringent requirements for heavy-duty trucks and heavy-duty diesel engines.

Senator Mullin’s CRA, the ‘Omnibus’ Low NOx Regulation, overturns a Biden EPA-approved waiver that allowed California to enforce overly burdensome Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emission limits regulations for heavy-duty highway and off-road vehicles and engines. The regulation includes longer emission control system warranties, new cold start emission requirements, and extended durability requirements over a vehicle’s operational life. This waiver applies to model year 2024 and later on-road heavy-duty Otto-cycle and heavy-duty diesel engines used to operate Class 3-8 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including drayage trucks, buses (except transit buses), refuse trucks, and other commercial work vehicles. 

“This waiver imposes significant compliance costs estimated at upwards of $20,000 per truck making it more difficult for small fleets and independent operators to invest in new equipment. Moreover, this creates a competitive disadvantage for manufacturers and fleets by forcing stricter standards to apply unequally across the country. We cannot allow California’s costly and extreme Green New Deal agenda to bankrupt families and eliminate consumer choice for hundreds of millions of American families. Thankfully, after four years of ineffective one-size-fits-all crippling bureaucracy, the Trump administration is bringing back common sense,” said Senator Mullin. “I’m grateful to my colleagues for partnering with me on this effort.”

Weekly, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist Paul Beck offers his expertise on the beef cattle industry. This is part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Derrell Peel, Mark Johnson, and Beck. Today, Beck talks about pre-finishing nutrition’s impact on beef quality.

Last week we looked at how the management of beef cows pre-calving can affect the beef tenderness, marbling, and fat composition of their offspring. This week, I will look at how nutritional management of calves pre-finishing impacts beef quality.

Post-weaning management significantly influences beef quality, particularly through compensatory gain. Compensatory gains is the accelerated growth following a period of nutrient restriction. This growth response varies, with the greatest gains occurring when feed restriction is moderate and short. Studies show that restricted growth during the stocker phase can impact carcass quality long term, reducing marbling, hot carcass weight, and USDA quality grades when cattle are finished on a high-energy diet. However, some compensatory gain during unrestricted finishing can offset earlier growth restrictions, although this is usually transient and does not enhance carcass quality.

For Those of You Heading to a Little Event in Stillwater...