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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Thursday May 12, 2011
A
service of Johnston Enterprises, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind
Energy and American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance
Company!
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-- Remaining Wheat Crop Potential Hit Hard by Triple Digit
Temperatures of This Past Weekend
-- Supply Demand Data Fuels Selloff in Corn Market and More
-- Ag Exports Continue to Sizzle- First half of the Year Results Show
Record Pace
-- Bill Designed to Help Oklahoma Hospitals Supported by Oklahoma
Farm Bureau
-- Wheat Field Day Set for Tomorrow at Lahoma
-- Oklahoma Department of Ag and the Conservation Commission Take
Their Share of Cuts
-- Oklahoma Groups a Part of the Campaigning for Easy Out for
CRP
-- Let's Check the Markets!
Howdy Neighbors! Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are pleased to have American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor of our daily update- click here to go to their AFR web site to learn more about their efforts to serve rural America! It is also great to have as an annual sponsor on our daily email
Johnston Enterprises- proud to be serving agriculture across
Oklahoma and around the world since 1893. One of the great success stories
of the Johnston brand is Wrangler Bermudagrass- the most widely planted
true cold-tolerant seeded forage bermudagrass in the United States. For
more on Johnston Enterprises- click
here for their brand new website! 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 Ron Hays on RON. | |
Remaining Wheat Crop Potential Hit Hard by Triple Digit Temperatures of This Past Weekend ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first
predictions by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the size of the 2011
winter wheat crop may well be as good as it gets this season, based on
unfavorable weather since the data was gathered on or around the first of
May. The Executive Director of Plains Grains, Inc, Mark Hodges, is very
concerned about the several days of extremely high temperatures, low
humidity, strong southerly winds which combined to suck out a significant
portion of the potential of the 2011 southern plains wheat crop that USDA
and crop scouts that reported last week assumed could be realized.
The 2011 Winter Wheat Crop Estimate shows Oklahoma's wheat crop slightly higher than the Crop Report Conclusions of last Wednesday. USDA predicts an Oklahoma crop at 74.8 million bushels, based on 3.4 million acres harvested at 22 bushels per acre. The Kansas estimate was just under the Kansas estimate made by the scouts of last week- the USDA estimate at 261.8 million bushels while the Texas crop is well under earlier guesses we had heard for that state at just 46.8 million bushels now predicted- ALL BASED on May first data. Hodges tells us that both dryland and irrigated wheat were damaged by
the "heat event" of last weekend. He believes that the likely crop output
of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas may well be lower than the May first
predictions offered by the USDA report. | |
Supply Demand Data Fuels Selloff in Corn Market and More ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wednesday morning made its first estimate
of the 2011 corn crop, as well as 2011/12 demand. According to survey data
gathered from farmers and historical yield trends, USDA is predicting 92.2
million acres of corn to be planted, 85.1 million harvested acres, and an
average yield of 158.7 bushels per acre. This would produce a total crop
of 13.5 billion bushels, an all-time record.
Additionally, USDA increased its estimate for carry-out stocks of corn
for 2010/11 to 730 million bushels, based on slightly lower export demand.
As for the 2011/2012 marketing year (Sept. 1 - Aug. 31), USDA is
anticipating total corn use of 13.355 billion bushels. Specifically for
ethanol, USDA is projecting demand at 5.05 billion bushels, which
translates to more than 14 billion gallons of ethanol using industry
average ethanol yields. The signal by USDA of a slightly bigger carryout helped trigger the selloff in corn futures on Wednesday- where we ended up limit down in the nearby old crop futures contract- and off 26 cents on the new crop December. Corn futures are down more this morning in the overnight electronic trade. | |
Ag Exports Continue to Sizzle- First half of the Year Results Show Record Pace ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ U.S.
