Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
From: Ron Hays <ronphays@cox.net>
Date: 2/28/2017 6:46 AM
To: ronphays@cox.net



 
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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 Ron Hays on RON.
 

  
Let's Check the Markets!  
 
 OkNatlStockyards   
Stocker Cattle and Calves Trended $4 to $7 higher on Monday at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City- Click here for their complete report for 2/27


FedCattleExchange.com has a total of 4,813 cattle on their showlist for the Wednesday March 1st sale of finished cattle- details will be available after noon today by clicking here. 
 
 
Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
  
  
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futuresclick or tap 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 on Monday, February 27th.
  
  
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

Carson Horn, Associate Farm Director and Editor
  
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
  
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production

Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
 
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
   Tuesday, February 28, 2017


Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 






Featured Story:
DisasterUSDA Provides Assistance to 48 Counties in Oklahoma Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas 

Forty-eight Oklahoma counties have been designated by the USDA Farm Service Agency as primary natural disaster areas affected by severe drought conditions recently.


In order to assist producers recoup the cost of damages and losses incurred by the extreme weather, the affected counties are made eligible for FSA's emergency (EM) loans, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

Counties eligible for these assistance loans include:

Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Canadian, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cimarron, Cleveland, Coal, Creek, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Garvin, Grday, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, Kingfisher, Latimer, Le Flore, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Osage, Pawnee, Payne, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Roger Mills, Rogers, Seminole, Sequoyah, Texas, Tulsa, Wagoner, Woods and Woodward.


Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Oklahoma also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are:


Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Carter, Comanche, Craig, Custer, Delaware, Grant, Harper, Kay, Major, Marshall, Mayes, Nowata, Stephens and Washington.

 

 

Learn how to apply for this loan and perhaps other government emergency loans you are eligible for, by clicking or tapping here.

 
Sponsor Spotlight
 

It's great to have one of the premiere businesses in the cattle business partner with us in helping bring you our daily Farm and Ranch News Email- National Livestock Credit Corporation.  National Livestock has been around since 1932- and they have worked with livestock producers to help them secure credit and to buy or sell cattle through the National Livestock Commission Company. 

They also own and operate the Southern Oklahoma Livestock Market in Ada, Superior Livestock, which continues to operate independently and have a major stake in OKC West in El Reno. To learn more about how these folks can help you succeed in the cattle business, click here
 for their website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.   
 

Despite unseasonably warm, dry weather during the month of February, wheat crops remain in good to fair condition throughout Oklahoma and Kansas. According to Crop Weather reports from the USDA small grain crops are doing surprisingly well considering the unusually harsh weather conditions.


Spotty showers throughout the last month most likely kept conditions from falling blow current ratings.


The mild temperatures from one of the hottest February's on record, have been good for calving and some early fieldwork. Fertilizer application and weed management have begun in many areas. Topsoil moisture rated 21 percent very short, 34 short, 45 adequate, and 0 surplus. Subsoil moisture rated 21 percent very short, 35 short, 44 adequate, and 0 surplus.

For a look at the complete Crop Weather reports for Oklahoma and Kansas, click here.
COFPeelUSDA's Latest Cattle on Feed Report Reveals Implications of Heavyweight Feedlot Placements

The US Department of Agriculture released the most recent Cattle on Feed report, last Friday afternoon. I reached out to Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Market Economist, for his analysis of the report. He says on the whole, the report was well anticipated with no surprises in any of the numbers.


In summary, January feedlot placements were 111.3 percent of last year while marketings were 110.2 percent of one year ago. The February 1 on-feed total was 10.8 million head, 100.7 percent of last year.


However, according to Peel, this month's report did reveal some interesting implications regarding heavier-weight cattle.


"The increase in heavy-weight feedlot placements in recent years was no doubt heavily motivated by high feedlot cost of gain over much of the period. However, even with sharply lower feed costs in 2017, there are several reasons that placement weights may not decline much in the coming months. Feedlots generally prefer to feed older, heavier cattle which is more possible with growing cattle numbers. Continued changes in cattle genetics, feeding management and feeding technology allow cattle to be fed efficiently to heavier weights. Placement of heavier animals in feedlots may also be contributing to the increase in the Choice grading percent in recent years. Nevertheless, slaughter and carcass weights will likely increase more slowly or plateau in coming years, in part because of demand limitations for ever larger carcasses."


To read Peel's complete analysis of the recent Cattle on Feed report, or to listen to him breakdown the numbers on yesterday's Beef Buzz, click here.

John Butler of the Beef Marketing Group and chairman of the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, spoke with me during the Texoma Cattlemen's Conference last week, where it was announced several groups representing the different segments of the beef supply chain, will cooperate in a two-year long pilot project, the Integrity Beef Program, designed to identify potential efficiencies in the process that brings beef from the farm to the table. We talked about what benefits he hopes will come as a result of this project.


"First of all, we're really excited that we have the chance to connect, to participate with the Integrity Beef Program," Butler said. "We'll learn about the genetic piece of it, but certainly from an animal health standpoint, those cattle come to us with some history, with some information that should allow us to do a better job in our piece of the supply chain managing those cattle through the feeding phase and making a more efficient product for the packer."


