Beef and Pork Export Values Continue to Pace Well Ahead of 2013 Through First Ten Months of 2014

Strong variety meat exports helped offset lower volumes for beef and pork muscle cuts in October, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).


October beef exports were up 2 percent from a year ago to 109,858 metric tons (mt), while export value was a record-high $687.1 million - up 22 percent from a year ago. Muscle cut volume was down 2 percent to 76,472 mt, but still increased 19 percent in value to $596.5 million. Variety meat exports increased 14 percent in volume (33,386 mt) and 39 percent in value ($90.6 million).


For January through October, beef export volume was up 3 percent from a year ago to just over 1 million mt. Export value reached $5.87 billion - 15 percent ahead of last year's record pace.


October pork exports were down 2 percent in volume (182,363 mt), but still achieved a 5 percent increase in value ($567.2 million). These results were also bolstered by strong variety meat exports, which were up 24 percent in volume (51,440 mt) and 23 percent in value ($101.9 million) from a year ago. Pork muscle cut exports were down 10 percent in volume (130,923 mt), but increased 2 percent in value to $465.3 million.


Through the first 10 months of 2014, pork export volume was 4 percent higher than a year ago at 1.83 million mt. Export value is on a record pace, up 13 percent to $5.61 billion.


USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng said that while the slowdown in muscle cut volumes is concerning, October results were solid overall.


"Although global demand for beef and pork muscle cuts remains strong, the U.S. industry is facing some headwinds," Seng said. "Lower slaughter numbers have impacted available supply, and the U.S. dollar continues to strengthen relative to the currencies of a number of our key competitors and import customers. On the pork side, we continue to see large volumes of European product entering Asian markets at lower-than-normal prices. This is likely to continue until the EU's trade impasse with Russia is resolved."


Click here to read more about January-October export highlights for US beef, pork and lamb.  

OSU Research Team Investigates Streambank Erosion and Phosphorus Sources

To protect water quality in eastern Oklahoma streams, Oklahoma State University researchers are studying sources of phosphorus and ways to limit phosphorus input to streams.


One project led by Garey Fox, Oklahoma Water Resources Center interim director, and funded by United States Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region VI programs, explored phosphorus concentrations in the soil and streambank erosion in the Barren Fork Creek watershed.


The BFC watershed is home to a regional poultry industry that generates litter. Because it is expensive to ship, poultry litter was historically applied to nearby fields as fertilizer. Phosphorus accumulates in the soil, which can wash into streams as sediment, reducing the water quality.


Streams in the BFC watershed have composite streambanks made of a silty topsoil overlaying an unconsolidated gravel layer. When a bank's gravel layer is undercut by the streamflow, it can fail rapidly. This erosion can remove acres of property annually. The combination of phosphorus-laden sediment washing into streams and large-scale streambank erosion is proving to be a serious environmental issue, said Fox. 

Click here to read more about OSU's study of streambanks and phosphorus levels.  

Oklahoma Cattlemen Tell Tom Vilsack His Idea of a Separate Second Checkoff Would Undercut Existing, Successful Program 

The Oklahoma Cattllemen's Association has submitted comments to US Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding a possible second, separate Beef Checkoff that would be established based on the authority that the Secretary claims he has under a 1996 law. OCA, in a one page letter to Vilsack, told him that "OCA is strongly opposed to the proposal for a new Order under the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996.


The letter, signed by the Executive Vice President of the OCA, Michael Kelsey, states there are specific attribuutes of the 1996 law that OCA believes would be bad for the cattle producer members they represent. "For instance, the 1996 Act fails to assure a coordinated state/national partnership concept. Additionally, it is too open ended and subject to government, not producer, direction."


The conclusion drawn by OCA is for the Secretary "not issue a proposed rule for an additional beef checkoff program under the 1996 Act." 

Meanwhile, we have been promised by the NCBA folks that they will share their comments that they submit to Uncle Sam on this issue- they also are strongly opposed to the idea of adding another Beef Checkoff into the mix.  Deadline for submitting comments is midnight tonight.  Here's a link to our earlier story on what the Secretary is asking when it comes to input on establishing a new checkoff and a link to submitting comments yourself.  

By the way- one of the strongest supporters for a new checkoff and getting rid of NCBA as a contractor to checkoff programs is the National Farmers Union- Click here for their comments offered the Secretary by their President, Roger Johnson.

