Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
From: Ron Hays <ronphays@cox.net>
Date: 5/30/2018 5:44 AM
To: ron@ronhays.com



 
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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 Carson Horn on RON.
 

 
MarketLinksLet's Check the Markets! 


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.

 
   
FedCattleExchange.com has a total of 384 cattle on their showlist for the Wednesday, 
May 30th sale of finished cattle- details will be available after noon today by clicking here.
 
 
Steer calves sold steady to 2.00 higher and heifer calves sold 3.00 to 6.00 higher on Tuesday compared to last week at OKC West -  click or tap here for a look at the May 29th sale results. 



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 Tuesday, May 29th.
 
  
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
   Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 









Featured Story:
CropWxUS Corn Planting Nears Completion While OK, KS Wheat Crop Condition Declines Ahead of Harvest

The latest crop progress numbers released by USDA on Tuesday afternoon indicates the planting of the US corn crop is nearing its completion, while soybean planting is ahead of normal, now at about three quarters complete. The US winter wheat crop is still far from good quality but did see some very slight improvement overall in this report.


The US corn crop advanced 11 points this week, now at 92 percent complete, above last year and the 5 year average by 2 points. Illinois and Missouri have both completed their respective plantings with several other states not far behind. Pennsylvania and Michigan are still working to catch up to the rest of the Corn Belt at 59 percent and 64 percent complete, respectively. Corn emerged across the US is rated this week at 72 percent, taking a minor lead ahead of both the average and last year. The US Corn Crop condition rates this week at 16 excellent, 63 good, 18 fair, 2 poor and 1 very poor.


The US soybean crop planting climbed near 20 percentage points this week, up from 56 last week to 77 this week, higher than the 5-year average by 15 points. Soybeans emerged for the US rate at 47 percent, well above the average of 32 and last year's 34. 


To review the complete Crop Progress report released on Monday afternoon- 
click or tap here.


Checking in on our southern plains states- Oklahoma's wheat crop condition rates this week at 63 percent poor to very poor, 26 fair and 11 good to excellent. Wheat headed reached 97 percent complete this week. 


Click or tap here for the complete Oklahoma Crop Weather report as of May 29th.


In Kansas, winter wheat condition rated 15 percent very poor, 33 poor, 35 fair, 15 good, and 2 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 89 percent, behind 97 last year, and near 91 for the five-year average. 


Click or tap here for the Kansas Crop Weather details released on Monday afternoon.


Finally, in Texas, wheat harvest was getting underway in the Southern Low Plains, the Cross Timbers and the Blacklands. Meanwhile harvest continued to progress in East Texas, the Edwards Plateau, and South Texas. Oats harvest was in full swing in the Blacklands.


Wheat's condition this week rates 2 excellent, 16 good, 28 fair, 27 poor and 27 very poor. Winter wheat headed reached 94 percent complete this week, 6 points behind the previous year and 5 behind the average. Harvested reached 20 percent complete this week, 2 behind last year and 7 above the average.


For the complete Texas Crop Weather report-  click or tap here. 


Both the Oklahoma and Kansas crop declined this week versus a week ago while Texas on the other hand saw a fair amount of improvement in its condition. Oklahoma's poor to very poor rating increased by 2 percentage points from 61 percent a week ago to 63 percent this week. The Kansas crop declined, from 47 percent last week to 48 percent poor to very poor this week - and the Texas wheat crop improved from 62 percent poor to very poor last week to 54 percent poor to very poor this week. 

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HarvestWheat Harvest- Okla Wheat Commission Expects Fast Harvest Because of Huge Number of Abandoned Acres

It's the first official wheat harvest report of the season from Mike Schulte and the Oklahoma Wheat Commission- and it appears that the reports will be fewer than normal this season- just like the number of bushels that will be harvested. 

