Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
From: Ron Hays <ronphays@cox.net>
Date: 2/6/2020, 5:44 AM
To: ron@ronhays.com



 
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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 KC Sheperd  on RON.
 

 
 
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OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.

 
   
Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
 

OKC West had limited trade yesterday due to the snowy conditions in central Oklahoma- click here for the report from the USDA Market News.

 
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futures- click here for the report posted yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
 
 
Okla Cash Grain:  
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture.
 
  
Futures Wrap:  
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network - analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day.
 
Feeder Cattle Recap:  
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
 
Slaughter Cattle Recap: 
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA.
 
TCFA Feedlot Recap:  
Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
 


 
Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
 
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor

KC Sheperd, Associate Farm Director and Editor

Sam Knipp, Farm Editor
 
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
 
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production

Kane Kinion, Web and Email Editorial Assistant

Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News

Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
   Thursday, February 6, 2020

Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 
One Featured Story: Cattle Industry Convention Rolling- 

Wednesday was a busy day here in San Antonio- and Thursday will be perhaps even busier for the thousands of cattle producers that are here by the Riverwalk. 

We have caught up with a few Oklahomans- and lots of newsmakers and will repeat that again today and tomorrow as well. 

It was really thrilling to see the winner of the National Anthem Contest, Anna Kelsey of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, walk to center stage yesterday afternoon and belt out "Oh Say Can You See" to the full house, standing room only crowd that was at the Opening General Session.



Good Job Anna- and she will repeat that on Friday night at a big event sponsored by the Cattle Industry over at the Alamo Dome. 

It was also good to see and visit for a bit with one of the Cattlemen's College presenters that we know very well here in Oklahoma- Dr. Derrell Peel of Oklahoma State-



I had him stop by to be able to chat with him for a few minutes in the Media Room- and pretty quick several of my colleagues were also getting some comments from him as well- we will be reporting to you in the days ahead some of the findings he and one of his Grad Students, Lauren Bell-Clark, shared about the complexity of the beef supply chain that we gauge beef demand on. Good Stuff!

Today- we will be tweeting from the annual Cattlefax Market Outlook Session- I was told years ago by one of my mentors that if you only make one session at the Cattle Convention- make sure it's the CattleFax Event- and be sure and try to get an interview with Dr Art Douglas (He offers the long term weather outlook)- so that remains my marching orders for at least one more year this morning!

We have several stories from the meeting below- and we will have lots more to be sharing in the days ahead in this email and on the website and in our radio reports- especially our Beef Buzz shows as we try to give you a feel of what is going on here at the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention.

By the way- ALL of our coverage from San Antonio is being sponsored by DuraCor Herbicide by Corteva Agriscience- our thanks to the Corteva team for their support in making our week here soaking in all of the aspects of the #CattleCon20 possible!



Sponsor Spotlight
 
 
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau - a grassroots organization that has for its Mission Statement- "Improving the Lives of Rural Oklahomans."  Farm Bureau, as the state's largest general farm organization, is active at the State Capitol fighting for the best interests of its members and working with other groups to make certain that the interests of rural Oklahoma are protected.  Click here for their website to learn more about the organization and how it can benefit you to be a part of Farm Bureau.



 
Cattle producers are gathering in San Antonio, from all across the country for the Cattle Industries annual convention and trade show.

Radio Oklahoma Farm Director Ron Hays is in San Antonio covering the event where he had the opportunity to visit with the CEO of the Beef Marketing Group, John Butler.

John Butler is a second-generation cattle producer who has spent his career building and implementing beef supply chain programs with the end in mind from the beginning. Butler says to be more efficient; he encourages producers to work backward, which may sound funny. Still, Butler explains, "You know, the thinking is that if we really understand where our product ends up, and understand the best we can, what the needs are, and the expectations. Things like tenderness, juiciness, and flavorfulness, and certainly safe and wholesome, then we can really apply that kind of knowledge to how we build the product in the first place. So, maybe the customer wants a specific breed, so then we plug that in, and maybe they want it to be a specific size, they don't want a great big ribeye, they want a more moderate one. Now that affects how we can buy the right kind of feeder cattle, feed them appropriately, and get to the end product, so that's what's meant by that.

When thinking about today's Cattle industry, Butler says he believes we could do better by being more transparent, "I'm a bit critical, because I think we could be a lot better if we better understood, and really were a little bit more transparent. I'll give you an example; The industry not only here domestically, but globally, has given us a strong signal that we need a traceability program. That we can identify where the cattle come from, all the way to their endpoint. We just have not adopted that. Now in the state of Kansas, I take my hat off to them; they started the traceability program in Kansas. They've collaborated with Texas and other states, and now there's real momentum. So that's why I give us a pretty good score, but it's taken us 20 years to get here. I just think that other proteins have been able to take advantage of that certainly in a global marketplace where we don't have a traceability system and other countries do."

After making history 25 years ago as the first city in Oklahoma to issue a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district, Guymon has issued its second TIF for Seaboard Corporation. The plant's initial decision to locate in Texas County involved more than $65 million in corporate investment, resulted in the hiring of 1,500 employees, and created the first Industrial TIF district in Oklahoma.

