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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.
Let'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.
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 futures- click or tap here for the report posted yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
Okla Cash Grain:
Futures Wrap:
Feeder Cattle Recap:
Slaughter Cattle Recap:
TCFA Feedlot Recap:
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
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Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Monday, September 10, 2018
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Howdy Neighbors!
Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
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On Friday of last week, Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, received a letter from the Oklahoma delegation urging him carefully evaluate any challenges that are submitted from mobile service carriers regarding the FCC's Mobility Fund Phase II Process.
The letter was led by Congressman Frank Lucas, who spoke to the concerns of many of Oklahoma's rural service providers who claim the current process in place by the FCC is "burdensome and costly to smaller wireless and broadband carriers."
Lucas asserted in the letter that "...in order to allow rural America to benefit from today's technological advantages, Chairman Pai must allot more time to the evaluation process to ensure proper data has been submitted." Lucas also contended that the Commission's request of companies "fails to ensure sufficiently accurate maps can be produced to guide the Mobility Fund auction."
According to the FCC's process, areas that are deemed (correctly or incorrectly) as 'served' will not receive Universal Service Fund assistance for up to a decade or more, which Lucas points out would adversely affect economic development and general quality of life in rural America.
Read more about the issue and a complete copy of the letter to Chairman Pai, by clicking here.
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Over the summer, we have been following a story regarding several nuisance lawsuits that have been filed against hog producers in North Carolina- one facility in particular that is connected to one of the industry's leading pork producers, Smithfield Foods. Overall, 26 lawsuits have been lodged against these producers and so far three of them have been tried and all three found in favor of the plaintiffs who claim they have been subjected to foul odors, dust, flies and other issues as a result of residing next to these production facilities.
We caught up this week with RoyLee Lindsey, executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council, for his take on the situation. According to Roy Lee, this sets a severely concerning precedent for the pork industry where any one can put a farm out of business simply for operating- even if it is completely compliant with all the applicable rules and regulations like these farms were.
"When you're the farmer and you're doing everything the law says you're supposed to do and suddenly a jury says you're a nuisance to your neighbor - I think there's a problem there," Lindsey concluded. "That should be a concern for everybody, especially those that like to eat meat."
Continue reading or listen in on our complete conversation for more of what Lindsey has to say on this topic, by clicking here.
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Sponsor Spotlight
It's great to have the Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards as a sponsor for our daily email. The eight Commission firms at the Stockyards make up the exchange- and they are committed to work hard to get you top dollar when you consign your cattle with them. They will present your cattle to the buyers gathered each Monday or Tuesday at one of the largest stocker and feeder cattle auctions in the world.
Click here for a complete list of the Commission firms that make up the Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards- still the best place to sell your cattle- and at the heart of Stockyards City, where you can go around the corner enjoy a great steak and shop for the very best in western wear.
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 USDA Extends Deadline for Expressions of Interest for New ERS and NIFA Headquarters
Due to considerable interest, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced last week that he will extend the deadline for interested parties to submit an expression of interest to house the headquarters of the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The original deadline of September 14, 2018 has now been moved back 30 days to October 15, 2018 to allow stakeholders more time to prepare and submit proposals for hosting ERS and NIFA.
Perdue first announced his plans to move the agency branches into the heartland of rural America in August. The Secretary hopes to have completed the transition by the end of 2019. This transition will also facilitate moving the ERS office under alignment once again with the Office of the Chief Economist under the Office of the Secretary. Th is undertaking is meant to address three main reasons provided by the USDA, which include improving USDA's ability to attract and retain highly qualified staff with training and interests in agriculture; to place these important USDA resources closer to many of stakeholders; and to benefit the American taxpayers with lower overhead costs. This is all part of Perdue's overall strategy to improve the USDA's customer service and to maximize efficiency which he outlined in September of 2017. Currently, 91 percent of USDA's approximately 108,000 employees currently work outside of the Washington, D.C. region.
Click here for more details on the Secretary's plans for restructuring USDA's reporting model to help streamline the agency's operations.
