From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 6:37 AM
To: Hays, Ron
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Tuesday July 26, 2011
A service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Midwest Farm Shows and KIS Futures!
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-- Cattle Liquidation Increasing from Drought Conditions
-- Crop Weather Update - Drought Continues to Devastate Oklahoma Spring-Planted Crops
-- Hot Temperatures in the Corn Belt Allows Crop to Catch Up
-- Canola TV- Roundup Ready Varieties for 2012 Crop Season with Katie Robertson
-- National FFA Organization Receives $1.9 Million Donation from Microsoft Corporation
-- Eight Long, Hard Days Left for U.S Lawmakers to Come Together on Debt Issue
-- Ag technology Field Day- 4-H and OCA
-- Let's Check the Markets!

Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are proud to have KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555- and their IPHONE App, which provides all electronic futures quotes is available at the App Store- click here for the KIS Futures App for your Iphone.

We are also excited to have as one of our sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and sunflowers on the PCOM website- go there by clicking here.

And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the springtime Southern Plains Farm Show as well as the Tulsa Farm Show coming this December- December 8th through the 10th. Click here for the Midwest Farm Show main website to learn more about their lineup of shows around the country!

We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network weekdays- if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click here for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays on RON.

If you have received this by someone forwarding it to you, you are welcome to subscribe and get this weekday update sent to you directly by clicking here.


Cattle Liquidation Increasing from Drought Conditions
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The expanding extreme drought in the Southern Plains is causing a significant acceleration of cattle liquidation in the region, according to OSU Extension Livestock Market Economist, Dr. Derrell Peel. In Oklahoma, the combined total for federally reported auctions the past two weeks has shown a 56 percent increase in feeder cattle sales and a 205 percent increase in cow and bull sales compared to the same period one year ago. The auction totals include significant numbers of double-stocked summer stockers from the Osage country that are typically marketed this time of year.

However, there are large numbers of cows and lightweight feeder cattle that are not typically marketed this time of year. Most likely we are seeing a second wave of cow liquidation made up of cows with spring born calves that are just now big enough to early wean and sell. We are receiving many anecdotal stories from auctions, both large and small of excessive numbers of feeder cattle and cows being marketed. Livestock haulers are booked and it is difficult to arrange shipping at this time.

Prices for slaughter cows, bred cows and cow-calf pairs have dropped sharply in the past two weeks. This is likely a temporary situation due, in part, to the bottlenecks of selling and shipping so many animals in a short period of time. Producers are selling because they have no other alternatives but those with the ability to postpone sales for a couple of weeks may find the logistics as well as the price better. It is hard to say how long the current bulge in cow liquidation will last but most likely it will be a matter of no more than another 2-4 weeks.

Unfortunately, many of the cows are going to slaughter, contributing to additional cow herd liquidation. Beef cow slaughter in Federal slaughter Region 6, which overlays the drought area, is 16 percent higher for the year to date compared to last year. In the most recent two weeks of data, beef cow slaughter in Region 6 is up 35 percent compared to the same period last year. Total U.S. beef cow slaughter for the year to date is down 2.7 percent but the gap is closing due to large slaughter totals in the drought area. For most weeks of the year, the national total beef cow slaughter has been down compared to last year. However, in the last four weeks of slaughter data, the week to week totals for beef cow slaughter have exceeded year ago levels.

Click here for more on cattle liquidation from Dr. Derrell Peel


Crop Weather Update - Drought Continues to Devastate Oklahoma Spring-Planted Crops
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The latest Oklahoma Crop Weather Update is still focusing on the expanding drought and lack of rain- "The extreme heat and lack of precipitation continued to affect livestock ponds and water supplies. Some municipalities issued water use restrictions and blue green algae continued to be a problem. Pasture conditions continued to deteriorate causing more reliance on hay and supplemental feeding. Governor Fallin recognized this by easing restrictions on trucks hauling hay this past Friday. Dryland crops continued to fail and were being salvaged for livestock feed. In the face of limited hay supplies, cattle operators continued selling additional cattle. Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions continued to be rated mostly very short."

