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In a Low Price Global Environment, US Wheat Exports Increase in Markets That Demand High Quality  

According to US Wheat Associates, circumstances in today's global wheat market are generating some breathless headlines. Plentiful wheat supplies, a strong U.S. dollar and record low freight rates are making it possible for Black Sea region, Canadian and Argentine exporters to sell more of their wheat at low prices in more markets around the world. While it is accurate to say U.S. wheat export volume is down, predictions of U.S. wheat becoming a second tier source of wheat rely on old perspectives of what is now a changing and highly segmented world market.


Total world wheat use and global wheat trade is growing and has set records in two of the past three marketing years. Much of that sustained growth is happening in markets that demand diverse types of wheat to produce premium ingredients in high-quality products. Unlike other wheat exporting countries and regions, U.S. farmers do not produce "generic" wheat. They supply six distinct wheat classes with excellent functional qualities and value for specific uses in specific end-product wheat foods.


That is why even under the current conditions, U.S. wheat exports are steadily increasing in markets that demand high quality. This is especially true in Asia and Latin America.

More about these positive developments for US wheat in the international market is available here on our website in this report that comes from the weekly US Wheat Associates Wheat Letter.

Noble Foundation's Texoma Cattlemen's Conference Set for Friday, February 26th in Ardmore  

 
The U.S. beef cattle industry leads the world's cattle producers in adoption of science and technology innovations, but the ever-changing landscape requires constant education.


To help cattle producers keep up with that changing landscape, The Noble Foundation will host its fifth annual Texoma Cattlemen's Conference, one of the premier beef conferences in the Southern Great Plains. The theme in 2016 is The Cattle Industry: Evolving through Innovation and Technology. The conference will take place Friday, Feb. 26, at the Ardmore Convention Center. This year's conference will showcase the impact technologies have had on the beef industry and the emerging technologies that could prove valuable to cattlemen.


Noble's Hugh Aljoe says of this year's event "As profit margins become more difficult to sustain, it is critical that producers adopt and use proven technologies and maintain awareness of the emerging technologies that have potential to enhance efficiencies their operations. These technologies are not just for the innovative producers; they are for all producers when applied strategically. The challenge is identifying which technologies are most applicable then incorporating them into a management plan. This conference will help producers navigate this process."

I am honored that the Noble folks have asked me to moderate once again here in 2016- and they have assembled a stable full of thoroughbreds for me to introduce to those who attend- click here to see the speaker lineup and get more details about registering for this year's Texoma Cattlemen's Conference.

Beef Genomics is Providing Accuracy in Genetic Selection for Cattle Producers

 
With the rapidly developing world of genomics in beef cattle breeding- improvements in the information that a cattle producer can see about their cattle is amazing. That's the takeaway from a conversation that we had with Ryan Ruppert of Neogen at the recent Cattle Industry Convention in San Diego. Ruppert says that when he was in school not that many years ago- genomics was not even a word. (Ruppert has since joined the American Angus Association staff)


The world of genomics as it relates to the Beef Cattle business really began in 2007, when the bovine genome sequence of the Hereford Beef Cow Dominette was finished. Ruppert says that now "genomics is a major part of cattle producers everyday life- and that if you havn't been doing anything with genomics- you will be."


Ruppert says in today's Beef Buzz that this is all about the accuracy on the production information a cattle producer can learn about their animals at an earlier age than ever before. It results in "the kind of accuracy of data that it used to take years to get on your cattle."

Click here to read more and to listen to his description of the incredible advances we are making in how we can select our next generation of beef cattle more precisely than ever before.

Derrell Peel Offers a Look Ahead at US and Canadian Beef Cattle Trade for 2016

 
Mondays, Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his economic analysis of the beef cattle industry. This analysis is a part of the weekly series known as the "Cow Calf Corner" published electronically by Dr. Peel and Dr. Glenn Selk. Today, Dr. Peel looks at cattle trade between the United States and our neighbor to the north, Canada.


"With the final 2015 trade data in hand, it is possible to look back and summarize 2015 North American cattle trade. Limited cattle inventories, market conditions and exchange rates all played a part in 2015 cattle trade between the U.S. and Canada and suggest what might be expected in 2016.


"Total imports of Canadian cattle were down 33.2 percent year over year in 2015 with decreases across the board for all cattle types. This follows three years of year over year increases in imports of Canadian cattle with the 2015 total dropping back near the 2012 level. This reflects small Canadian cattle inventories that have not yet begun to rebuild. Total fed steer and heifer imports were down 42.3 percent, with fed steers down 40.6 percent and fed heifers down 44.6 percent. Average Canadian feedlot placements in 2015 reached the lowest levels in data going back to 2000. Though year over year feedlot placements in Canada have increased the past three months, it is likely that feedlot production in Canada will remain low as there is no indication that cattle inventories have increased yet in Canada. Herd rebuilding may begin in 2016 but dry conditions remain in western Canada (though less severe compared to several months ago) and may limit herd expansion in 2016 as it did in 2015."

