In his latest contribution to the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter, OSU Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel broke down the numbers of the US cattle inventory report, which placed Oklahoma as a leader in the US beef cow herd expansion.

According to Peel's review of the report, "the U.S. beef cow herd expanded 3.5 percent in 2016 to a January 1, 2017 level of 31.2 million head, up 1.04 million from one year ago. This follows USDA-NASS revisions that showed the January 1, 2016 beef cow herd inventory at 30.2 million head, up 2.9 percent from 2014. Total three-year herd expansion, since the recent low of 29.1 million head in 2014, is 2.1 million head, slightly higher than the pre-drought 2011 total and just under the 2010 inventory level of 31.4 million head. The 2017 inventory of beef replacement heifers was 6.4 million head, up 1.2 percent year over year. This level of beef replacement heifers is 20.6 percent of the cow herd inventory, down just slightly from last year, and a level that suggests significant herd expansion will continue in 2017. An estimated 4.0 million head of beef heifers is expected to calve in 2017, up 1.6 percent from the 2016 level.

"Among top ten beef cow states, Oklahoma added the most cows with an 8.9 percent increase in 2016, leading to a 2017 herd inventory of 2.095 million head, second to Texas, which had 4.46 million head (up 4.0 percent from 2016). In absolute numbers, Oklahoma added 172 thousand cows the beef herd, slightly more than the 170 thousand head increase in Texas. The 2017 Oklahoma beef cow inventory slightly exceeds the recent 2010 peak and is the highest state inventory since 1985. This follows the 2013 low of 1.694 million head, the lowest Oklahoma beef cow herd since 1962. In the last four years, the Oklahoma beef cow herd has expanded 23.7 percent, the largest percentage increase from recent lows among top ten beef cow states."

Click here for Dr. Peel's complete breakdown of the report to understand the full impact these numbers have on the US cattle herd.

The American Soybean Association and the Soyfoods Association of North America co-authored a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee members yesterday, expressing their collective objection to draft legislation that would restrict the marketing of soymilk.

S. 130, referred to as the Dairy Pride Act, would prohibit the term "milk" from being used with soymilk and soymilk-based products, under the premise that the term "milk" is misleading to consumers.

The leadership of these two associations contest in the letter, the legislation's validity, citing a study done to illustrate the level of confusion in the customer base about the two products.

According to this study, of the 800 responders, none believed dairy milk to be an ingredient of "soymilk."

They argue, too, that the term "soymilk" has been in compliance with FDA regulations since 1963 and in commercial use even longer, since 1947. The product itself created $4.5 billion in 2013.

To take a look at the letter to HELP and to learn more about the soy industry's objections to the Dairy Pride Act, click here.

According to Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, there has been a lot of change in the cattle markets over the last several years as it adapts to the globalization of the industry. He and I spoke recently during the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville this past week. He reviewed with me what he has notice through these early days of 2017 in the cattle markets.


"You think about our markets from 2009 to 2014," he said. "Our markets went up 117 percent and then preceded to break 45 percent.


Blach says what we're experiencing today is like nothing we've seen historically. Exportation has become increasingly more important to the industry, and a rising uncertainty of what the future of our nation's trading policy has in store, is enough to worry an industry so dependent on market access. Strategically thinking, he suggests we as an industry should take time to reflect on where we are at and how we should move forward from this point on.


"That's why I think we're in such interesting times," Blach commented. "I think we have to have an open mind. These markets have changed and I've reflected on it a lot because we've all learned so much in the last three years."

To get Blach's thoughts on what these changes in the marketplace mean for the success of producers, listen to my full conversation with him on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.

Oklahoma will be well represented this year in the cattle industry. As business wrapped up at the NCBA and Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville last week, several Oklahomans were slated into key leadership roles for the organization on both the policy and Checkoff sides. Oklahoma Beef Council member Chuck Coffey of Springer was one of those Okies tapped last week.

As Secretary-Treasurer of the Cattlemen's Beef Board, Coffey says he is excited to be part of the team that will advance the main objective the industry has set for itself.


"We laid out a long-range plan last year. That plan is still in place and the primary objective is to increase beef demand across the country," Coffey said. "We want to responsibly produce the most preferred, safest protein in the world and we think we do that, but we've got to get that message out to others."


Coffey says the CBB will accomplish this goal by spending Checkoff dollars wisely to promote beef in such ways to the public emphasizing safety, nutrition, health, export growth and innovation.

Click here to read more about Coffey's new position on the CBB or to listen in on my interview with him.

Eating healthier just got easier with the addition of one more pork cut to the list of Heart-Check Certified products by the American Heart Association. The Pork Checkoff is working with the American Heart Association to highlight the heart-healthy benefits of the pork sirloin roast.


As a Heart-Check Certified cut of meat, pork sirloin adheres to the American Heart Association's requirements allowing its label as a "heart-healthy food." The pork sirloin roast joins the pork tenderloin with this designation as an extra lean cut of meat certified by the Heart-Check Food Certification Program.


"The prominent Heart-Check mark on packages of meat offers consumers an easy way to cut through the clutter of often conflicting nutrition information," said Adria Huseth, RDN, LD, CPT, and manager of nutrition communications and research for the Pork Checkoff. "The Heart-Check mark is valuable and serves as a trusted resource for consumers. By cutting through the noise at the meat counter, shoppers can quickly identify heart-healthy foods."

Continue reading this story and learn more about the Heart-Check Food Certification Program and how pork fits into a heart-healthy diet, by clicking here.

By accepting the office of NCBA Vice President, Tennessee cattle producer and sale barn owner, Jennifer Houston, may well be on her way to being counted among the ranks of those women that have reached the organization's top post. She and I talked about this exciting moment in her career of involvement with the association last week during the NCBA and Cattle Industry Convention.

"It's just something I've been passionate about ever since college," Houston remarked. "I grew up in a family of folks that believe you got to help yourself. We've always believed and talked about that we've got to do something and just believe in giving back to the industry, so that we have something for our children and our friends' children and our neighbor's children to come back to."

Her breadth of knowledge and background about the industry and the association truly reflects a certain level of commitment and understanding of what the organization is about and is sure to contribute to its ongoing function with a high degree of practicality. As vice president, coupled with these attributes, Houston will be able to bridge both sides of the association, and unite policy and Checkoff and assist in leading the organization's business as a well-oiled machine.


"We're really running on all cylinders, and really seeing the benefits of why NCBA is uniquely suited to do the job by having the two divisions," she said. "We speak with one voice."


Click here to listen to our complete exchange about her new role within NCBA as vice president and the goals she has set for this year.