Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Oklahoma Cattleman a Part of Historic Meeting Looking for Solutions to Dysfunctional Cattle Market
- Lack of Packer Capacity, High Feed Costs And Drought All Weighing on The Cattle Market Says OSU's Dr. Peel
- Wheat Harvest Starts in Texas While Nation's Corn And Soybean Farmers Are Rapidly Completing Planting
- Cotton Industry Seeks Volunteer Leaders
- Bayer brings "Feeding a Hungry Planet" into focus by inviting young leaders around the globe to apply for the 5th biennial Youth Ag Summit
- Rain Brings Rust Disease Challenges For Wheat Producers as Dale Clark, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Encourages Producers to Pick Resistant Varieties
- Dr. Derrell Peel Talks Poor Pasture Conditions, Low Hay Stocks and Drought
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Oklahoma Cattleman a Part of Historic Meeting Looking for Solutions to Dysfunctional Cattle Market |
One week ago, a meeting that was supposed to be secret was held in Phoenix- organized by the Livestock Marketing Association- who asked cattle producer leaders of the major cattle industry groups to meet and discuss the problems surrounding the cattle market- especially the disconnect between current cash cattle prices and wholesale beef prices that the four national beef packers are receiving. There were no staff in the meeting and only four members per organization were allowed into the meeting. One Oklahoma rancher was a part of the closed door session- Scott Blubaugh, President of AFR/OFU and a cattle producer in Kay County. Blubaugh was one of the representatives for the National Farmers Union.
On Monday afternoon, May 17th- the groups lifted the embargo on information coming from the groups and released a statement of what was accomplished. At the same time- members were then allowed to talk to members of the media- I spent time on the telephone with Blubaugh.
Of the meeting- Scott Blubaugh told me "Going into the meeting, I was not very optimistic knowing the history of all the groups and the different personalities of those groups- I wasn't very optimistic that we could come away with an agreement. But once we sat down at the table and started talking about the problems - it was quite clear that everyone recognized the problems and could agree on some things." He adds that Congress was been telling the cattle industry for some time that if you will come to us united- we will help you get those things done. He hopes that these "solutions" that the groups agreed to consider as "take action" within their respective groups and to press the Administration and Congress to adopt and implement all three action items.
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Oklahoma AgCredit is a member of the Farm Credit System that serves every part of agriculture from the smallest operations to the largest – and everything in between. Whether helping a young farm family begin, supporting our veterans as they return home and take up farming or financing U.S. agricultural exports around the globe, Farm Credit is committed to the success of American agriculture.
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Lack of Packer Capacity, High Feed Costs And Drought All Weighing on The Cattle Market Says OSU's Dr. Peel |
Large profit margins for the beef packing industry, as high as $900 per animal, are attracting the “stink eye” from cattle producers who are struggling to make any profit.
Dr. Derrell Peel, OSU Extension livestock market economist, says there are several factors weighing on the cattle market right now.
One of the big ones is we have a very large supply of fed cattle and not enough packing capacity to process it all, Peel said.
We have been aware for several years packing capacity was in balance and now it is short of what we need, he said.
Cattle producer organizations met this past weekend to look at possible solutions to challenges.
The OSU livestock economist said another challenge facing cattle producers this spring is rising feed costs.
We’ve seen a tremendous run up in feed prices recently, Peel said.
The feed costs have a bigger impact on the feeder cattle market, but the feeder cattle market is caught between the stagnant fed cattle market and the high feed prices, Peel said.
A final factor is the drought, he added.
This should be the growing season, but it is not going to grow in many places, he said.
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Wheat Harvest Underway in Texas While Nation's Corn And Soybean Farmers Are Rapidly Completing Planting |
With winter wheat harvest underway in southern Texas, the overall crop is slightly behind maturity while spring planting chores for corn and soybean farmers are ahead of schedule.
The latest USDA Crop Progress Report shows 53 percent of the winter wheat is headed, compared to the five-year average of 58 percent by this date.