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Animal Disease Still a Serious Threat to Markets, But Much Progress Has Been Made to Limit Impact
According to Glynn Tonsor of Kansas State University, the world has come a long way in how it views BSE since the first time it caused a major market event in 2003, which you might know as "The Cow That Stole Christmas." That case caused widespread panic in the market and cost the US beef industry its access to Asian markets. About a week ago though, the sixth case of the neurological disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy or "Mad Cow Disease," was reported in the US- this time in a six-year-old mixed-breed cow in Florida. This particular case, like most of those before it, was atypical and naturally occurring. Tonsor says that this case did several things, one of those being that it proved the system in place to monitor for BSE works. It also demonstrated how well the industry has learned from the past and educated the markets and consumers, he says, and how well that information has been received. Tonsor says that is clear in the fact that this occurrence was basically a non-event.
"Frankly, the market did not react much to the announcement compared in particular to the December 2003 case and I think there were some wins and lessons that are embedded in that," Tonsor said. "There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears that followed that 2003 event. We learned a lot from a science perspective of how BSE works and how to monitor for it and how to make changes. But, probably just as importantly- how to communicate on these kinds of events and how to be ready. So, even though it was a non-market event in many way, that in itself is a win."
There is one Foreign Animal Disease right now, though, that is moving the needle. Although it does not directly impact the beef industry, African Swine Fever poses a very dangerous threat to the world's swine population and Tonsor asserts that beef producers should be paying attention and taking notes of what is going on. According to Tonsor, the eighth case of ASF was reported over Labor Day in China. So, far the disease hasn't been discovered in the US. If this continues and the US remains unaffected, the US pork industry could stand to benefit. But, the real lesson from this is more starkly concerning to Tonsor.
"If there's one take-home I want to leave everybody with, it is animal diseases matter," he said. "We are in a global marketplace. When you have an event on one country's production system, it shows up impacting others. I think that's important for folks to recognize."
Listen to Tonsor discuss the seriousness of animal diseases and the progress that has been made on limiting their market impacts, on last Friday's Beef Buzz - click here.
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R-Calf and DOJ Firing Back and Forth Over Expanding Beef Checkoff Case in Montana
This last week- the populist cattle group R Calf USA has responded with a court filing to what USDA presented to the Federal District Court in Montana regarding the cattle group's petition to exponentially expanding their litigation against the basic structure of the dollar per head beef checkoff.
As it stands now- Montana cattle producers must now "opt in" to have their funds used for state-specific beef promotions as the result of a June 21 court decision. U.S. District Judge Brian Morris upheld the Dec. 12, 2016 recommendations of Magistrate Judge John Johnston, and issued a temporary injunction prohibiting the Montana Beef Council (MBC) from using money collected from the $1 per head assessment to fund state-specific advertising campaigns unless the payer opts in to have funds retained in the state. Both cases were heard in the U.S. District Court of Montana, Great Falls Division.
An federal appeals court in Portland, on a split decision, allowed the injunction to stay in place.
The most recent actions reflect the move by R Calf to get the Montana concept expanded to 14 other states- including three of the largest Beef Checkoff states based on collection totals- Texas, Kansas and Nebraska. R Calf's Bill Bullard says this should happen because it is "the constitutional right of every cattle producer to choose whether to fund private speech. We want to empower independent cattle producers to hold their respective beef councils accountable for the money that is received and spent. We want to uphold the principals of our free market system by making the decision to fund private speech voluntary. And, we want independent producers to have a meaningful opportunity to express either their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with how the overall beef checkoff program is operated."
The US Department of Justice filed an objection to the R-Calf proposal to expand their case to include the state beef councils in first 13 and now 14 other states. DOJ filed the objection on behalf of USDA- and said R-Calf has only asked for the expansion after they tested the waters in one state and found a judge that has given them a preliminary injunction. Click here to read the brief from DOJ provided to the Federal Court in Montana.
R-Calf's attorneys have shot back their reply- urging the court to expand the case to include 15 states, by adding Maryland. The reply states the case rests on the sole question of whether the government has violated the Constitution by compelling producers to fund private speech without their consent. Because civil actions may be brought against the federal government in any federal district court, R-CALF USA asserts the Montana federal court has jurisdiction over both the USDA and the Constitution and can, therefore, include the additional states.
