After Active Weekend of Harvest- Oklahoma Wheat Commission Calls Harvest 37% Complete

Oklahoma wheat harvest continues with producers making great strides despite fighting mud in several locations across central and Northern Oklahoma. Test weights across the state have dropped due to all the heavy rains last week, but statewide we are still looking at a 59 lb. per bushel average despite some lower test weights reported based on location and variety.

Yields across the state are being reported from the mid 30’s to mid 50’s for the most part. Producers with management intensive plans have been reporting yields in the mid 60’s to low 80’s. Protein across the state averaging 11.1%. Due to several locations making great progress in parts of Southwest, Central, and North Central, OK the OWC is calling harvest 37% completed at the time of this report.

Sentinel/Rocky- Producers have made great progress in these regions. Test weights for the entire region averaging 59 lbs. per bushel. Early yields reported in the mid 30’s to mid 40’s on heavily grazed wheat. As producers get further into harvest the yields have gotten better in the mid 40’s to low 50’s in some instances. Protein averaging 11.8%. The Sentinel region is 95% harvested, the Rocky region has received more rain and is 70% completed.

Shattuck/Comargo- Producers have made great strides in this region over the last 5 days. Yields reported as making in the low 30’s to mid 40’s. This area has also been heavily grazed and for this reason yields are a bit lower. Test weights coming in at 60 lbs. or higher. Protein averaging 11.1% This region is considered to be 60% harvested.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau works to improve the lives of all Oklahomans by supporting our state’s agriculture community. As Oklahoma’s largest general farm organization led by Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, OKFB takes grassroots values and advocates for agriculture at the state Capitol and in Washington, D.C., to ensure our way of life continues for generations to come. Farm Bureau hosts leadership events, supports our state’s agricultural youth and connects consumers with agriculture in order to build a brighter future for our state. Become an OKFB member today online at okfarmbureau.org/join. Together, we are rural Oklahoma.

Winter Wheat Harvest Behind Schedule, Corn Condition Slips in Latest Crop Progress

Wheat Harvest continues to lag the historic numbers we are comparing to- the US wheat harvest is just half the pace of the 2024 harvest- 19% versus 38% at this point in 2024. In Oklahoma- that lag is even worse- now at 35% harvested versus 93% done at this date in 2024- the five year average of harvest done is 73% in the state. Our neighbors to the north in Kansas have reached 20% harvested versus 49% complete in 2024 by this date- while Texas is closer to their recent past- 70% harvested this year versus 72% in 2024.

Nationally- the US corn crop condition stands at 70% Good to Excellent this week- off two points from a week ago- US Soybeans are at 66% Good to Excellent- even with last week and the US Cotton crop is 47% good to excellent versus 48% last week.

Oklahoma Pasture and Range ratings continue their trajectory upward- now at 77% good to excellent versus 69% last week- Kansas Pasture and Range ratings are even with a week ago at 61% good to excellent while Texas has dropped five points in the latest week at 49% good to excellent.

Cattlemen Urged to Review LRP Agent Options Before June 30th Deadline

This time of year is when cattlemen and women can change LRP or crop insurance agents. Burtrum elaborated, “We entered into the change date beginning on the first of June. They open the window for thirty days because, unfortunately, you can’t change agents midyear, and we don’t have a tool that tells us if you are with another agent or maybe you signed an application three years ago and never bought anything. We don’t have a way to make a change in the middle of the year.”

The window to change agents is open from June 1 – June 30, ahead of the July 1 crop year.

“We can facilitate that promptly and get that done,” Burtrum said of clients wishing to change to a Farm Data Services agent. “We started in the LRP business before we had any crop business, over 25 years ago when LRP was brand new. We are very experienced; we know a lot about LRP. From a personal perspective, I buy it and use it myself as well.”