Overall, the winter wheat crop in the 18 major producing states is rated 48 percent good to excellent this week, a one percent drop from last week and 4 points below last year at this time.
Oklahoma’s crop continues to lead the region with 59 percent in the good to excellent category, with Kansas close behind at 54 percent good to excellent.
Winter wheat headed reached 91 percent in Oklahoma, unchanged from the previous year but down 2 points from normal.
Canola blooming reached 80 percent. Canola coloring reached 48 percent, up 19 points from the previous year and up 9 points from normal.
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For our farmers who have either- always have had cotton on their farms- or those who have more recently have added the fiber crop to their operations- we have a new daily report starting to be heard on several of our Radio Stations- It's Called Cotton Talk- and we appreciate the Oklahoma Cotton Council for their support in making this a reality.
Click on the Button below to listen to our most recent report
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Cotton Industry Seeks Volunteer Leaders |
The success of the High Plains cotton industry, like any group effort, is directly tied to the willingness of qualified individuals to volunteer to serve in various leadership positions. To identify these volunteers, the High Plains cotton industry caucuses each year with other cotton groups within Texas to identify producers interested in serving as a volunteer leader.
PCG encourages all qualified individuals interested in representing the High Plains as a representative to the Cotton Board, National Cotton Council, or Cotton Incorporated to contact PCG CEO Steve Verett for more information.
Each year, a variety of volunteer positions within the NCC and Cotton Incorporated are filled directly through the industry’s caucus process. In addition to naming representatives to the NCC and Cotton Incorporated, PCG and the Texas cotton industry also work together to identify and nominate qualified individuals to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for possible appointment as a Member or Alternate on the Cotton Board.
Qualified individuals interested in serving on the Cotton Board, which oversees the highly successful U.S. Cotton Research & Promotion Program, also are encouraged to contact Verett at the PCG office in Lubbock to request additional information. PCG’s telephone number is
806-792-4904.
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network weekdays-
if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click below for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays and KC Sheperd on RON.
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Sponsor Spotlight
The vision of the Oklahoma Beef Council is to be a positive difference for Oklahoma's farming and ranching families and the greater beef community and its mission is to enhance beef demand by strengthening consumer trust and exceeding consumer expectations. To learn more, visit www.oklabeef.org. Also, don't forget to like its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oklabeef for stories on Oklahoma's ranching families and great beef recipes.
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Bayer brings "Feeding a Hungry Planet" into focus by inviting young leaders around the globe to apply for the 5th biennial Youth Ag Summit |
Applications are now open for the 2021 Youth Ag Summit, a global forum and biennially organized conference where young leaders collaborate to develop sustainable solutions for food security and global agriculture as they work toward becoming global instruments of change.
While this is the 5th biennial Youth Ag Summit, it will be the first virtual YAS event. This year’s cohort will also benefit from another exciting YAS first. As an official global partner with Bayer for this year’s forum, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), in partnership with technology company Babele, will also provide a virtual idea incubator called YAS University where delegates will continue to learn entrepreneurship and leadership skills, receive coaching from mentors, and improve their own “Thrive for Change” project concepts throughout a 10-week period following the November summit.
The summit’s overall theme, “Feeding a Hungry Planet,” is based on the United Nations’ prediction that the planet’s population will reach 9.7 billion people by 2050 and will be faced with food security challenges. The 100 delegates selected to participate in this year’s Youth Ag Summit will be tasked to work on developing solutions to this challenge using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations as their framework.
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Rain Brings Rust Disease Challenges For Wheat Producers as Dale Clark, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Encourages Producers to Pick Resistant Varieties |
Rain can be a double-edged sword for Oklahoma wheat producers said Dale Clark, senior breeder and program manager for Nutrien Ag Solutions.
Clark was interviewed at the recent OSU wheat field day in LaHoma by Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director and Editor KC Sheperd.
The wheat looks really good around here, he said.
Rains mean rust disease and it is probably too late in this area, he said, but further north in Kansas farmers have sprayed for rust.