According to the Commission- "While much of the crop has been abandoned due to severe drought conditions in Western regions of the state, some elevator locations in the South-central corridor have been reporting decent yields and favorable qualities on the wheat that is being harvested. (The South-central corridor received rains in the early spring that were timely and benefitted the wheat.)

"We have also had reports of wheat harvest beginning in central regions of the state around the Okarche, Kingfisher, Loyal and Omega areas. While early reports are showing favorable proteins and test weights on the wheat being harvested, many elevator locations in the Western part of the state predict this will be one of the fastest wheat harvest they have ever seen. This is based on all the acres abandoned due to the severe drought conditions that have plagued this part of the state since October."

To read the complete report- including a location by location update for southwest into parts of central Oklahoma- click or tap here. 

BY THE WAY- if you are harvesting wheat- share a picture or two and a quick report of how things are going- email me or you can text me at 405-473-6144.
 
NFUNational Farmers Union Condemns DOJ's Approval of Bayer's $62.5 Billion Monsanto Acquisition


The U.S. Department of Justice Tuesday approved Bayer Ag's $62.5 billion acquisition of Monsanto, with conditions.
The Justice Department says Bayer must sell approximately $9 billion in businesses and assets to BASF. The Department says the proposed divestiture to BASF, which it calls an experienced chemical company with a substantial crop protection business, will fully resolve all horizontal and vertical competition concerns.


As a result, the Department says "American farmers and consumers will continue to benefit from competition in this industry." The Antitrust Division Tuesday filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed transaction, while simultaneously filing a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the department's competitive concerns.


Under the terms of the proposed settlement, Bayer must divest businesses that compete with Monsanto. Those include Bayer's cotton, canola, soybean and vegetable seed businesses, as well as Bayer's Liberty herbicide business, a key competitor of Monsanto's well-known Roundup herbicide.


However, populist ag group National Farmers Union, has a different perspective on this transaction. NFU President Roger Johnson issued a statement Tuesday after the DOJ's decision was announced, decrying the approval as yet another alarming round of consolidation among big ag companies. Johnson says this will only have negative impacts for farmers.


"While we appreciate the significant divestitures agreed to as part of this approval, Farmers Union condemns DOJ's continued rubber-stamping of mergers in the food and agriculture arena," Johnson stated. "We will now focus our efforts on ensuring the promises made by Bayer and Monsanto throughout this approval process are kept. The company must continue to increase the productivity of American family farmers by delivering localized solutions in seed, trait, and crop chemical innovation."


Click here to read more about Johnson and NFU's concerns surrounding this acquisition.
PeelDerrell Peel Looks Back Over a Decade of Beef Cow Herd Dynamics Among Major Beef Cow States


In his article this week for the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter, OSU's Dr. Derrell Peel looked back over a decade of beef cow herd dynamics and offered an insightful analysis of trends he has observed within the industry.


At the beginning of this year, Peel says the beef cow herd inventory reached 31.723 million head - very close to the 2009 herd size of 31.794 million head a decade earlier. However, Peel says the industry has been through quite a bit since then and some short and long-term changes are evident in the current situation among major beef cow states. 


"For more than half of the last decade, the U.S. beef cow herd continued a nearly uninterrupted liquidation that began in 1996 and continued until 2014. The only exception was a short-lived expansion attempt in 2005-2006, that added a minimal 171 thousand head to the herd size before resuming liquidation in 2007," stated Peel. "From 2009 to 2014, the U.S. beef cow herd dropped by 2.708 million head, with the final two million head the result of severe drought in the Southern Plains from 2011 through 2013. Overdue herd expansion began in 2014 with a total recovery of 2.638 million head by 2018. However, some interesting short and long run trends are evident among major beef cattle states in the last decade."