According to the USDA, for our spring-planted crops- "Conditions of all row crops continued to decline over the past week due to the drought and record-breaking heat. Reports of corn and sorghum being cut for hay increased as dryland crops continued to fail and even irrigated crops were being impacted by the lack of irrigation water. Corn silking reached 96 percent complete by week's end. Sixty-four percent of the crop had reached the dough stage by Sunday and 19 percent had reached the dent stage, both ahead of normal. Sorghum heading reached 45 percent complete, 19 points ahead of the five-year average. Soybean blooming was 52 percent complete by Sunday, and seven percent were setting pods by week's end. Peanut pegging was 86 percent complete and 18 percent of plants were setting pods, a 13 point increase from the previous week, though significantly behind normal. Cotton emerged reached 79 percent complete by Sunday and cotton squaring was 44 percent complete, both significantly behind the five-year average. A small portion of the cotton crop was setting bolls by week's end, 21 points behind normal."

The hay and pasture conditions continue to worsen this past week and were rated mostly poor. Hay supplies continue to dwindle because of limited hay growth. Pasture conditions aren't much better as operations continue to liquidate cattle because of limited hay supply.

Click here for the complete Oklahoma Crop Weather Update as of Monday afternoon, July 25


Hot Temperatures in the Corn Belt Allows Crop to Catch Up
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The latest US Crop Progress numbers showed the impact of hot conditions across the US corn belt- the condition of the crop slipped a bit from 66% good to excellent last week to 62% good to excellent this week- but analysts say they are not worried about that- at least not yet. They do point to corn silking which jumped thirty points in a single week to 65% of the crop now silking nationally- the five year average is 69% at this date. The concern is that hot temperatures- hotter than normal in the corn belt- could mean reduced yields if those temperatures persist for another week or two.

Cotton crop conditions are basically flip flopped from 2010- when most of the crop was in good to excellent condition at this stage of the growing season. The reality this year is that with our part of the country leading the way- 41% of the US cotton crop is rated poor to very poor. That includes Oklahoma which has 79% of the crop rated poor to very poor and the huge Texas crop sitting at 59% poor to very poor.

Pasture conditions here in the southern Great Plains mirror the horror of the cotton crop- and Texas leads the way with 91% of their pasture and range land is in poor to very poor condition. New Mexico is right behind their neighbor to the east with 89% of their pasture in poor to very poor condition- and Oklahoma is third worst state with pasture ratings at 84% poor to very poor.

Click here for the complete Crop Progress numbers as detailed on Monday afternoon by USDA.


Canola TV- Roundup Ready Varieties for 2012 Crop Season with Katie Robertson
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The DeKalb Genuity Roundup Ready varieties of winter canola have been beneficial to producers across the Southern Plains in helping to clean up fields used for wheat production. Katie Robertson, a Territory Sales Manager with Monsanto, says these Roundup Ready varieties can clean up weeds and pests that plague wheat fields and improve yields the next year.

We talked with Robertson recently at the Winter Canola Conference in Enid. Robertson specifically talked about the 4615 and 4410 varieties. She tells us that 4410 performed especially well with better yields this season. Robertson believes both of these varieties will work well for winter canola producers for the 2012 crop season.

While DeKalb has no new varieties for this coming growing season- Robertson says the portfolio of choices have performed well under tough growing conditions- and will offer producers the chance for success this fall- if Mother Nature will cooperate and give us moisture to plant into.

Click on the LINK below to watch the rest of our conversation with Katie Robertson from Monsanto on the winter canola varieties and Roundup Ready.

Click here for the latest edition of Canola TV with Katie Robertson of Monsanto


National FFA Organization Receives $1.9 Million Donation from Microsoft Corporation
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Microsoft Corporation has donated nearly $1.9 million of software, training and support to the National FFA Organization for the creation of a new online network to help students track educational successes, pursue awards and scholarships and ultimately obtain careers in the agriculture industry.

The Agricultural Career Network will be an online portal that students can use starting in middle school, through college and beyond to track their educational accomplishments, activities and awards. It will also allow students to build resumes and online portfolios, apply for awards and scholarships, prepare for college, pursue internships, connect with potential employers and pursue employment opportunities.

Agriculture teachers will also be able to manage FFA member information in the network, which will provide key data for Perkins plans and reports, produce local impact reports for advocacy efforts, compile information about available grant and scholarship applications and create tools that teachers can use to gauge the relevance and successes of their individual agricultural education curricula.

