~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest
farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron
Hays of RON for Wednesday March 10, 2010 A
service of Johnston Enterprises, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind
Energy and American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance
Company!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- The Battle Over Biotech Alfalfa Hits SCOTUS
-- VIlsack's Animal ID Solution- Let the States Do It
-- FAPRI Report On Profitability Issued
-- Oklahoma Dairy Farmers Offer Start Up Grants for Grab N Go
Breakfast in Schools
-- Seaboard's Pork Segment Loses Less Money in 2009 Versus
2008.
-- Wanted- Problem Horses for Next Month at Southern Plains Farm
Show
-- Power Plus Bull Sale is Set for This Friday, March 12 in
Hobart
-- 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 pleased to have American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor of our daily update- click here to go to their AFR web site to learn more about their efforts to serve rural America! It is also great to have as an annual sponsor on our daily email
Johnston Enterprises- proud to be serving agriculture across
Oklahoma and around the world since 1893. For more on Johnston
Enterprises- click
here for their website! 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. | |
The Battle Over Biotech Alfalfa Hits SCOTUS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That stands
for the Supreme Court of the United States- and the highest court in the
land will be looking at genetically modified crops for the first time in
this case this spring. A coalition of agricultural organizations filed on
March 8 a joint friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court in support
of the petitioners in “Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms.” The brief was
submitted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, Biotechnology Industry
Organization, American Seed Trade Association, American Soybean
Association, National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance, National Association of
Wheat Growers, National Cotton Council and National Potato Council. The
groups urge that the lower courts' decision to approve an injunction
without adequately hearing the key evidence must be reversed “to protect
the farmers who choose to grow genetically-engineered crops, as well as
the public benefits that agricultural biotechnology brings to producers
and consumers around the world.”
In the lower court case, environmental groups and individual organic alfalfa farmers sued the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), claiming that USDA's decision to grant deregulated status to glyphosate-tolerant (or “Roundup Ready”) alfalfa violated the National Environmental Policy Act. The courts in the Ninth Circuit determined that USDA should have done an environmental impact statement (EIS) before it decided to deregulate, and the court ultimately enjoined almost all planting and sale of Roundup Ready alfalfa pending the issuance of the EIS. In 2005, USDA'S Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
concluded that there is no significant impact on the human environment due
to granting non-regulated status to Roundup Ready® alfalfa. Following the
lower court's ruling, APHIS completed a 1,400-page document as its draft
EIS, and again has recommended that Roundup Ready® alfalfa be deregulated
and that farmers be allowed to grow it. Click on the link below for more on this story- including links that will offer viewpoints from both the Monsanto perspective as well as the Gertson Seed anti biotech position. Click here for more on RR Alfalfa Paying a Visit to the US Supreme Court. | |
VIlsack's Animal ID Solution- Let the States Do It ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ US Secretary
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was asked in a News Conference this past week
about the future of animal disease traceback now that the NAIS- the
National Animal ID System- has been shelved by the Department of
Agriculture. Vilsack told reporters at the Commodity Classic that meetings
were starting with state officials about developing details of a state
based traceback system, working on how to retrieve information about an
animal that has moved through several states if the need for disease
traceback demands it.
US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was asked in a News Conference this past week about the future of animal disease traceback now that the NAIS- the National Animal ID System- has been shelved by the Department of Agriculture. Vilsack told reporters at the Commodity Classic that meetings were starting with state officials about developing details of a state based traceback system, working on how to retrieve information about an animal that has moved through several states if the need for disease traceback demands it. Click on the link below to hear Tom Vilsack's comments on the Beef Buzz about where we are in the process of getting animal disease traceback fully operational. Click here for the Beef Buzz with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. | |
FAPRI Report On Profitability Issued ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The livestock
sector can lead the agricultural economy to higher net farm income,
assuming the farm economy benefits from a recovering general U.S. economy.
That analysis tops a 2010 baseline report prepared by the University of
Missouri Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute and delivered to
the U.S. Congress. The 10-year baseline shows economic possibilities for
livestock, crops and biofuels under certain assumptions.
The report projects net farm income increases for the next two years largely because of stronger livestock prices. However, the program's co-director Pat Westhoff says 2010 farm income will recover only a third of the ground lost in 2009. Net farm income fell by more than 30-billion dollars in 2009, as sharp declines in cash receipts were not offset by modest drops in production costs. The FAPRI baseline shows crop prices remain near the 2009 level in 2010
and 2011. Corn producers can see strong returns per acre until the end of
the 10-year baseline. Soybean returns must remain well above pre-2007
levels for soybeans to stay competitive with corn. Click here for the full report as prepared by the think tank folks in Missouri | |
Oklahoma Dairy Farmers Offer Start Up Grants for Grab N Go Breakfast in Schools ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ USDA announced
National School Breakfast Week as March 8-12. In their news release, Kevin
Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
stated “research shows that a nutritious breakfast at home or at school
boosts children's ability to learn, fosters better classroom behavior, and
reduces visits to the school nurse.”
