Agricultural News
Wheat Pasture Prospects Murky Without Much-Needed Rains
Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:01:54 CDT
Wheat pasture prospects are not looking too great at the moment across Oklahoma, but OSU Extension Livestock Marketing Economist Derrell Peel says a little rain could change that picture.
"There's not much wheat pasture yet. There's a few spots that are in better shape than others. There are some areas that are still very dry. I think the key here is that most areas have very little deep moisture to work with so we're very reliant on the continued arrival of timely rains. If we get it, I think we have potential for significant wheat pasture, but I think it is somewhat risky this year."
He says demand for pasture calves will be anemic and dependent upon rain. Areas which get rain will see higher demand; areas with less rain will have less demand. He says these potential areas of demand will develop slowly over the next couple of months.
Surprisingly over the past year, Peel says, despite the drought, carcass weights have jumped.
"Carcass weights have been heavy all year. They've been running, generally, 17 to 20 pounds above a year ago. I think much of that, frankly, is related to the beta agonist technology that's being adopted in feedlots. It's kind of a one-time increase that we're seeing. As the majority of cattle feeding is now adopting that technology, we won't see that in the future. It's a one-time kick."
He says beta agonist is being adopted all over by feed yards and has the capability of adding 30 to 50 pounds of live weight in the last three weeks of the feeding cycle.
This is the third of several Beef Buzz shows that will feature Dr. Peel and his comments about the beef and cattle markets. If you want to hear our complete conversation with Dr. Peel now, click here for our Ag Perspectives Podcast with Dr. Derrell Peel.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...