Microsoft's donation to FFA includes SharePoint 2010, SQL Server 2008 R2 and additional products.

"Microsoft's generosity and support gives us the utmost confidence that the Agricultural Career Network will deliver world-class service to FFA members, their teachers and FFA alumni to help them efficiently and professionally document their educational and career progress and achievements," said Mark Cavell, chief technical officer at the National FFA Organization. "We envision the network will be a powerful resource that students can use now and well into their futures as agriculture-industry leaders."

Click here for additional information on the Microsoft donation to National FFA Organization


Eight Long, Hard Days Left for U.S Lawmakers to Come Together on Debt Issue
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Congressional leaders and the White House have been working to reach a bipartisan agreement to deal with the debt ceiling and deficit reduction - but they seem to be going in separate directions yet again. House Speaker John Boehner is unveiling a two-step plan and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is unveiling his one-stop plan. Congress and the White House feel the sense of urgency these debt negotiations bring - but any floor action most likely will not happen until midweek. They're running out of days to come to an agreement before the government defaults for the first time ever - which is what leaders in both parties say they want to avoid at all costs.

Boehner's plan has two steps because he says it's not physically possible to do it all in one. The first step includes increasing the debt limit and capping spending for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 between three-trillion and five-trillion overall - which could save more than one-trillion dollars during the next 10 years. The second step includes the creation of a special congressional commission to propose more budget cuts. Reid doesn't like that plan. His plan includes a bill for raising the debt limit through 2012 by 2.5-trillion dollars all at once without cutbacks in entitlement programs. The debt ceiling increase in Boehner's plan may not be high enough to get through the Senate - and Reid's plan most likely won't get through the House.

The stakes are high for all segments of the US economy- and whichever plan ends up in place in the next few days- there could be significant impact on Congressman Frank Lucas and his efforts on writing new farm policy. If cuts on current ag spending are immediate- for example- if they impact spending that takes place after October first in the new Fiscal year of 2012- that might mean there will be an urgency to write fresh farm policy right now. Lucas has been saying for some time that if a hard number is agreed to in these negotiations- his Committee would quickly move to develop the best possible safety net and conservation program for the dollars allocated. the bottom line right now- nobody knows what will happen- except that conventional wisdom is that something will surface to at least provide short term debt ceiling relief.


Ag technology Field Day- 4-H and OCA
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One down and one to go- that's OSU Ag technology Field Days as the first of two meetings was held yesterday in Afton.
The second Ag Technology Field Day is going to be held at the Kingfisher County Fairgrounds TODAY- July 26, 2011. The program will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and lunch will be provided. Presentation topics will include the latest insights on precision nutrient management, agricultural technology and weed management, and use of GPS for surface water management.

Kingfisher field demonstrations will focus on GPS signal precision, nozzle technology and spray drift, and sprayer and planter section control. Click here for more details on the Kingfisher meeting that starts at nine this morning.

The 2011 State 4-H Roundup is coming the latter part of this week- I am going to borrow the words of our friend Rodd Moesel from his Facebook page as he offered a bit of the color about this week's event- "This will be a special week for 1000 top 4-H youth from all 77 counties as they gather at OSU in Stillwater for Oklahoma State 4-H Round-up! All kinds of programming, competitions, fun & the chance to make cool new friends from all over the state. State award winners will be recognized at Honor night on Thursday in Iba Arena--originally built as the 4-H Club Center before it became basketball shrine!" Roundup starts tomorrow and runs through midday Friday- here's the OSU page that gives lots of the details about this year's Roundup.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be the 2011 Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Convention and Trade Show- it's planned for once again at the Reed Center in Midwest City. Keynoter on Friday morning will be US Meat Export Federation President and CEO Phil Seng. Click here for more on the 2011 OCA Convention- it looks to be a dandy!!!


Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers and KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis- FREE!

We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com


Let's Check the Markets!
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We've had requests to include Canola prices for your convenience here- and we will be doing so on a regular basis. Current cash price for Canola is $12.82 per bushel, while the 2012 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available are $12.76 per bushel- delivered to local participating elevators that are working with PCOM.

Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click on the name of the report to go to that link:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101 mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- Two Pager From The Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture.
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.



God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
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phone: 405-473-6144
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