Click here for the brief filed by David Muraskin, a Food Project Attorney at Public Justice
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Julie Russell of Freedom, Okla. Recognized as a Significant Woman in Agriculture by ODAFF
Julie Russell of Freedom, Okla. is the latest to be named by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture as a Significant Woman in the state's ag industry. Last week, the mother of three and grandmother of five was profiled by ODAFF for her contributions to Oklahoma's rural community. Alongside her husband Tom, the two run a commercial cow-calf operation on about 1,500 acres near the Cimarron River. They also bale their own hay. As a child, Russell joined 4-H as soon as she was old enough and then FFA as soon as female membership was approved. She showed cattle and sheep and judged livestock. As an adult, Russell received a bachelor's degree in physical education and math, which led to a 34-year career in education at Freedom Public Schools. Since retiring in 2012, Russell has had the chance to spend time with her aging parents, volunteer at her church, serve on the Alfalfa Electric Cooperative Board as a district director, and devote more of her time to her cattle. Currently, Russell is a member of the Freedom Chamber of Commerce, the Freedom Education Foundation, and the Freedom American Legion Auxiliary. Both she and Tom, received the Honorary State FFA Degree in 2003 and for many years, Russell was a 4-H leader. |
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Sponsor Spotlight
The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association is the trusted voice of the Oklahoma Cattle Industry. With headquarters in Oklahoma City, the OCA has a regular presence at the State Capitol to protect and defend the interests of cattlemen and cattlewomen.
Their Vision Statement explains the highest priority of the organization- "Leadership that serves, strengthens and advocates for the Oklahoma cattle industry."
To learn more about the OCA and how you can be a part of this forward-looking group of cattle producers, click here for their website. For more information- call 405-235-4391.
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CAB's Vice President of Production Mark McCully Says There's Plenty of Room for More of the Best
Mark McCully, Certified Angus Beef's vice president of production, recently outlined how strong consumer demand for high-quality beef underscores the sustainability of producing more and more of what he considers the best product on the market. He explained that the wide Choice-Select spread we're seeing today, says markets - and ultimately consumers - are hungry for more of high-quality beef. However, in his opinion, aiming for simply more Choice may be aiming too low.
"What I think is maybe just as important, or more important, is looking at the premium Choice or CAB to Choose spread, and the Prime to Choice spreads. Those spreads have continued to grow and to be very, very significant in light of the fact that we've produced an awful lot more pounds in the marketplace," McCully said. "That tells me the demand is really, really strong for high-quality beef."
McCully says that some are concerned that beef simply can't get much better than it is right now, but he points out that in essence, that is what "sustainability" is all about. And according to him, there are still many flexible options for those who feed cattle that can hit high-quality beef targets. Keep reading or watch McCully expound on that thought in a short videoclip shared with us by the folks at CAB, by jumping over to our website.
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Farmers with Unwanted Pesticide Invited to Properly Dispose of Chemicals in Woodward on Sept. 26
Farmers with unwanted pesticides are invited to participate in the Oklahoma Unwanted Pesticide Disposal Program scheduled for Sept. 26 in Woodward, Okla. during which commercial and noncommercial applicators, pesticide dealers, farmers, ranchers and homeowners can bring up to 2,000 pounds of pesticides for proper disposal at no charge. A fee will be assessed to those bringing more than that. Instead of letting these chemicals take up space, make plans to properly dispose of them during the upcoming event which will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Woodward County Fairgrounds.
Funded by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture, the event is open to all agricultural producers, commercial and noncommercial applicators, pesticide dealers and homeowners and is said to have been very successful over the years since it first began in 2006. Over that period of time, approximately 836,000 pounds of pesticide has been collected. That's more than 417 tons of chemicals that have been kept out of landfills, storm drains, lakes and streams. This is a positive thing for the environment and reduces health and environmental concerns.
If your chemicals have become unusable as originally intended for a variety of reasons, including leftover pesticides, pesticides that are no longer registered in Oklahoma and pesticides that no longer have labels or are no longer identifiable, you are encouraged to participate.
ODAFF has contracted with Stericycle, a licensed hazardous waste company, to collect and properly dispose of waste pesticides. Applicators and agricultural producers are not required to preregister for this event. Pesticide dealers are asked to preregister with Stericycle through the OSU Pesticide Safety Education Program. For more information, click over to the calendar page on our website.
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, the 2018 State Fair of Oklahoma, 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.
God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
phone: 405-473-6144
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