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Agricultural News


OCA Vice President Sees Renewed Excitement In Cattle Industry Going Forward

Tue, 10 Dec 2013 13:04:19 CST

OCA Vice President Sees Renewed Excitement In Cattle Industry Going Forward
As 2013 draws to a close, Michael Kelsey, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, is taking a look at the year gone by and looking toward the future. He sat down with Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays and spoke about several issues. (You can hear their full conversation by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story. Kelsey will also appear on this weekend's "In the Field" segment on News 9 about 6 a.m. Saturday morning.)


Though it is not yet officially winter, cattle producers and their herds have weathered extremely low temperatures and wintry precipitation across the state. So far, Kelsey says, producers are in pretty good shape.


"We're very fortunate. We have not received any calls about catastrophes." He said there have been a few reports where cattlemen have lost a calf or two, but nothing widespread so far. "Nothing like South Dakota and we're very blessed so far. Still, it is so much earlier that our normals should be fifties in terms of highs and here we're barely kind of trying to bump freezing this week. Nonetheless, it is a stress."


He said that good rains last spring resulted in good hay crops so there is plenty of feed, so far, for producers to rely on.


Another issue high on cattle producers' radar screens right now, Kelsey says, is the proposal by the EPA to roll back its Renewable Fuel Standard ethanol volume to 2012 levels.


"We're very much united on this. Speaking for my brothers and sisters, we're pretty much in agreement: When the government comes into the market place and starts establishing artificial supply or demand-and, in this case, an artificial demand-it really jukes the market up, if you will. It throws it off. And we're even seeing supplemental effects beyond just the price of corn in terms of forage availability and those types of things. We would just really like to see ethanol policy be eliminated altogether--not ethanol, we don't have anything against ethanol and nothing against competition in the market-but let's have natural competition where consumers have an affinity for a product and they purchase it, in this case ethanol over something else rather than a government policy that establishes an artificial demand."


Kelsey says the comment period on the EPA proposal is open until late January and he is encouraging producers to weigh in and make their views known.


Cattle producers are also looking to Washington at the end of 2013 in hopes Congress will pass a farm bill in the waning days of this legislative session. He says the issues the conference committee is discussing are changing on an almost-daily basis.


"We'd love to see the farm bill move forward- It just seems like it's very difficult for everybody to kind of gel around and move forward- We really need that disaster assistance firmed up. That would be super nice to have in place, not only from Oklahoma because it would be retroactive in terms of the drought and so forth, but also for our brothers and sisters up north in terms of South Dakota. And then just establish good policy. That would be a nice thing to have."


Kelsey also said producers would like to have some resolution to the Country of Origin Labeling controversy come out of the new farm bill.


"I don't know of anybody who is against labeling or not proud of their product. But, again, we go back to that same type of discussion we had with the renewable fuels standard. When you have the government play into it, things get a little warped and get a little messed up. And, so, to mandate labeling, that just goes above and beyond what we as an organization would like to see. We don't mind labeling; we're proud of our product. But let's do it in a shape and form where consumers will have an affinity for the product."


With the drought continued to recede in many parts of the state, Kelsey said he is seeing a renewed excitement for increasing the size of Oklahoma's cattle herd. One of the signs of positive movement in this regard is the number of young people coming back to or getting involved in beef production for the first time, Kelsey says.


"I think it's very optimistic. We're starting to hear some of our members say, 'I'm excited about the future. I'm looking forward to what I'm seeing looking forward.'"


Kelsey said this is an ideal time for his organization to focus on increasing its membership in 2014. He said they will also be focusing on increasing the reach of their foundation to serve the long-term growth needs of the industry for education, research, and youth development.





   
   

Michael Kelsey talks winter weather, ethanol, and the farm bill with Ron Hays.
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