NCBA, Ag Secretary Applaud US-Panama Free Trade Agreement Implementation 

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, also known as the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), will enter into force on Oct. 31.

Panama is one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America with forecasts of between five to eight percent annual growth through 2012. Similar to the FTA with Colombia, the agreement with Panama provides assurances for a stable export market through plant inspection equivalency. Additionally, Panama modified its import requirements related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to be consistent with international standards. With these agreements in place, the United States will have free trade for U.S. beef with approximately two-thirds of the population in the Western Hemisphere.

Bob McCan, vice president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, said he is greatly encouraged by this news and the ultimate removal of tariffs and other barriers to U.S. exports, including U.S. agricultural exports.

"The cattle industry has been waiting on implementation of this agreement for a long time and we're looking forward to increased trade opportunities with Panama.  The U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement immediately eliminates the 30 percent tariff on prime and choice beef cuts and all other duties will be phased out over the next 15 years. This is a positive step forward for American cattlemen and women."  (Click here for more from Bob McCan.)

Winter Crop Planting Progresses Ahead of Schedule 

Planting was winding down in Oklahoma by week's end as much of the fall crop was emerging significantly ahead of last year's progress. Wheat planting was 86 percent complete by the end of the week, seven points ahead of normal progress, and 59 percent of the crop had emerged. Canola planting was 96 percent complete by week's end and 75 percent had emerged, 18 points ahead of the previous year.  Fifty percent of canola was rated good and 44 percent was rated fair.  Click here for the full Oklahoma Crop Weather and Progress Report.

In Texas, winter wheat seeding was in full swing around the state. Some producers were watering recently established fields while others benefited from timely rains. Emerging small grains were generally making good growth and livestock were grazing on some fields. Army worm pressure was reported in areas of North and Central Texas, prompting producers to scout fields.  Seventy-four percent of winter wheat was planted, one point ahead of the five-year average.  Click here for the full Texas report.

Kansas farmers seeded 10 percent of the State's wheat acreage last week to reach 91 percent complete by Sunday, ahead of 90 percent for last year and 84 percent for the 5-year average. Sixty-two percent of the state's wheat had emerged by week's end, behind last year at 66 percent but slightly ahead of the 5-year average of 61 percent. The condition of the Kansas wheat crop was 2 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 49 percent fair, 38 percent good, and 2 percent excellent.  The Kansas report is available by clicking here.

Nationally- over the last five years- the average corn crop harvest would be half way done by this date- this year- we are way ahead of that with 87% of the crop now harvested nationally.  Soybean harvest has also been in high gear- with 80% of the soybeans now in the bin versus a five year average of 69%.  Cotton harvest is tracking the average with 38% harvested- just one point shy of the multi year average.  Click here for the full set of charts of the national Crop Progress numbers- 2012 has definitely been one for the record books.

New Senate Report Revealing Economic Pain of Obama-EPA Regulations Put on Hold Until After the Election

Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today released a new EPW Minority Report entitled, "A Look Ahead to EPA Regulations for 2013: Numerous Obama EPA Rules Placed On Hold until after the Election Spell Doom for Jobs and Economic Growth."

This report enumerates the slew of environmental regulations that the Obama-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delayed or punted on before the election while President Obama is trying to earn votes; but the Obama-EPA plans to move full speed ahead to implement this agenda if President Obama wins a second term. As this report reveals, these rules taken together will inevitably result in the elimination of millions of American jobs, drive up the price of gas at the pump even more, impose construction bans on local communities, and essentially shut down American oil, natural gas, and coal production. 

"President Obama has spent the past year punting on a slew of job-killing EPA regulations that will destroy millions of American jobs and cause energy prices to skyrocket even more," Inhofe said. "From greenhouse gas regulations to water guidance to the tightening of the ozone standard, the Obama-EPA has delayed the implementation of rule after rule because they don't want all those pink slips and price spikes to hit until after the election."

You'll find more of this story and a link to the full Senate report by clicking here.

 

Cow Herd Liquidation Slowed in 2012 Despite Continued Drought

In 2011 tremendous number of calves and cows that went to town in Oklahoma and across the Southern Plains due to the severe drought. As drought conditions continued into 2012, Extension Livestock Marketing Economist Derrell Peel of Oklahoma State University said herd liquidation slowed somewhat.

"Part of it is just a function of the drought last year. Even though it was a big area, it was a very confined region in the Southern Plains, but it happened overlay such a big percentage of our total cattle supplies. And the nature of the drought in 2011 was very different.