The entire analysis from Dr. Peel can be found here on our Oklahoma Farm Report website.

Seasonal Drop in Boxed Beef Prices Seen This Past Week by Market News Reporter Ed Czerwein

 
On a regular basis, Ed Czerwein of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Market News Office in Amarillo, Texas offers a review of the previous week's boxed beef trade. Here is the weekly boxed beef trade for week ending February 13th- you can listen to Ed's commentary on the trade by clicking on the LISTEN BAr below.

The daily spot Choice box beef cutout ended the week last Friday at $216.08 which was $4.52 lower compared to the previous Friday.   There were 675 loads sold for the week in the daily box beef cutout which was about 12 percent of the total volume.

The Comprehensive or weekly average Choice cutout which includes all types of sales including the daily spot cutout was $215.67 which was 0.97 lower.

However, this is the time of the year when we normally see these wholesale boxed beef prices fall. Last year we dropped 18 dollars from the end of January to the end of February but then started the spring barbeque rally.

Click here for more from Ed on our boxed beef trends at the mid point of the first quarter of the new year.

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Antibiotic Stewardship: From Metrics to Management- Laying the Groundwork for Continued Use of Antibiotics in Animal Ag

 
It comes as no surprise to cattle producers and others in the livestock business- but the issue of Antimicrobial Resistance- or AMR- is a complex issue- and while there are lots of questions, animal health and human health professionals are struggling to find many of the answers to those questions.


Last fall, there was a major conference in Atlanta looking at the issue of AMR- and recently, the "white paper" on the outcome of that conference has been released. Beef checkoff dollars were involved in the funding of the symposium.


Attendees heard presentations from scientists, animal and human health professionals, governmental public health officials, and representatives of companies involved in the animal pro tein supply chain.   These presentations pointed out particularly the dramatic changes which have taken place since the first NIAA antibiotic symposium in 2011:

Animal and human health professionals and medical practitioners are much more aware of the concept of antimicrobial stewardship

Consumers have begun to drive change with their increasing interest in having "antibiotic-free" options at the retail groceries and restaurants

Federal and state governments have instituted a variety of new guidelines and regulations covering both animal and human health pertaining to the labeling and use of antibiotics

The Federal government has issued a new National Strategy and formed an independent advisory panel to address AMR and provide guidance to government agencies.

Four main "takeaways" came from that conference.  Our webstory on the event has those listed and has links to read more from that gathering- click or tap here to get those takeaways and more.

 

This N That: OALP in Vietnam, Jill Smart to AFR and Warm Weather Words from Alan Crone

 
Class XVII of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program continues their travels in Vietnam- they have moved on from Hanoi where they started to Danang and gotten out more into the countryside.

This International Capstone to the Ag Leadership Program experience is a mixture of seeing the history and culture of this country. meeting the people and seeing their agriculture.

I am pleased that Craig Woods from the Ag Communications Division of OSU was able to go along to help document this year's travels- one of my favorite pics he has shared thus far comes from the streets of Hanoi-

We will have more- courtesy of Craig, as the week unfolds.

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Recent OSU grad Jill Smart has been named as the new AFR Youth Coordinator. AFR President Terry Detrick says of this latest addition to his staff  "We place a high priority on surfacing and developing youth leaders. Jill's unique background and skill set is well suited to working with the many great young leaders we have in Oklahoma."

She will keep busy- as she will coordinate the  annual AFR youth speech contest, poster contest, summer youth leadership summit,  statewide scholarships, livestock handling and  skills contest, livestock judging and grading, and many other leadership opportunities.

It seems like it was the week before last when I was interviewing Jill as she competed in the State Beef Ambassador Contest- she won that and was impressive then- and still is after her time in Stillwater at OSU.

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In his Tuesday morning weather blog, Alan Crone with the News on 6 writes "A fast moving short-wave will zip across the central plains before turning the corner across the Missouri Valley during the next few hours.   The result will be another wind shift this morning from the southwest to the northwest.   Wind speeds will increase around 10 to 25 mph today.   A relatively low humidity during the afternoon combined with temperatures in the 60s, and dry vegetation, will keep the fire danger elevated across the state.  

"A warming trend will continue for both Wednesday and Thursday even though the exact magnitude of high temperature Thursday is unclear.   The fire danger could increase to near critical levels during this period, more so Thursday, as strong south to southwest winds from 20 to 40 mph will be likely."

In other words- HANG ONTO YOUR HAT! 

Alan's complete look at our Oklahoma weather is on the News on 6 website and available here.

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