agricultural exports set a record high for the first six months of the
federal fiscal year, with China topping the buyers with $15.1 billion in
purchases. U.S. farm exports from Oct. 1, 2010 through this March 31 reached $75 billion, according to a USDA announcement today (May 11) - a 27% increase over the same period a year ago. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, "This puts us on track to reach the current USDA export forecast of $135.5 billion by the end of the year." March export numbers came in like a lion. "March was the
highest-grossing month for U.S. agricultural exports ever. During that
month alone, U.S. farmers and ranchers exported $13.3 billion worth of
U.S. agricultural goods. That's $407 million more than the previous record
set in November 2010. "Both the value and volume of exports rose in the first half of the
year, with the volume of bulk shipments up 5% from last year. Wheat and
cotton volumes were especially robust, with increases of 64% and 44%,
respectively," Vilsack said. Read more by clicking here for our story on the record pace that ag exports continue at. | |
Bill Designed to Help Oklahoma Hospitals Supported by Oklahoma Farm Bureau ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Oklahoma
Farm Bureau was one of several groups that were celebrating movement of a
measure that Farm Bureau says will help Rural Hospitals in our state stay
in business. Supporters of HB 1381 say that it will help improve access to
affordable, quality health care for all Oklahomans.House Bill 1381 creates the "Supplemental Hospital Offset Payment Program Act." The bill allows hospitals to receive federal matching funds to help pay for services already rendered to Medicaid patients. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau joined several other groups in a State Capitol News Conference urging lawmakers and the Governor to get this bill in place as quickly as possible. OFB President Mike Spradling told reporters that rural hospitals are a vital part of the rural Oklahoma landscape- and that this measure offers a way to secure additional operational funds for these institutions without being a burden on patients and businesses they work for. Another of the groups that were pleased with this measure passing the legislature was the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce. Their President, Fred Morgan, told reporters "This was a bipartisan effort, and I would like to thank House Republican and Democratic leaders for helping to move this bill forward and urge Gov. Fallin to sign it into law." | |
Wheat Field Day Set for Tomorrow at Lahoma ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wheat
Producers around the state are invited to attend the wheat tour at the
North Central Oklahoma Research Station at Lahoma. Producers can mark
their calendars for May 13th with registration for the tour beginning at
9:00 am. The research station is located just 1 mile west of Lahoma on
Highway 412.There will be 13 presentations on the program menu of which a producer can select 5. Each presentation will be delivered more than once so that an individual producer can hear specialists from OSU on topics that they want information about. Presentations include topics such as "Will I Have Enough Moisture to Double Crop Behind Harvested Wheat", "How to Manage Selling $7 Wheat +/- $3", "Fair and Equitable Crop Leases", "Legalities of Crop Leases", "Energy and Utility Topics for Agriculture", and "The Benefits of Canola in Crop Rotations". There will also be the traditional wheat production topics such as the OSU Wheat Breeding Program, a discussion of the currently available wheat cultivars in northwestern Oklahoma, a discussion of soil sampling in No-Till Production Systems, Weed Control in Wheat, and a presentation on Soil Compaction and Deep Tillage. OSU Extension Area Agronomist Roger Gribble tells us that the wagons will roll at 9:25 tomorrow morning. And he has two requests- "We would very much appreciate you letting us know how many dinners to prepare for. If you would, please call the OSU Cooperative Extension Service Area Office at 580-237-7677 so that we can have lunch for you. Bring a friend so that you can discuss the presentations on the way home." | |
Oklahoma Department of Ag and the Conservation Commission Take Their Share of Cuts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Governor Mary
Fallin, House Speaker Kris Steele and Senate Pro Tempore Brian Bingman
have announced a budget agreement that they content lays out a fiscally
responsible plan to balance the state budget without raising taxes.
Addressing a $500 million shortfall, this budget deal relies primarily on
targeted budget cuts.
Governor Fallin offered this statement with the release of the state
budget proposal. "At the beginning of this legislative session, I asked
lawmakers to send me a plan that accomplishes three things: balance the
budget without raising taxes; prioritize spending to protect core
government agencies like education, public safety, transportation, and
health and human services; and pass legislation that makes our state
government smaller, smarter and more efficient. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture is hit with a 2.6% budget
reduction, while the Oklahoma Conservation Commission sees its budget
reduced by 2.9% under the Republican plan. | |
Oklahoma Groups a Part of the Campaigning for Easy Out for CRP ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Seventy-two
groups that represent livestock producers, feed processors and exporters
have sent a letter to congressional ag committees asking that the 2012
Farm Bill make it easier for farmers to opt out of the Conservation
Reserve Program. The letter says historically tight supplies of grains and
oilseeds and strong demand into the foreseeable future make it imperative
for Congress to reform the Conservation Reserve Program. The groups want
Congress to make it easier for farmers to remove land that can be farmed
in an environmentally sustainable way from the CRP before contract
expiration, without penalty.
According to a statement released by the National Grain and Feed Association and the National Chicken Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture repeatedly has refused to use its existing authority under the 2008 farm law to waive CRP penalties, further justifying legislative action. Other groups backing the idea include the American Bankers Association, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, National Oilseed Processors Association, National Pork Producers Council, and The Fertilizer Institute. Among the Oklahoma groups that signed the letter were the Oklahoma Pork Council, the Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association and and the Oklahoma Agribusiness Retailers Association. We have the full release on this proposal linked below- it has links where you can see the letter as well as a background paper that was a part of the letter that went to House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas and to Senate Ag Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow. Click here for more on this push by a coalition of groups to get an easier out from CRP | |
Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers, KIS Futures and Oklahoma Mineral Buyers 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- FREE! We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe. | |
Let's Check the Markets! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We've had
requests to include Canola prices for your convenience here- and we will
be doing so on a regular basis. Current cash price for Canola is $11.09
per bushel- as of the close of trade Wednesday, while the 2011 New Crop
contracts for Canola are now available are $11.09 per bushel- delivered to
local participating elevators that are working with PCOM.
Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click
on the name of the report to go to that link: | |
God Bless! You can reach us at the following: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
phone: 405-473-6144
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