"We had no spring. The drought really started, obviously, in the fall of 2010 and extended consistently through the fall of 2011 and, so, the impacts on forage production and the impacts on what producers had to do in terms of culling cattle and moving cattle were much more dramatic."

Click here to listen to more from Derrell Peel in our latest Beef Buzz.

FFA Organization Launches Million-Meal Rally to Fight Hunger

FFA members from all 50 states will take the first swing Wednesday of a long-term fight to help eliminate global hunger.

As a kickoff event of the 2012 National FFA Convention & Expo, more than 10,000 FFA members, teachers, alumni and volunteers will work hour-long shifts from Wednesday through Friday and pack meals during the "Rally to Fight Hunger." The rally kicks off at 12:45 p.m. with public remarks at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Their collective goal: Create 1 million meals by Friday night. Half will be distributed in the Indianapolis area and half will be shipped overseas in coordination with Kids Against Hunger, a humanitarian food-aid organization.

"No one is better positioned to address hunger than FFA members who are tomorrow's leaders who will provide food and nutrition for a growing planet," said National FFA Organization CEO Dwight Armstrong. "Hunger is the right issue for FFA and it is fully aligned with our values and vision. What FFA members learn in Indianapolis at our rally will prepare them to continue fighting hunger in more than 7,500 local communities - and beyond where relief and solutions are desperately needed."

Click here for more.

 

Choice Boxed Beef, Finished Cattle Trade Higher

In this week's beef report with Ed Czerwien with the USDA Market News Office in Amarillo, the choice cut market ended last week at $196.68 cwt, which was up $5 from the previous week. The total boxed beef volume was 7,100 loads, 150 loads less than a week ago.

The general trend in the finished cattle trade was $1.50 to $2.50 higher with most of the sales in the South $2 to $2.50 higher at $127.00 cwt to $127.50 cwt.  Dressed deals in the North were mostly $197.00 cwt to $198.00 cwt.

The average live weight from the cattle harvested in the Texas Panhandle was 1,277 pounds, which was six pounds higher than the previous week.

You can hear Czerwien's complete weekly report by clicking here.

AND- we remind you that we have market links on the left hand column of our daily email to help you stay on top of the twists and turns our agricultural markets are taking from day to day- those market links are a service of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance- with offices in all 77 counties- an Oklahoma company- and always nearby. Click here for their website to learn about the comprehensive lineup of policies that they can offer. 

 

This N That- Haskell Hammontree, School Land Lease Auctions and FFA Converge on Indy 

We appreciated receiving an email from Joe Bogard about a neighbor of his that passed over this last weekend- Haskell Hammontree. Joe tells us "He was very well known and active in the Hereford and Red Angus circles.  He was a very active member of the McIntosh County Cattleman's Association, Oklahoma Cattleman's Association, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, as well the Oklahoma and American Hereford Associations."  He adds that Mr. Hammontree dispersed his herd in 2008 due to declining health.  Funeral Mass for this gentlemen will be held on Wednesday at 10 am at Saint Michaels Church in Henryetta.

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Two more auctions of Oklahoma School Land Leases will be held this week- plus a couple more early next week- and the 2012 cycle will be complete. Click here for details on the auction planned in Lawton today- staring at 10 AM- and click here for the Wednesday lease auction in Enid of the school land in Garfield County and five other north central Oklahoma counties.

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It's a day of gathering for FFA members from across the United States as some 55,000 members of the organization are expected to be in downtown Indianapolis by the end of this week. We start to crank up our coverage of the Oklahoma FFA members that have been or are traveling as we write on this early Tuesday morning- destination Indy. 

We featured on our website a week ago the young man from Owasso who is hoping to become the 21st Oklahoman who will be named a National Officer of the organization.  Marty Jones has in Indianapolis since this past Saturday- and will know if he has made the cut this evening when half of the 41 national office candidates are eliminated.  Once that happens- the next announcement on national officers will be made when the six men and or ladies are named on Saturday afternoon.  If Marty is named a national officer- that will give the Owasso chapter their second national officer- and that will make their chapter the third Oklahoma chapter to have had two national officers.  Do you know who the other chapters are and who that other national officer from Owasso is?  If you think you do- email me by clicking here- let's see who knows their Oklahoma FFA history!

Our coverage of the 2012 National FFA Convention is a service of the Oklahoma FFA Alumni Association- and the Oklahoma FFA Association. We will have updates here on the email, on our Blue Green Gazette section of our website, on Twitter, our Facebook page, via FLICKR and of course, on our statewide radio network.