Rust disease can knock yields by 15-20 percent, he noted.
Resistant varieties are important but that can take a long time so in the meantime Clark encourages producers to spray for rust disease.
Clark’s company, Nutrien Ag Solutions, has several viable options for wheat producers.
We’ve got one variety that will help control weed problems, he said, noting his job for Nutrien Ag Solutions is to find new varieties to meet farmers’ needs.
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Dr. Derrell Peel Talks Poor Pasture Conditions, Low Hay Stocks and Drought |
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 Mark Johnson. Today, Dr. Peel talks Poor pasture conditions, droughts, and more.
Drought conditions continue to be historically bad for this time of year and recent USDA data confirms that the situation is critical for the beef cattle industry. USDA reports pasture and range conditions from May through October and the initial reports this year show that U.S. pasture conditions are the worst ever for May in data back to 1995 with 44 percent of pastures reported in poor and very poor condition. Among the worst state conditions are Arizona (90 percent poor to very poor), North Dakota (75 percent), Utah (71 percent) and New Mexico (65 percent).
Regional aggregations compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center show the West region (AZ, CA, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA) with 51 percent of pastures in poor to very poor condition. The Great Plains region (CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, SD, WY) has 43 percent of pastures in poor to very poor condition. The Southern Plains (OK, TX) has 29 percent of pastures in poor to very poor condition. These three regions account for 60.6 percent of the total beef cow inventory and currently 40.1 percent of all beef cows in the country (12.67 million head) are in states with 40 percent or more poor to very poor pasture and range conditions.
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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.
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Today's First Look:
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
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Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices continue to go higher- Choice Beef was up $2.68 and Select Beef was up $3.70 on Monday May 17th.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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Oklahoma National Stockyards had 8.000 head on Monday, May 17th.
Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers steady. Steer calves 2.00 - 4.00 lower. Heifer calves steady. Quality average to attractive. Demand moderate to good.
Click below for the complete closing report.
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The Joplin Regional Stockyards had a total run of 5,234 head on Monday May 17th.
Compared to last week, feeder steers traded steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder heifers traded steady to 2.00 higher. Supply moderate with good demand.
Click on the button below for details of the trade as compiled by the USDA Market News Service.
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Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futures - click below for the latest update on the Livestock and Grain Futures Trade..
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Okla Cash Grain:
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture- The report available after the close of the Futures Trade for that day.
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Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor
KC Sheperd, Associate Farm Director and Editor
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production
Sam Knipp, Farm News Editor
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
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Rural Oklahoma is full of some of the greatest success stories throughout the entire state and is the main reason Oklahoma is on track to become a top 10 state.
The Road to Rural Prosperity will dive into these stories each week, bringing you insight into the great things happening in and to rural Oklahoma. We will bring you stories covering rural life, agriculture, energy, healthcare, tourism, and politics affecting rural America.
The Road to Rural Prosperity is here to tell stories about rural America, for rural America.
At the 2021 Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association annual meeting on May 4th, we recorded the lunch time conversation between OGFA CEO and President Jeff Hickman and Oklahoma State University President Designate Dr. Kayse Shrum, who will officially become the 19th President of OSU on July first. Learn more about who Dr. Shrum is- personally and professionally- and what her early priorities will be when she takes the reins as President on July first.
Today's Road to Rural Prosperity Podcast is sponsored in part by the Oklahoma Rural Water Association and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.
To find out more about our full series of Podcasts on The Road to Rural Prosperity- click or tap here.
To hear this podcast, you can click here or tap below:
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program, Great Plains Kubota, Stillwater Milling Company, Oklahoma Cotton Council, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, Union Mutual Insurance, 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 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.
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God Bless!
Reach Out To Us:
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Tim West
President/General Manager
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
2401 Exchange Avenue,
Suite F
Oklahoma City, OK 73108
405.317.6361
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Ron Hays
Director of Farm Programming
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
405.473.6144
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