Peel explains that while Texas has exclusively retained the title of being the largest beef cow state with a current inventory of 4.585 million head of beef cows, Missouri and Oklahoma have competed neck and neck to be the number two beef cow state. On January 1, 2018, Missouri had an inventory of 2.166 million head, slightly more than Oklahoma, at 2.131 million head. Over the past decade, Oklahoma ranks number 2 with a slightly higher average inventory of 1.938 million head, compared to 1.916 million head for Missouri. Both states suffered drought reduced inventories in 2010-2013; more pronounced in Oklahoma where the beef cow inventory dropped by 18 percent before recovering by 26 percent from 2013-2018. The 2018 Oklahoma beef cow inventory is at the highest level since 1983 while Missouri is currently at a level equal to the herd size in 2006.


Following these states in fourth place is Nebraska with a fairly stable herd size over the past decade at roughly 1.9 million head. South Dakota comes in at number five with an inventory of 1.8 million head. Kansas is in sixth place with 1.5 million head. Kansas is followed by Montana, Kentucky, Florida, North Dakota and Iowa. Other states with a beef cow inventory over 900 thousand head include Arkansas (924,000) and Tennessee (910,000).
 

Click here to dig deeper into Peel's findings and how the beef cow producing states stack up against each other.
KerrThe Kerr Center to Host Free Beekeeping Workshop on June 11 in Poteau - Don't Wait Register Now


The Kerr Center is hosting a free beekeeping workshop coming up on June 12th in Poteau, Okla. at the Kerr Center Ranch. While this event is open to the public, space is limited. Those interested in attending are encouraged to pre-register as soon as possible to ensure their spot is reserved. 


Veteran beekeeper, Jeff Asbury, will be the featured speaker who will share over a half-century of experience as an apiarist.


Le Flore resident, Asbury, formerly ran 4,000 hives in California for a number of years before working in the queen industry for a couple of years. After moving to Oklahoma about 11 years ago, he ran 700 hives, working them from here to North Dakota. According to the event release, Asbury has worked with several bee clubs, has extensive knowledge of pollination, and has worked with U.C. Davis entomologist Eric Mussen.


For more information about this event, including instructions on how to pre-register, click here.

Sponsor Spotlight

 
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Explore how the OERB restores land and/or register a well site for clean up: www.OERB.com/restoration 

BUZZNo Big Surprises in Latest USDA Cattle on Feed Report, LMIC's Jim Robb Offers His Positive Analysis


No big surprises in the numbers released at the end of last week by USDA regarding the current cattle on feed inventory, according to Jim Robb of the Livestock Marketing Information Center out of Denver, Colorado. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn had the chance to speak with Robb after the USDA released its monthly on feed report Friday morning. With placements this past month coming in eight percent below a year ago; marketings six percent above the previous year and an on feed inventory that is up five percent, Robb says these numbers support a positive narrative for the beef industry currently managing a plateauing herd expansion and an aggressive strategy to work through growing supplies.


"Importantly, the on feed inventory was up five percent from a year ago, that's still a big number but we've whittled down this on feed inventory very significantly since the first of the year," Robb said. "We started the year with more than eight percent year-over-year increase and now we're down to five percent and we think this trend will hold for the next few months of declining on feed inventory and continue to dampen placements."


Robb suggests drought across the Southern Plains likely contributed to a "bulge" of feedlot inventories in late 2017 when he says a lot of lighter weight calves were placed earlier than normal. Feedlots are now trying to process this influx which will peak in its marketing timeframe during June and July. In the meantime, the US cow herd is starting to see a slower rate of growth, evident in the report's indication of an increasing amount of females entering the beef production system. As we get closer to the fall months, Robb says a more moderate inventory will be observed. Until then, Robb says he is confident feeders will be able to keep up the impressive pace they have been operating at leading up to the Memorial Day weekend - the traditional kick-off to grilling season. During the next few months, he says demand will play a major role in keeping things afloat for the beef industry.


"This (Memorial Day weekend) will be an important barometer to how beef will shape up for the balance of the summer," he said. "But, the initial signs look pretty positive for good beef movement."