Oklahoma Auctioneer Wins Qualifier for World Livestock Auctioneer Championship

Justin Dodson, Welch, Okla., was named Champion at the 2015 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) Midwestern Regional Qualifying Event. The second of three qualifiers was hosted by Coffeyville Livestock Market, Coffeyville, Kan. on December 4. A total of 22 contestants competed for a top 10 placing that grants them a spot in the 2015 WLAC at Clifton Livestock Commission Co. in Clifton, Texas.


A WLAC-contest veteran, Dodson has competed 12 times. After a Reserve Champion finish at the WLAC a few years ago, Dodson made the decision to take some time off from the competition to spend time with family. Now, back and refocused, Dodson says that winning the 2015 WLAC Midwestern Qualifier means a lot.


"I love the competition. I love the drive, and I'd hoped I would still have that fire. After I stepped in the block today, I knew it was there," Dodson said. The Welch, Okla., auctioneer is excited for another chance to win the World Livestock Auctioneer Champion title and opportunity to represent the livestock marketing industry. 


Click here to read the full results of the Midwest Qualifier for the World Livestock Auctioneering Championship.  

RAMP Foliar Fertilizer Makes Regional Debut at Tulsa Farm Show

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but experience has to figure pretty high in the family tree. And so it is with a new foliar feed fertilizer created and marketed by Pikes Fertilizer in Girard, Kansas.


Chris Pike now runs the business incorporated under the family name in 1991, but its roots were first planted by his grandfather a couple of decades before that.  The culmination of the family's experience has resulted in the production of RAMP, an innovative foliar fertilizer proven to increase yields in wheat, corn and soybeans from three to ten bushels per acre. Chris and his crew began experimenting with foliar fertilizers for his clients around Girard several years ago and came up with a blend that has proven very effective and popular.


"It is a 3-10-10 type product so it has three units of nitrogen, ten units of phosphorous and ten units of potash and it also has an added adjuvant to help open the plant up to get the plant to absorb the 3-10-10 more than what it would actually do by itself by just applying a liquid 3-10-10 product." 

Radio Oklahoma Network's Jim Apel spoke with Pike about RAMP and how wheat, corn and soybeans have performed well the fertilizer product.  Click here to listen to the full conversation.  

The US Trade Representative office announced on the Friday after Thanksgiving the Obama Administration had decided to appeal to the World Trade Organization ruling against the second Country of Origin Labeling law that the US has issued in recent years. The COOL policy established in 2013 required fresh meat packages of beef, pork and lamb to labeled with where the animal was born, raised and processed. Recently the WTO ruled that this latest rule is still out-of-compliance with global trade rules and is harmful to both Mexico's and Canada's livestock industries.


Kansas State University Livestock and Meat Marketing Assistant Professor Dr. Glynn Tonsor has been working with Jayson Lusk of Oklahoma State University. In the monthly OSU Food Demand Survey, they looked at the 2013 COOL rule. Tonsor said this is the only known academic resource that speak specific to the 2013 version of the mCOOL rule and the survey also looked at what demand impact may or may not have been with the adjustments made to the rule.


The 2013 COOL rule is when the industry began designating where animal's were born, raised and slaughtered. This November survey confirmed what had been found in past work in that consumers still don't know the information is listed on package and they don't really care. Tonsor said the public was generally unaware the meat industry labeling existed in showing where an animal was born, raised and slaughtered aspects.


The study also looked at the public's willingness to pay for a ribeye based on where an animal was born, raised and processed.  Click here to read more.

This N That- Big Iron Wednesday and Ag Spending Details from Omnibus Spending Deal 

It's Wednesday- and that means the Big Iron folks will be busy closing out this week's auction items- all 707 of them- starting at 10 AM central time.                  

Click Here for the complete rundown of what is being sold on this no reserve online sale this week.

If you'd like more information on buying and selling with Big Iron, call District Manager Mike Wolfe at 580-320-2718 and he can give you the full scoop.  You can also reach Mike via email by clicking or tapping here.  

There are no big surprises that we have found as of yet in the 1600 page Omnibus Spending package that funds most of the federal government until next September.  It does not appear that the measure will slow down the EPA in their drive to implement WOTUS- and I see nothing in the USDA section of the measure that has any impact on COOL or the Beef Checkoff issue.  

The measure does direct USDA to not close any FSA County Offices(The President's budget had proposed shutting down as many as 250 offices) and the language of the bill says no funds are to be used in the inspection of horses under the Federal Meat Inspection Act- which effectively extends the ban on horse slaughter in this country.

The House Ag Approps folks have a summary of the ag parts of the bill-  click here to check it out.

This proposal will be considered by the House on Thursday.