Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Friday, December 31, 2021- Happy New Year!!!
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Here is your last daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update for 2021!
- AFR's Scott Blubaugh Reflects on a Successful Year Despite Its Difficulties
- NCBA Continues to Work to Increase Transparency, Fairness of Cattle Markets
- Oklahoma State Senate Releases Budget Break Down for FY 2022/23
- Extreme Drought Conditions Triple in Oklahoma in the Last Week
- Significant Stories of 2021- Will Former House Ag Committee Chair Frank Lucas Resume Active Membership on House Ag Committee?
- ICYMI-Rodd Moesel Says OKFB Members Have Much to Look Forward to in 2022
- ICYMI- OCA's Michael Kelsey Says Medical Marijuana Issue Will Dominate 2022
- ICYMI- Oklahoma Pork Council's Kylee Deniz Looks Forward to 2022
- ICYMI- Mike Schulte Looks Back on 2021 Wheat Crop, Forward to 2022 Crop and Opportunities
- Thank you for a great 2021- as We Look Forward to Serving You in 2022
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AFR's Scott Blubaugh Reflects on a Successful Year Despite Its Difficulties |
Although 2021 is probably not going to be remembered as a great year, it has been full of wins for the American Farmers and Ranchers Cooperative. For starters, members got to meet in person which was a change compared to 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Yesterday, AFR President Scott Blubaugh covered a handful of highlights from 2021 with KC Sheperd, director for the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network.
“I would say our number-one issue that we worked on this year was probably the cattle market antitrust issues,” Blubaugh said. “We have been talking about that for two years, but it escalated this year at Congress, with the Senate having a hearing.”
On a more obscure note, Blubaugh said he also represented AFR at the Oklahoma State Capitol speaking in support of Senate Bill 1103, which would create central daylight time (CDT) in Oklahoma.
“After a lot of discussions and a lot of different folks, the evidence is very strong that every time we change times, we see an increase in car wrecks, heart attacks, suicides, lost productivity, sleep deprivation - all of these things that are not good for your health,” Blubaugh said. “We have been able to actually document it and have evidence to show.”
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NCBA Continues to Work to Increase Transparency, Fairness of Cattle Markets |
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association year-end review covered an ongoing issue spotlighted by the ongoing global pandemic. After two significant blows to the beef packing industry, first with the Tyson beef packing plant fire in Holcomb, Kansas in 2019 and the beginning of the pandemic months later, beef prices soared to record levels while live cattle prices fell.
While some experts have said the issue stems naturally when supply and demand are skewed, others have cried foul, calling for an investigation to examine whether any packers violated the Packers and Stockyards Act by taking advantage of the situation through price manipulation, collusion, restrictions of competition or any other unfair practices. The investigation is ongoing.
Ethan Lane, vice president of Government Affairs for the NCBA, laid out the lack of transparency and fairness in cattle markets throughout the last couple of years.
“We continue to have a really robust dialog with the administration on things like packing capacity as we monitor some of those funds that are going to be coming out soon,” Lane said. “We are pleased that we have seen from (the United States Department of Agriculture) so far a focus where our focus is on some of that regional processing capacity."
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Oklahoma State Senate Releases Budget Break Down for FY 2022/23 |
For several months now, state revenues have been rolling in above the estimates, pointing to a bright economic future for Oklahoma. On Monday, the state Board of Equalization (BOE) verified the positive fiscal outlook by certifying their preliminary revenue estimate for Fiscal Year 2023. We will hit another historic high next year as they estimate the Legislature could have just over $10.3 billion to appropriate this coming session.
While this is wonderful news, it’s important that we proceed with caution and not spend all of these funds. Only about $9 billion of this total is from recurring revenue, while nearly $1.3 billion is one-time carryover funds and special cash from previous sessions. For this reason, I believe that we must not spend the full $10.3 billion, but instead further build up our state savings to protect us from future financial downturns.
Last year, you’ll remember we passed a historic $8.3 billion budget and put about $800 million into state savings, bringing our total savings to just over $1 billion. Because of increasing inflation, currently sitting at 6%, and the approximately $5 billion Oklahoma has received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and last year’s CARES Act funding, we need to make sure we are prepared for future years. I’d like to get our state savings as close to $2.3 billion as possible, which is the amount needed in savings as we stress test our budget.
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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 daily report 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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Extreme Drought Conditions Triple in Oklahoma in the Last Week |
According to data from Dec. 22 to Dec. 28, 2021, drought conditions have rapidly deteriorated in Oklahoma. Although abnormally dry conditions or worse increased just 5%, extreme drought conditions nearly tripled. As of Dec. 28, 2021, 22.6% of the state is experiencing extreme drought conditions. The large increase in extreme drought conditions consumes much of western Oklahoma.
At the same time, severe drought conditions or worse expanded across the state, changing from 43.6% to 72.5%. Moderate drought conditions or worse changed from 79.1% to 90.1%
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Significant Stories of 2021- Will Former House Ag Committee Chair Frank Lucas Resume Active Membership on House Ag Committee? |
It was a shock to some of his supporters when former House Ag Committee Chair Frank Lucas made the announcement that he would be leaving the House Ag Committee after his time as the ranking member and then the Chairman of the committee- after being a key player in writing the 2014 farm law- which included the safety net tools PLC and ARC- which we continue to use today.
However- the Congressman has been steadfast in his replies to me when asked about it- He will return.
I got that again in our most recent conversation in mid December- and it seems like it's getting a lot closer to reality.
