From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2011 7:22 AM
To: Hays, Ron
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Friday July 8, 2011
A service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Midwest Farm Shows and KIS Futures!
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-- The Drought of 2010-2011- NO End in Sight
-- Grazing Johnsongrass More of a Possibility with Severe Drought Conditions
-- Farm Policy Audits Continue with Hearing on Conservation Programs
-- Subcommittee Hearing Examines GIPSA Rule's Affect on Small Businesses
-- Mock Markups Disagree on TAA- White House Likely to Choose Senate Version
-- Many Agricultural Groups Voice Opinions on Agreement to End Ethanol Tax Incentive
-- Drought Monitor- and Drought Pictures as Well
-- 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 proud to have KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555- and their IPHONE App, which provides all electronic futures quotes is available at the App Store- click here for the KIS Futures App for your Iphone.

We are also excited to have as one of our sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and sunflowers on the PCOM website- go there by clicking here.

And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer ofthe recent Southern Plains Farm Show as well as the Tulsa Farm Show held each December. Click here for the Midwest Farm Show main website to learn more about their lineup of shows around the country!

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.

If you have received this by someone forwarding it to you, you are welcome to subscribe and get this weekday update sent to you directly by clicking here.


The Drought of 2010-2011- NO End in Sight
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Drought is the driving force for many decisions being made by Oklahoma farmers and ranchers this summer. That was one of the reasons we took the time and spent the money to travel to the South Central US Drought Impacts and Assessment Workshop in Austin, Texas on Thursday.

The conditions farmers and ranchers now face in Oklahoma, Rexas and New Mexico really started last summer and fall, as the rains in most of this country (except for portions of Eastern Oklahoma) shut down in the fall and have not returned in any quantity. Forecasters with the National Weather Service documented at the conference that this is the driest nine months on record in the state of Texas and Louisiana- and the third driest in Western Oklahoma.

Our top Ag Story on our website this morning is about our reporting via Twitter from the conference- we went back and picked up many of our Tweets during the day on Thursday from the speakers- here are some of the key take home messages we heard: The drought we now find ourselves in clearly is linked to La Nina of this past fall and winter.

The water temperature in the Pacific is in the neutral range right now- but cooling could happen again late summer or fall and we could end up with a double dip La Nina.

The severe to exceptional drought we find much of Oklahoma and Texas in has only a five percent chance of being totally broken between now and the end of summer.

It would take probably a foot and a half of rainfall to break the drought in our state between now and the end of September- Dan Collins of the NWS says there is only maybe a five percent chance of that happening.

Click on the LINK below to read more about the conference and what we have taken away from it- plus listen to our conversation with one of the more interesting speakers of the day- Klaus Wolter out of Boulder, Colorado.

Click here for more from the Drought Workshop held in Austin, Texas


Grazing Johnsongrass More of a Possibility with Severe Drought Conditions
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Currently, pasture conditions in the Southern Great Plains, including Oklahoma, are continuing to decline due to extremely dry growing conditions. This has resulted in most pastures starting to have a late-summer appearance. One "forage" that seems to be surviving the drought and doing quite well, in many areas, is johnsongrass. With the lack of adequate grazeable forage, what is the possibility of grazing johnsongrass?

Johnsongrass is very competitive with other forages if left unchecked. It is also drought-tolerant and is often one of the last plants to stop growing during a drought. Johnsongrass yields can approach 3 to 5 tons/acre under good growing conditions. Nutritive value estimates of 10% crude protein and near 60% TDN are common.

In addition to nitrate toxicity potential, another potential negative to utilizing johnsongrass is that it has a high potential to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN). This is more commonly known as prussic acid. The forages used in Oklahoma that are most likely to produce toxic levels of HCN are the grain sorghums, johnsongrass, sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, and sudangrass.

During severe droughts, grazing pastures that are mainly johnsongrass should be avoided. Do not rely solely on drought-damaged forages as the only source of forage. It is important to keep some other form of dry forage available at all times.

Click here for more safety measures for grazing johnsongrass


Farm Policy Audits Continue with Hearing on Conservation Programs
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Rep. Glenn 'GT' Thompson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry, continued the audit hearings on farm policy, which is the first step in the farm bill process. Each chairman of the six subcommittees will hold hearings to examine programs in their respective jurisdictions to determine spending trends and confirm how programs work together.

