Day 2 of the Wheat Quality Council’s 67th Annual Hard Winter Wheat Tour concluded Wednesday, May 14, with a total weighted average yield estimate of 53.3 bushels per acre (bpa). Scouts assessed 211 wheat fields along six routes traversing western and southern Kansas from Colby to Wichita, along with some sampling in five select counties in northern Oklahoma. Last year, the average yield estimate on these same routes was 42.4 bpa. After two days of scouting on the 2025 tour, the average estimate yield is 52.0 bpa, compared to 45.8 bpa in 2024.

One of the cars that went into Oklahoma and across on US 64 was driven by Oklahoma Wheat Grower President Dennis Schoenhals, who talked on Wednesday evening with Oklahoma Farm Report’s Ron Hays. You can hear their conversation by clicking on the Blue Button below

Dating back to 1891, Stillwater Milling Company has been supplying ranchers with the highest quality feeds made from the highest quality ingredients. Their full line of A & M Feeds can be delivered direct to your farm, found at their Agri-Center stores in Stillwater, Davis, Claremore and Perry or at more than 125 dealers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas. We appreciate Stillwater Milling Company’s long time support of the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and we encourage you to click here to learn more about their products and services.

 

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is actively engaged in the flurry of legislative activity in Washington, D.C., particularly concerning budget reconciliation. Farm Director KC Sheperd recently spoke with Wayne Stoskopf, NCGA’s Director of Public Policy for Risk Management and Tax, to understand their key priorities and concerns.

Stoskopf emphasized the immediate need for certainty regarding existing tax provisions, but identified the primary hurdle in achieving these goals as the overall cost of any provisions and the national debt and deficit. Beyond tax issues, he noted NCGA’s ongoing focus on expanding markets for corn. 

NCBA Secures Initial Tax Relief Wins for Cattle Producers

Yesterday, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released the following statement in response to the House Ways and Means Committee passing a tax package that provides significant tax relief to family farms and ranches. The bill includes several beneficial provisions, including an increase in the exemption amount for the federal estate tax, also known as the Death Tax, a top priority for America’s cattle producers. The tax package must be approved by the House of Representatives as part of the reconciliation process.

Agriculture, including the NCBA- is cheering because of several provisions- including:

• An increase to the estate and gift tax exemption amounts to $15 million per individual and $30 million per couple, adjusted for inflation annually, the package also makes this exemption permanent.
• A permanent increase to the Section 199A Small Business deduction from 20% to 23%.
• Expanding the limitation on Section 179 expensing from $1 million to $2.5 million.
• Reinstating the 100% bonus depreciation for five years without a phase out period.

Ways and Means and House Ag Advance Pieces of the One Big Beautiful Bill

On Wednesday- the House Ways and Means Committee passed a tax package that provides significant tax relief to family farms and ranches. The bill includes several beneficial provisions including an increase in the exemption amount for the federal estate tax, also known as the Death Tax.

Agriculture, including the National Corn Growers- are cheering because of several provisions:

• Permanently extending key provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, including the expanded estate and gift tax exemptions and the qualified business income deduction.
• Renewing 100% bonus depreciation for five years.  
• Extending and modifying the clean fuel production tax credit, referred to as 45Z, until 2031. The tax credit can help the biofuels industry make inroads into the aviation sector and attract investment into opening new markets for U.S. corn. 

MEANWHILE- the House Ag Committee passed their piece of the One Big Beautiful Bill- GT Thompson's Committee spent a lot of time on SNAP Reform- and addressed the Federal Farm Safety Net as well- The National Wheat Growers were generally pleased:

“NAWG appreciates Chairman Thompson’s leadership in advancing these critical investments in the farm safety net, conservation, trade, research, and other programs. This legislation reflects many of the key priorities that America’s wheat growers have been advocating for over the past three years. It is essential that these improvements to the farm safety net remain intact as Congress continues through the reconciliation process.”

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association also listed several items they are pleased about:

• Reimburse cattle producers for loss due to depredation by federally protected predators. 
• Expand access to the livestock forage disaster program for producers experiencing drought. 
• Continue funding the feral swine eradication program. 
• Bolster the “three-legged stool” that protects the cattle industry from foreign animal disease, including the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP), the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), and the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB). The NAVVCB currently houses emergency supplies for responding to a food-and-mouth disease outbreak. 

Both the measure from Ways and Means and the House Ag Committee must pass the full House and then be reconciled with the Senate in the days ahead to become law.

Farm Director KC Sheperd visited with Riley Coy of the Oklahoma Forestry Services at Ag Day at the Capitol, where their booth was a popular stop, offering trees and information about their programs. Coy explained that their annual presence at Ag Day provides a valuable opportunity to engage with legislators and educate them on the importance of forestry in Oklahoma.

This year, a key focus was promoting their Forestry Summer Camp. Coy enthusiastically described the summer camp, which runs from June 16th to 21st and is open to Oklahoma residents aged 13 to 15. Held at Beavers Bend State Park, the camp offers a unique immersive experience in the woods. “We just get them out there for a week and we teach them all about the ecosystem and trees and how trees grow,” Coy explained.

Farm Reporter Maci Carter had the opportunity to speak with Rebeckah Adcock, International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)’s vice president of U.S. government relations.

According to Adcock, the team at IFPA has been working towards workforce labor and immigration reform for decades. She expressed gratitude for the discussions around the H-2A program as a step in the right direction. She was pleasantly surprised to see that President Trump has focused more on aliens with criminal records and connections. She also believes that he is trying to find a path to allow workers who contribute to the workforce where there are gaps to continue to do so in a law-abiding manner.

In response to the introduction of the STOP Screwworms Act by Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Tony Gonzales, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl Ray Polk Jr. released the following statement:

“The STOP Screwworms Act is a vital step in protecting the U.S. cattle herd from the growing threat of the New World screwworm. This legislation provides USDA the support needed to construct or retrofit domestic sterile fly production infrastructure which Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association believes is essential in preventing a widespread outbreak. We are grateful to both Sen. Cornyn and Rep. Gonzales who understand the importance of acting quickly to support cattle raisers and ensuring the threat of the New World screwworm is taken seriously at the highest levels in Washington.”

NCBA joined affiliate state associations in urging Congress to pass the STOP Screwworms Act to fund the opening of a new sterile fly facility in the United States.

Under sterile insect technique, millions of sterile flies are released into the environment where they breed with wild flies, ultimately creating no new offspring.  Today, only one facility is still active in Panama, but it cannot produce enough sterile flies to fully prevent the New World screwworm from spreading through Mexico and eventually reaching America’s southern border.