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As summer temperatures rise, livestock producers face the critical task of protecting their cattle from heat stress, a condition that can severely impact animal health and productivity. Cattle naturally attempt to cool themselves through panting, which involves evaporating moisture from their respiratory tracts. However, this natural mechanism is often insufficient in high heat, leading to internal body heat accumulation. According to Alfredo DiCostanzo of the University of Nebraska Extension, the primary goal of heat stress management is to enhance "sensible heat loss," which means facilitating the exchange of the animal's internal heat with cooler outside air.

To effectively manage heat stress, producers should implement several key strategies. Providing ample shade is paramount, especially in open feedlots, with structures designed for efficient solar radiation blocking and sturdy ground cover. Utilizing wind to enhance air movement also aids in heat dissipation. While sprinklers can wet cattle coats for cooling, they must be used cautiously and only with sufficient air movement, as excessive humidity without proper ventilation can worsen conditions.

The best trade relationships start in the cab of a combine during the Kansas wheat harvest, at least according to a team of South American millers who stopped by the field as part of a jam-packed trade team mission to Kansas on June 13. 

“The members of this team are ambassadors from their countries, representing their respective milling associations,” said Claudia Gómez, regional marketing manager for U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) in Santiago, Chile, who led the team. “This trip gives them information about how U.S. wheat farmers are working hard to produce the best wheat in the world.”

The trade team members represented milling organizations from Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. Together, they represent companies that purchase about 90 percent of the U.S. wheat sold to South America. In 2024, shifting wheat production patterns and rising consumption across the region created new opportunities for exporters. U.S. exporters capitalized on these trends, expanding the U.S. footprint in these key markets through competitive pricing, reliable supply, favorable trade conditions and the range of available wheat classes. 



This summer’s trade team brings representatives of these buyers to the United States to gain additional insights into the U.S. wheat market that they will take home to the millers they represent. 

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Strong Support for Secretary Rollins’ Plan to Combat the New World Screwworm

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman: “The only way to protect the American cattle herd from the devastating threat of New World screwworm is by having a sufficient supply of sterile flies to push this pest away from our border. To accomplish that, we need a sterile fly production facility of our own in the United States. Moore Air Base was previously part of our nation’s screwworm eradication effort in the 1960s and now this base will be the cornerstone of our renewed fight against this parasite."

Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening: “Texas Farm Bureau applauds U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for advancing the construction of a sterile insect production and distribution facility at Moore Air Base. This investment is a critical step in protecting Texas livestock, wildlife and our food supply from the devastating threat of the New World screwworm (NWS). As the screwworm threat has moved north from Panama into Mexico, Texas Farm Bureau made the establishment of a domestic sterile insect facility one of our highest priorities"



Texas Cattle Feeders Association chairman-elect Laphe LaRoe: “We commend Secretary Rollins for prioritizing efforts to combat New World Screwworm by establishing sterile fly dispersal and production facilities in South Texas which will significantly enhance our capabilities to contain the screwworm in Southern Mexico. These additional resources, combined with robust implementation of surveillance, sampling, reporting and enhanced treatment protocols provide a strong foundation for the U.S. to continue fighting the screwworm fly where it is today and ensure continued confidence in cattle and beef trade between the U.S. and Mexico.”

Farm Bureau Applauds Suspension of Burdensome Labor Rule

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Department of Labor suspending a rule dubbed the Farmworker Protection Act, which failed to live up to its name and was initially struck down by a district court.

“Farm Bureau thanks Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and the Trump administration for recognizing the obstacles created by this complex rule, which pit workers against their employers. Farmers value the men and women who choose to work on their farms, so they don’t take lightly the responsibility to care for them. Our laws rightly penalize bad actors, but this rule assumed all employers are guilty until proven innocent.



“We pressed the administration to recognize the impact overreaching regulations have on farm viability and see this as a step in the right direction. We urge Congress to now follow the lead of the courts, which agreed with AFBF, and the administration by rescinding the rule altogether. Farmers need workable programs that ensure they can continue to provide jobs and put food on the table for America’s families.”