Conservation programs protect soil, water, wildlife, and other natural resources on agricultural land. Currently, there are more than 20 conservation programs and subprograms that are administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Some of the larger programs include: Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP).

Subcommittee Members questioned USDA administrators on how these programs can be streamlined to be more effective and efficient. Although the past two farm bills saw dramatic increases in conservation spending, several of the programs do not have a budget baseline beyond the expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill.

"This hearing provided members of the subcommittee an opportunity to hear from USDA about the content of the many Title II programs. I believe this hearing gives our members a solid foundation of knowledge as we prepare to draft a new conservation title that provides necessary programs to our farmers and ranchers in a cost-effective manner," said Chairman Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA).

Click here for more from this hearing, including Chairman Frank Lucas's opening comments


Subcommittee Hearing Examines GIPSA Rule's Affect on Small Businesses
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On Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 10:00 am, the House Small Business Committee Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade held a hearing entitled Regulatory Injury: How USDA's Proposed GIPSA Rule Hurts America's Small Businesses. The Committee examined the Grain Inspection, Packer and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) Proposed Rule on livestock marketing practices.

The purpose of the hearing was to highlight the effects of the Proposed Rule on small businesses within the beef, pork and poultry industries and discuss the inadequacies in GIPSA's Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis.

Subcommittee Chairman Scott Tipton (R-CO) led the proceeding and said in his opening statements, "Saddling small farms and small businesses with more government regulations will only prolong our economic downturn and crush more jobs. In fact, if the GIPSA proposed rule is adopted, it has the potential to reduce gross domestic product by over $1.5 billion and cost the U.S. economy nearly 23,00 jobs."

The subcommittee did not hold back when it came time to question Edward Avalos, USDA Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs. However, Avalos continued to stress the USDA's stance on the importance of small businesses in the agricultural industry.

"As you all know, small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and where jobs are created and new ideas are tested," said Avalos. "The Secretary and I have long recognized the importance of farmers, ranchers and producers to rural communities. Our livestock and poultry producers benefit rural communities because they utilize other small local businesses, like hardware and feed supply businesses and local tractor dealerships, to succeed."

Click here for more information on the hearing over GIPSA


Mock Markups Disagree on TAA- White House Likely to Choose Senate Version
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The Senate Finance and the House Ways and Means Committees met separately on Thursday to discuss the free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Expansion of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program was also on the Senate Finance agenda. Both committees approved the three trade deals - clearing the way for the President to submit the deals to the Hill for votes. Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus called passage of the bills a major victory for American ranchers, farmers, workers and businesses who have waited far too long for action.

It wasn't smooth sailing though. Ways and Means Democrats objected to the lack of TAA - while Senate Finance Republicans objected to the inclusion of TAA in the Korea bill. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said the TAA program needs to be voted on separately from the trade deals - and said it was a violation of the process to put the TAA program in an implementing bill.

In the end - Senate Finance turned back Republican amendments to extend Presidential fast track authority for two and four years and to destroy TAA in the Korea FTA - while majority Republicans in the House Ways and Means turned back a Democrat amendment to include worker assistance.

The committees considered the draft implementing bills during a mock markup because Congress can't offer amendments to the final implementing bills submitted by the Administration under fast track procedures. Baucus says the agreement on trade adjustment assistance along with the free trade agreements will open lucrative new markets to American goods.

Several ag groups cheered the work in Congress on this issue- click here for a look at the US Wheat Industry Reaction


Many Agricultural Groups Voice Opinions on Agreement to End Ethanol Tax Incentive
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In a recent agreement on legislation between Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), it was decided to end the current ethanol tax incentive, known as the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax. The VEET would be ended on July 31, while other ethanol-related tax credits would be extended for a limited time. At the end of VEET, over $1 billion would be immediately invested in deficit reduction, while the rest will be used for infrastructure investment and cellulosic ethanol investment.

Many organizations have released statements concerning this recent agreement on the VEET legislation. Below you will find comments from the Renewable Fuels Association, Advanced Ethanol Industry, American Coalition for Ethanol, National Corn Growers Association and Growth Energy.