Listen to Robb offer his analysis of the recent USDA Cattle on Feed report, on yesterday's Beef Buzz, here. To have a look at this report for yourself, click here.
TexomaArea Producers Invited to Learn About Ranch Efficiency at Texoma Cattlemen's Conference June 15

Producers are encouraged to make plans to attend the Noble Research Institute's seventh annual Texoma Cattlemen's Conference, the premier beef conference in the Southern Great Plains, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday, June 15, at the Ardmore Convention Center.


This year's conference theme is The Road to Ranching Efficiency. Several new features have been added, including a new farm tour the day before the conference.


"Greater efficiency is always the objective for ranch operations, although it is seldom a stationary target," said Hugh Aljoe, producer relations manager. "Ranching efficiency takes on multiple facets within an operation such as production, marketing, expenses and weather. It is critical for producers to maintain awareness of the emerging technologies and management practices that have greatest potential to enhance efficiencies in their operations."


The agenda features a farm tour the day prior to the actual conference to showcase Noble's work in applied agricultural systems research. In addition, a full lineup of industry experts are scheduled to speak during the conference, including among others representatives from the Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association to provide the latest industry updates. Your's truly will also be there serving as moderator.


The conference also features a trade show which will open at 7 a.m. Registration is $40 and includes lunch.


To read more about what the farm tour and conference will entail, or to preregister, click here.
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.

 

CABCertified Angus Beef's Retail Wizard David O'Diam Explains the Differences of Wet vs Dry Aged Beef

When beef is harvested, it's not typically delivered to a consumer's plate in the same day. The holding process it goes through-called aging-serves an important purpose. David O'Diam, director of retail for Certified Angus Beef LLC, explained the reasons we age beef, the different types of aging and their cost implications in a recent article shared with us by Certified Angus Beef.


"It improves the palatability, or how the beef is going to taste. So, when we look at palatability there's really three main components, and its tenderness, juiciness and flavor," O'Diam said"So, obviously the tenderness component of that is really paramount within there, with flavor falling really closely behind. So, as we look if there's a way to improve that tenderness, it's going to improve the way that beef ultimately eats and consumer satisfaction there in."


There are two types: wet aging, which means leaving the product in a bag to retain moisture. And dry-aging, where it is exposed to the open air of a cooler.


"So, really what it does is, it concentrates that flavor; meat is about 75 percent water, so it allows it to dry out a little bit," O'Diam said. "Think of a bottle of wine making it into a wine reduction sauce, so we take that flavor that's in the full bottle and really reduce that down to where the flavor becomes much, much more intense in just a smaller format. Same concept within dry aging. Both achieve equal amounts of tenderness but just different flavor profiles are developed throughout that process."


Continue reading this article on our website or watch a short video clip featuring O'Diam as he compares wet and dry aging, by clicking or tapping here.
JoeMayerObit for Joe Mayer Now Online- Services Set for June 2nd

Services are planned this coming Saturday in Guymon for Oklahoma Ag Hall of Fame member Joe Mayer, who passed away over the Memorial Day holiday- Joe Mayer- who headed up a family farm and ranch operation that was based in Texas County was a fifth generation rancher.

An obituary for Mayer is now online- you can read it and electronically sign a tribute page for friends and family to see by clicking or tapping here.

I love the line in the tribute to Joe that says " He truly loved cattle and worked to ensure that his cattle "never had a bad day in their lives."  He often said that "there was nothing better than looking at a good pen of cattle." 

Joe Mayer was one of the good ones- he will be greatly missed.

Memorials may be made to the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation by clicking here. 


Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K EquipmentAmerican Farmers & RanchersLivestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National StockyardsOklahoma Farm BureauStillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit CorporationOERB, Oklahoma AgCredit,  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 also appreciate our Market Links Sponsor - OKC West Livestock! 
 
 
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.   
 

 
God Bless! You can reach us at the following:  
 
phone: 405-473-6144
 

 



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