Congressman Lucas tells us that if he is successful in winning another two year term this coming November- he is fully expecting the Republicans will once again have the majority in the House and that he will reclaim a seat at the House Ag Committee table with all seniority intact. He adds that will put him in a position to have direct input into the writing of the 2023-24 Farm Bill.
His comments on this are featured in today's final Farm and Ranch News of 2021- and I believe that if that plays out as Lucas plans is very significant for Southern Plains farmers and ranchers.
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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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ICYMI: Rodd Moesel Says OKFB Members Have Much to Look Forward to in 2022 |
As conversations center around the end of 2021, a recurring hope is that things will go back to normal. Depending on what your definition of normal is the kicker. Recently re-elected for his third two-year term as the Oklahoma Farm Bureau President, Rodd Moesel looked back at 2021 with us.
“What’s normal?” Moesel asked. “None of us know what normal is any more. We always expect change, but there have been such interesting challenges the last two years that most of us have never faced before.”
No matter what producers farm or raise, everyone has had to figure out how to weave their way through recent and ongoing challenges, Moesel said.
“Overall, I think agriculture (producers) have done a tremendous job of keeping production coming, feeding folks in our country and all over the world,” Moesel said.
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ICYMI: OCA's Michael Kelsey Says Medical Marijuana Issue Will Dominate 2022 |
Local and regional issues, compounded with Pandemic-related challenges, have made 2021 quite the doozy for Oklahoma Cattlemen. Michael Kelsey, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, told us that 2021 has been a unique year for Oklahoma Cattlemen.
“I hope we never see another year like this again ever, if not for a long time,” Kelsey said. “(We are) ending with a lot of challenges - a lot of opportunities but also a lot of challenges.”
Issues like fed-cattle price discovery, supply chain disruptions, market volatility and more are all predicted to continue well into 2022.
“(For instance,) marijuana - I never dreamed we would have this type of discussion,” Kelsey said. “It has got worse and got better - in essence, it has evolved.”
“I’ll start with the positives,” Kelsey said. “Director Adria Berry has been a breath of fresh air at OMMA. She is doing a fantastic job and has a monumental task. She has agreed to come to our winter policy meeting to visit and update us.”
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ICYMI: Oklahoma Pork Council's Kylee Deniz Looks Forward to 2022
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The New Year is a time to celebrate! Depending on how the closing year went, you may be celebrating that it is nearly over. Oklahoma pork producers are ready to ring in the new year with hopes of saying goodbye to some of the threats and challenges they faced in 2021.
Kylee Deniz, executive director for the Oklahoma Pork Council, told us that a serious threat to the pork industry felt in 2021 is African Swine Fever.
“We have had threats to our industry, such as a foreign animal disease like African Swine Fever,” Deniz said. “ASF continues to knock on our door.”
She said Oklahoma Pork Council leadership is always focused on increasing profitability for its producers, but it is also keeping close tabs on the ASF situation. As ASF decimated China’s swine herd, it created an opportunity for U.S. pork producers to increase exports to China.
While ASF looms in the background, rising input costs have many agricultural producers, including Oklahoma pork producers, wondering how they are going to break even, let alone make a living.
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ICYMI: Mike Schulte Looks Back on 2021 Wheat Crop, Forward to 2022 Crop
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Considering the ongoing global pandemic, supply-chain issues, cattle market volatility, political turmoil, animal rights extremists you could easily chalk 2021 up to a hard year. Looking at the year through the eyes of a winter wheat farmer in Oklahoma, things may have a slightly rosy tint to them.
Mike Schulte, executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, told us that the 2021 winter wheat harvest ended up being one of the best crops the state has seen in the last several years.
“All in all, for Oklahoma - 115-million-bushel crop, 39-bushel average, 2.9 million acres harvested this year,” Schulte said. “Our ten-year average is running at around 110 million bushels, so we came in stronger in this region.
“Right now, I think producers are on edge about what next year’s input costs,” Schulte said. “(At the same time, producers are trying to) make management decisions at a time when we are in significant drought conditions. (We are) hopeful that we will still get moisture later this winter when it is really needed for the crop.”
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Thank you for a great 2021- as We Look Forward to Serving You in 2022!
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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 were mixed yesterday. Choice Beef was down 45 cents and Select Beef was up $1.14 on Thursday, 12/30/2021.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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Weekly Cattle Auction Reports
The buttons below allow you to check out the weekly Cattle Auctions in the region that we post on our website and here in our daily email update.
We have also included the final sale of 2021 for Superior Livestock in the buttons below
These markets have wrapped up their sales for 2021- they all return the first full week of January, 2022.
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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
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
Chelsea Stanfield, Farm News and Email Editor
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Rural Oklahoma is full of some of the greatest success stories throughout the entire state and is a big reason why Oklahoma is on track to become a top 10 state.
The Road to Rural Prosperity dives into these stories, 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.
Our Latest RRP is an end of year conversation between Oklahoma Third District Congressman Frank Lucas and Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Senior Farm/Ranch Director Ron Hays.
They talk about the recently passed extension of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Measure as well as the Cattle Contract Library Act of 2021, the continued wait on the US Department of Justice investigation into the major meat packers, Congressman Lucas' work on the Science Committee, his continued intentions to return to the House Ag Committee in time to be a part of writing the next Farm Bill and a comparison of Congress when he first arrived in Washington in the mid 1990s and today.
Search for Road to Rural Prosperity and subscribe on your favorite Podcast platform.
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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