In December 2019, the City of Guymon's City Council agreed to approve a new Seaboard Expansion Economic Development Agreement for an additional $100 million plant expansion. The proposed improvements include approximately $20 million in real property improvements and $80 million in personal property capital investments at the plant. Construction of the capital expansion will be implemented this year in three separate phases:

Phase one will include the addition of six new cooler bays, a new engine room to run the entire facility, and a complete purging of the primary ammonia system.

Phase two will include the construction of a new freezer with the capacity to store 6 million pounds of meat, a box storage facility, and an expansion of the stockyards.

Phase three will include the construction of a new SNAP Chill in order to replace all of the existing bays in the facility.


The American Farm Bureau Federation is partnering with INTL FCStone to offer Farm Bureau members exclusive discounts on FCStone's catalog of agricultural risk management tools, which range from customized commodity marketing plans to data management solutions and educational seminars and cover an extensive range of agricultural commodities, from grains and oilseeds to dairy and livestock.

"As farmers and ranchers, we often feel we are at the mercy of factors beyond our control, whether it's weather or the actions of foreign governments, so it's important to take control where we can, and this new member benefit can help us do that," said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. "Understanding how commodities markets work and, most importantly, making them work for each farm as a risk management and marketing tool, is crucial. This important partnership will give Farm Bureau members access to invaluable education and resources to help them succeed, a central goal of the Farm Bureau mission.


Sponsor Spotlight

 
Dating back to 1891, Stillwater Milling Company has been supplying ranchers with the highest quality feeds made from the highest quality ingredients. Their full line of A & M Feeds can be delivered direct to your farm, found at their Agri-Center stores in Stillwater, Davis, Claremore and Perry or at more than 125 dealers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas. We appreciate Stillwater Milling Company's long time support of the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and we encourage you to click here to learn more about their products and services.



Walmart, the largest food retailer in the U.S., officially entered the beef business in January when it opened a case-ready beef plant in Georgia after establishing its own Angus supply chain. Creating an end-to-end beef supply chain is the latest step Walmart has taken in its vertical integration strategy for food and toward its stated goal of improving the quality of its food offering, according to a new report from CoBank's Knowledge Exchange division.

If Walmart's new beef plant and Angus supply chain succeed, it could lead the retail giant to take another step up the supply chain towards the producer. That could be in the form of harvesting fed cattle or through a joint venture with a current packer.

"Walmart sees opportunity and is moving up the supply chain at a time of historically high margins for beef processors," said Will Sawyer, animal protein economist with CoBank. "We believe their current beef strategy is something of a test, not only for Walmart and its suppliers, but also its customers."


Oklahoma's agriculture producers know that farming and ranching comes with a unique set of challenges and an exorbitant amount of risk. Our farmers and ranchers rise day in and day out to feed our families, clothe our communities, and fuel our rural economies.

Every Oklahoman can agree, it takes a very special person, supported by a very strong family, to be willing to take the risks that are associated with being a producer.

After years of battling low prices, high production costs, and challenging weather, Oklahoma's ag producers will soon witness real results thanks to recently signed trade deals.

And while these deals were only recently signed this past month, these historic agreements bring a small piece of hope to our farmers by expanding crucial markets while reducing tariffs allowing our producers to compete on a level playing field.


Cattle producers are gathering in San Antonio this week from all across the country for the Cattle Industries annual convention and trade show.

Radio Oklahoma Farm Director Ron Hays is in San Antonio covering the event, and he had the opportunity to catch up with Ethan Lane, the new head of the Washington DC office for NCBA. Lane says producers have a lot to celebrate this year, "We really do have a lot on our plate to celebrate this year, you know, going through our priorities list from last year's convention in New Orleans, there's a lot of green checkmarks this year. We've accomplished a lot, we've covered a lot of ground, trade has been a real bright spot this year, years and years of work on some of these access deals is starting to pay off. Between the Japan agreement that we saw back in the fall, that's now in effect.

The phase one-China deal that we just saw signed. The increase in the quota going into the EU, these are big deals, not to mention USMCA is finally getting across the finish line late, but still there. With the resounding vote we knew it would have. That really gives us the ability to take some wins there and start focusing on where we go next. There's obviously going to be an implementational piece, we're still waiting on some of the details of the China deal, but we like what we see so far. Now we can turn our attention to some of these other markets; we can start looking at more action in the EU, looking at the UK obviously now that Brexit has occurred, that's going to create some real opportunities for us.

We also have a tremendous opportunity to, you know, grow that footprint in other parts of the world. Once you see countries like China start to step away from some of those non-scientific trade barriers, what a great record to start to push our quality product, what we're doing here in the US, and to tell that story to consumers that haven't had a chance to see it before. We really want to capitalize on that."

 
Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, AFR Insurance, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Great Plains Kubota, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit CorporationOklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program, Inc., the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, 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- at NO Charge!


We also appreciate our Market Links Sponsor - OKC West Livestock! 
 
 
We invite you to check out our website at the link below too that includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.   
 

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

 



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