Renewable Fuels Association
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) offered the following reaction:

"This bipartisan effort to find common ground is the kind of sensible policy making American voters desperately want from their elected leaders. We greatly appreciate the leadership of Senators Klobuchar and Thune in doggedly pursuing a solution to this impasse. Walking away from investments made in America's ethanol industry cold turkey would jeopardize the future of biofuel production in America, including stifling the progress of advanced and cellulosic ethanol technologies."

Advanced Ethanol Industry
Reacting to the statements released by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) announcing an agreement on a proposed ethanol tax reform package, Brooke Coleman, Executive Director of the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) offered the following statement:

"We appreciate the willingness of Senators Klobuchar, Thune and Feinstein to put advanced biofuels at the forefront of ongoing negotiations about how to innovate and reduce the cost of U.S. ethanol policy. This agreement has enough of the right ingredients to move the conversation forward. At the same time, there is a fundamental problem with how the advanced biofuels piece is crafted that will need to be addressed to be meaningful to the industry. While we appreciate the ambition to lengthen the duration of the tax credits, the last minute switch from a yearly credit to a gallon-based, capped credit adds artificial and unnecessary layers of uncertainty and risk for the financing community."

American Coalition for Ethanol
In response, Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol, released the following statement.

"We thank Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) for their support and leadership in negotiating this compromise, and we echo the sentiments of Senator Thune who recently called the legislation 'trying to make the best of a bad situation.' Despite its shortcomings, this compromise represents the art of the possible given the temperament of Congress and buys us time to tackle unfinished business by building a new and broader coalition. ACE will support efforts in Congress to enact this legislation into law by the end of July."

National Corn Growers Association
National Corn Growers Association President Bart Schott released the following statement in response to today's announcement of a bipartisan compromise on ethanol tax incentives.

"NCGA is grateful to Senators Thune and Klobuchar for the hard work and dedication they have put in to reaching a final deal. There are many positive components of this compromise that are important to the ethanol industry and rural America. The final compromise reflects both the importance of the ethanol industry to achieve energy independence and the need for fiscal responsibility. The ethanol industry continues to have a positive impact on all parts of America, and we are committed to working with Congress in the future on steps that can move the ethanol industry and the nation's economy forward."

Growth Energy
Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, released the following statement in response to the announcement of a deal made to reform the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) in order to invest in next generation ethanol, remove barriers to the marketplace by providing consumer access at the pump, and reduce the federal budget deficit.

"Senators Thune and Klobuchar worked tirelessly to help shape a compromise that will benefit all Americans. This proposal will benefit consumers at the pump, reduce our dependence on foreign oil by investing in next generation biofuels, and make a significant contribution to reducing our nation's budget deficit," said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis."

Click here to read more from each of the organizations listed above.


Drought Monitor- and Drought Pictures as Well
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Drought conditions continue to punish the Southern Plains and Oklahoma. Given the season, prospects for widespread relief are less than promising. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report released Thursday morning now has moderate drought covering most of eastern Oklahoma. Severe-to-extreme drought continues spreading east as well with most of western Oklahoma within the exceptional drought category.

We have the Drought Monitor Graphic for you to see- AND- we have several pictures emailed to us showing drought from several perspectives. We have a creek that locals find themselves up without a paddle- or water. We also have some corn that battled the heat and lost- and a ten story high whirlwind from the Altus area. Click here to jump over to our website and see all of these pictures and the Drought Monitor.

From the auction calendar- we remind you that July 16- Griswold Cattle plans a Grass to Grid Customer Appreciation sale at the Red River Livestock Market just south of Ardmore. Selling will be 800 Commercial Bred Cows, Bred Heifers and Open Heifers. Featuring 150 Clubby Bred Females The entire offering carries the service of GCC Genetics or Grass to Grid Bulls. Call Jeff Bourquin at 806-886-3145 or jump over to their website by clicking here for more details.


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.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com


Let's Check the Markets!
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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 $13.05 per bushel, while the 2012 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available are $12.75 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:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
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.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- Two Pager From The Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture.
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.



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