Oklahoma's dairy farmers, through Dairy MAX, regularly step up to the breakfast plate to help local schools encourage breakfast participation. Through an Expanding Breakfast Grant program, start up funds are available for schools to offer an alternative, or more convenient breakfast solution. “Breakfast is served in most Oklahoma schools,” said Susan Allen, program coordinator for Dairy MAX, “but when breakfast is only served in the cafeteria a limited number of children participate, maybe 30 percent. Children have to arrive at school before school starts to participate. When breakfast is taken out of the cafeteria and served in the classroom, or as a grab ‘n go option after first period, participation can really jump. In the case of breakfast in the classroom, sometimes participation jumps to 80 or 90 percent.” Susan Allen adds that “within the last year, expanded breakfast programs were implemented with Dairy MAX grant funds in three Oklahoma City Public Schools elementary sites, two Dale Public School sites, Putnam City North High School, and in Frederick Middle School." Click here for more on these grants that are offered by the Dairy industry. | |
Seaboard's Pork Segment Loses Less Money in 2009 Versus 2008. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Seaboard
Corporation said it narrowed losses in the company's pork segment to $15
million in 2009 from a loss of $46 million in 2008 primarily on lower feed
costs. The Shawnee Mission, Kansas based firm also attributed the cost
reductions to the use of the last in, first out method of determining
inventory costs and lower costs of third-party hogs. LIFO upped operating
results by nearly $18 million in 2009 versus a decrease of $17.2 million
in 2008, the company said in its annual report.
Net sales declined $60.7 for the year ended Dec. 31, 2009, compared with 2008, primarily resulting from a decrease in overall sales prices for pork products. Seaboard surmised the decrease in prices stemmed from excess supplies that resulted from the H1N1 outbreak and related bans last spring. The decrease in sales prices was partially offset by higher volumes of pork exports made possible by expansion in daily capacity at Seaboard's Guymon, Oklahoma, processing plant in the first quarter of 2008. Seaboard said cost decreases more than offset sales price declines, allowing the company to decrease its operating loss by nearly $31 million. And Seaboard sees a return to profitability in 2010. "Management anticipates this segment's results to improve to profitable levels in 2010 as sales prices for pork products begin to increase as long as costs, such as the price of corn used for feed, do not increase significantly." Click here for more on Seaboard Foods as found on their website. | |
Wanted- Problem Horses for Next Month at Southern Plains Farm Show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's hard to
believe- but we are only a few weeks away from the start of the 2010
Southern Plains Farm Show at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. And, once
again in 2010, we are working with the show management to help locate
folks who want to nominate a horse to be worked with by horse trainer
Scott Daily in Oklahoma City April 15 through the 17th.
This year, we are looking for horses that perhaps you have had some trouble in getting to the point you wanted them in terms of handling and riding. You will be asked to get them to Oklahoma City- the show provides pen and the expertise of Scott Daily as he works with your horse during his two seminars planned daily. Give me a call at 405-841-3675 and leave me a voicemail with your name, phone number, location and a brief description of your horse- and we will get back to you. Or, use the email link at the bottom of today's email and give me the same information. We would love to hear from you- and we look forward to seeing you and your horse at this year's Southern Plains Farm Show. | |
Power Plus Bull Sale is Set for This Friday, March 12 in Hobart ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Power Plus
Bull Sale is set for next friday, March 12, 2010 in Hobart, Oklahoma. The
Duff Cattle Company will be offering 100 Angus and A+Plus Herdsire
Prospects. Click on the link below to get to the complete catalog of the
bulls that will be sold this Friday.
Progeny by Power+Plus bulls are eligible for the P+ Incentive Program, the best bonus in the business! All calves are marketed through our new venture, Premium Natural Beef, our all natural beef line in restaurants and grocery stores now! Kirk and Todd Duff write in their catalog "Just like most of you, we have faced many challenges this winter. This has consistently reminded us on a daily basis that as cattle producers, we need to maximize profits by minimizing inputs, yet offer a product that excels in the marketplace. And that is exactly what we are striving to do for our customers by producing beefy, efficient, practical bulls that improve profitability in all sectors. This has been the primary focus of our program since its inception." Click here for more on the PowerPlus Bull Sale this Friday in Hobart. | |
Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, AFR 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! 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. | |
Let's Check the Markets! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 $7.55 per
bushel, while the 2010 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available are
$7.70 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: | |
God Bless! You can reach us at the following: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
phone: 405-473-6144
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