According to the latest Oklahoma drought monitor report, Severe drought or worse conditions have increased to 6.91 percent, up from 2.74 percent last week..

Moderate drought or worse conditions have decreased to 14.14 percent, down from 32.02 percent last week.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions have decreased to 33.14 percent, down from 46.00 percent last week.

Kansas Drought Monitor shows Moderate Drought decreased from 63.84 percent last week, to 36.84 percent. Texas Drought ratings decreased from 58.05 percent a week ago to 52.72 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.

As Oklahoma’s largest John Deere dealer, P&K Equipment is proud to serve our communities & the surrounding areas through 18 Oklahoma locations & 2 Arkansas locations. The entire P&K team is ready to keeping your equipment up & running. So, when it comes time to buy John Deere parts, look no further than GetGreenParts.com. Shop 24/7 from the convenience of wherever you are & have the parts shipped directly to you! This spring and summer- P&K is committed to making it easier than ever to really own your John Deere equipment. And long after the sale- P&K will be here to support you at every step.

At the 10th Annual Hemphill County Beef Conference in Canadian, Texas, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays had the chance to visit with Troy Applehans, Market Specialist at CattleFax, who was speaking at the event.

Applehans discussed the red-hot cattle markets at the time of the conference. “We’re another year deeper into the cycle, and there is an expiration date to these cycles, but none of us know if it is going to be this year or next, but we simply see the market sustaining itself much longer than it did during the last cycle,” he stated.

He pointed out that even those with short memories will remember the 2014 – 2016 cycle and the detriments of prices seen during that period. He doesn’t anticipate the nation’s herd size returning to its previous glory this time, but does expect the higher prices to have a longer lifespan.

According to Applehans, the snail’s pace of herd rebuilding is directly related to the actions of Mother Nature. “There is an opportunity and a desire out there for people to want to restock and even expand their herds, but there’s no place to go with these cattle at this particular time,” he detailed. “It is just too dry around the country.”

Introducing Addyson Schneberger of the Hydro-Eakly FFA Chapter, Your 2025 Southwest Area Star in Agricultural Production

This week, our coverage of the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists continues with Agricultural Production competitor Addyson Schneberger of the Hydro-Eakly FFA chapter representing the Southwest Area.

Schneberger feels very diversified in her FFA involvement because she has her proficiency in goat production, shows goats, gives speeches, and judges livestock. Last year, she won the National Goat Production Proficiency Award, and this year, at OYE, she won the 2025 Premier Exhibitor Award.

For her project, Schneberger raises show goats and Dorper sheep. “I run this operation on my family’s farm that I rent from my parents,” she described. “I have ten donor females and thirty-eight Spanish recips in Carnegie. It keeps me very busy between having show goats and that side of it, but also the production side and selling does and weathers to 4H and FFA members.”

Marking the biggest growth of any U.S. food and agricultural export market, Mexico has surged 65% over the past four years and is quickly catching up to Canada. Export sales to Mexico reached $31.4 billion in 2024, slightly below Canada, the top market at $32.4 billion. Given recent trends, Mexico will likely surpass Canada for the first time and claim the top spot in 2025.

The growth has been spurred by the booming post-COVID Mexican economy, buoyed by a rapidly growing manufacturing sector. The economic boom has allowed consumers to expand their traditional diet, and U.S. food and agricultural producers are helping meet Mexico’s growing demand for more meat, poultry, dairy, processed foods, and feed grains.

Since 2020, Mexico’s share of all U.S. agricultural exports rose from 11.2% to 16.4%. On a volume basis, corn, pork, dairy products, soybeans, and poultry products make up the top five U.S. commodities purchased by Mexico, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

The rise of Mexico as a customer has been a huge success story for U.S. agriculture, but risk factors are emerging in the near-term. Mexico’s economy has been slowing and the unusually strong peso in 2023 and 2024, dubbed the “super peso,” has weakened by about 15% since early 2024. Combined with a slowing economy, the International Monetary Fund forecasts the Mexican economy to shrink by 0.3% in 2025. Mexican consumer purchasing power will likely be challenged in 2025.

Rep. Collin Duel, R-Guthrie, on Tuesday passed a bill in the House aimed at protecting Oklahoma’s bioscience and research assets from being exploited by hostile foreign governments.

Senate Bill 552 now moves to the governor for his consideration of signing it into law.

“Foreign adversaries have made clear their intent to exploit sensitive biological data,” Duel said. “We cannot allow Oklahoma’s institutions to be vulnerable to such risks. Oklahoma must remain vigilant in protecting our state’s security and ensuring that taxpayer dollars do not support entities that pose a risk to our nation.”

Duel, a combat veteran and former Army Ranger, has fought for similar protections of state assets in other areas of law.

He said if the U.S. government designates a biotechnology company to be one of concern due to its close association with hostile foreign governments, any Oklahoma state agency that receives federal or state funds would be prohibited from using the company’s equipment or services. The agency also would not be allowed to use a company that contracts with such an entity.

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is pleased to announce the launch of LaborLink, a new member benefit designed to help agricultural retailers address one of their most urgent operational challenges: securing reliable labor. Through a partnership with másLabor, the nation’s leading provider of H-2 visa services, ARA members now have direct access to expert support in navigating H-2 visa processes.

“Our members are dealing with significant labor shortages that impact everything from product delivery to service capacity,” says Daren Coppock, ARA President and CEO. “LaborLink gives members access to a proven, legal workforce solution—and it comes at a critical time in the hiring cycle.”

The H-2 visa program enables U.S. employers to legally hire foreign workers for temporary, non-agricultural positions. For agricultural retailers—many of whom require help with logistics, custom application, and facility operations—the program offers a powerful tool for filling workforce gaps.

Truth in Food Labeling Bill Moves to Governor

Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, today commented on a bill that will move to the governor that would require food manufacturers to correctly label products that come from plants or insect proteins instead of identifying them as meat.

House Bill 1126 passed the Senate this morning on a vote of 40-7. It previously passed the House on a vote of 86-7. The governor will now consider signing it into law.

“People should know where their food comes from,” Grego said. “If it comes from insect proteins, plant products, a Petri dish, no matter where it comes from, this legislation would make sure it’s labeled correctly so people will know what they are consuming. We have to maintain a safe food supply.”

Grego thanked Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, the Senate author of the bill, for securing its passage in his legislative chamber.

“This legislation will offer additional protections to Oklahoma consumers, ensuring they know exactly what they are purchasing and consuming, while also ensuring that those who aim to mislead consumers through deceptive advertising or the mislabeling of alternative meat products are held accountable,” Pederson said. “I extend my appreciation to Rep. Grego for bringing this bill forward this session and look forward to seeing it signed into law to support consumer protection and education, as well as truth in labeling.”