Not only will this project serve as a catalyst for innovation in creating more sustainability in the beef supply chain through each individual segment, it will also develop stronger relationships, cooperation and trust between the segments, which have been known to have held some animosity, according to Butler.


"Traditionally, yeah, there has been," Butler agreed "because they don't see things with a common vision and I think what we're seeing now is that changing to where we're looking at this as partners and truly like a supply chain. This opportunity is driving some of these barriers to be broken down and allowing us to get more transparent and more trusting from segment to segment."

Click here to read more, or to listen to my full interview with Butler about this opportunity to participate in the pilot program.
 
Sponsor Spotlight

 
For nearly a century, Stillwater Milling Company has been providing ranchers with the highest quality feeds made from the highest quality ingredients.  Their full line of A&M Feeds can be delivered to your farm, found at their agri-center stores in Stillwater, Davis, Claremore and Perry or at more than 100 dealers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas. 

We appreciate Stillwater Milling'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.


When the U.S. Meat Export Federation, contractor to the beef checkoff, is making plans to increase the movement of U.S. beef into export markets, they keep a "3-D" strategy in mind: 1) Develop, 2) Displace and 3) Defend. That is, Develop new markets and new sectors in existing markets, Displace the competition, and Defend the U.S. market share against aggressive competition by other beef exporters worldwide.

Developing a new market for U.S. beef is not an overnight endeavor. Consider Central America: The region is home to many countries at various stages of development, yet the initial strategy in each country is to bring buyers and sellers together. Your beef checkoff is supporting this effort through the annual Latin American Buyer Showcase, which brings hundreds of buyers and sellers together. Once those initial relationships have been established the growing pool of loyal beef users makes the product visible to other players, especially among those in the hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) sectors, and the impetus for them to also purchase U.S. beef grows stronger.


Initially, many accounts in these target markets have been conservative with their U.S. beef orders. However, through educational seminars and workshops on alternative beef cuts, importers began diversifying their U.S. beef portfolios, adding brisket, top blade, flap steak and sirloin. Some importers have also begun to explore further opportunities with U.S. beef at retail - through both traditional and online purveyors.
Click here to continue reading this story about the 3D Strategy incorporated into USMEF's strategy to market beef worldwide.
Want to Have the Latest Energy News Delivered to Your Inbox Daily?
 

Award winning broadcast journalist Jerry Bohnen has spent years learning and understanding how to cover the energy business here in the southern plains- Click here to subscribe to his daily update of top Energy News.

 

WHApptWhite House Appointment of Ag Champion Ray Starling Applauded by Industry Groups

Yesterday, the White House announced the appointment of Ray Starling to the position of Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture, Trade and Food Aid, filling a position left vacant for most of the Obama administration. Starling currently serves as chief of staff for Senator Thom Tillis, of North Carolina.


"By picking a true champion of American agriculture to serve in this key advisory role, President Trump is sending a clear signal of his commitment to reverse unnecessary regulations inhibiting pork producers and all U.S. farmers from doing what they do best: supplying the world with the most nutritious, affordable and abundant food available," said John Weber, president of the National Pork Producers Council. Click here to see his full statement regarding Starling's appointment.


Collin Woodall, NCBA's senior vice president of government affairs, joined Weber in his praise regarding Starling's selection, calling it great news not just for agricultural producers, but for the entire American economy. To read his complete statement, click here.
ConservationHallMike Thralls and Ben Pollard Inducted Into the Oklahoma Conservation Hall of Fame
 

He was loved by so many folks- we lost our friend Mike Thralls two years ago this month after a tough battle with cancer. The long time conservation leader served 17 years as the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. Our final on the record conversation with Mike was shortly before he retired from the Commission in September of 2014.  We talked that day about what had been accomplished over the years- and where he saw the conservation movement going in the days ahead.

Last night- his legacy was remembered- as he and the Assistant Director of the Commission for many years, Ben Pollard, were inducted together into the Oklahoma Conservation Hall of Fame- Mike's wife, Donna accepted the award on behalf of their family on Monday evening at the 79th Annual Convention of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts.  Here's a picture from last night with Donna Thralls and Ben Pollard and their awards:



Other awards handed out last night included:

2017 Legislative Award- State Rep Leslie Osborn of Mustang

Outstanding Cooperator- Dustin Donley of Woodward

Outstanding District Director- Kenneth Salisbury of Dewey County

Outstanding District- Blaine County

In addition to Thralls and Pollard, District Director Mike Rooker of Shawnee County was also inducted into the Hall of Fame.


FireDangerHigh Winds and High Fire Danger Arrive on Final Day of February
 

Temperatures will be close to record levels this afternoon- winds could top fifty miles a hour and there is a whole bunch of dry vegetable here at the end of winter- and that combo could mean HUGE fire danger problems in our western counties of the state- and really the fire danger is very real across virtually all 77 counties on this final day of February- Courtesy of Lacey Swope of News9- here is the graphic that tells us how bad it could be before the end of the day:




 
Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K EquipmentAmerican Farmers & Ranchers, Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards, AlltechOklahoma Farm BureauStillwater Milling Company, AlltechOklahoma AgCreditthe 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 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.   

 Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com  

 


 

God Bless! You can reach us at the following:  

 

phone: 405-473-6144
 


 




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