From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ronphays@cox.net]
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 6:22 AM
To: Hays, Ron
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update


 
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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 Ron Hays on RON.

 

 

Let's Check the Markets! 

 

Our Market Links are a service of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance

 

Ok Farm Bureau Insurance   

Today's First Look:  

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.

 

Okla Cash Grain:  

Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture.

 

Canola Prices:  

Cash price for canola was $11.16 per bushel- based on delivery to the Northern AG elevator in Yukon yesterday. The full listing of cash canola bids at country points in Oklahoma can now be found in the daily Oklahoma Cash Grain report- linked above.

 

Futures Wrap:  

Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day.

 

KCBT Recap: 

Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- Two Pager from the Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three U.S. Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market. 

 

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.

 

Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
 
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
   Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 
Featured Story:
farmbillanxietiesFarm Bill Anxieties, Advanced Biofuels Opportunities On Sorghum Growers Minds, Tim Lust Says 

 

Tim Lust of the National Sorghum producers says time is running out on getting a farm bill passed and signed before the end of the year. He spoke with us recently about a number of issues and says there are a lot of threads coming together in Washington at the present moment and it's unclear how the bill will fare before the end of the year.

If there is not farm bill before the current Congress adjourns, Lust says something will have to be done early next year. There are many provisions of the current legislation that are positive for sorghum producers and he hopes they will be carried forward.

He says one of the most important parts of any farm bill, in his eyes, is crop insurance. Changes to crop insurance in the 2008 bill meant over $30 million has gone out to sorghum growers who lost their crops. In the last two years, sorghum growers in Oklahoma received $3 million dollars for their losses.

"We hate that they had a crop loss, but we're glad that farm policy is able to help them with that loss and be able to continue to stay in business and do what they have to do and pay the bills that they have to pay around town. 

 

"As we look forward to 2013, particularly for the Oklahoma panhandle, the expansion of the sorghum silage insurance program there under irrigation is a very positive thing. And in some of those areas where we have water declines, there's a lot of interest by the feedyards and dairies of moving to sorghum silage and this will certainly give producers some insurance coverage there that will help them to continue to move in that direction."

 

He also says the recent approval of sorghum as a feed stock for advanced biofuels opens up greater marketing opportunities for sorghum producers.

 

You can read more and catch our lengthy conversation with Tim Lust by clicking here.  

 

Sponsor Spotlight

 

 

It is great to have as a regular sponsor on our daily email Johnston Enterprises- proud to be serving agriculture across Oklahoma and around the world since 1893. Service was the foundation upon which W. B. Johnston established the company. And through five generations of the Johnston family, that enduring service has maintained the growth and stability of Oklahoma's largest and oldest independent grain and seed dealer. Click here for their website, where you can learn more about their seed and grain businesses.

 

 

We are pleased to have American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor of our daily update. On both the state and national levels, full-time staff members serve as a "watchdog" for family agriculture producers, mutual insurance company members and life company members. Click here to go to their AFR website  to learn more about their efforts to serve rural America!  

 

 

heathsandersHeath Sanders Advises Canola Producers to Have Patience, Canola is Resilient 

 

As this year's drought-stressed canola crop goes into winter dormancy, PCOM's Heath Sanders advises canola producers who saw a much hardier-looking crop at this time last year to avoid the temptation to throw in the towel. He spoke with us for the latest edition of Canola TV. He says in his survey of fields across the state he's seeing a mixed bag.

"We've got some big canola. We've got some smaller canola. We've got canola still coming up. Very erratic rainfall that we received. We're still seeing those same conditions. And so wherever we've had a little bit of moisture, the canola looks really good. We've been very mild this fall and so we've had a lot of growing conditions and we just need that moisture to get our canola to a bigger size."

He said that lack of moisture is a big, big concern. What the crop really needs right now, he says, is rain-just a little bit. Even a small amount of rain would be enough to improve chances of getting it through the winter in good shape, he said.

"If you could get the canola up to a good stage, a good size right now, really, this is an OK time for it to be dry because we need the moisture in the spring in order for reproduction.   When we have very small canola, it's extremely dry, and we get very cold, I'm a little concerned. But canola has that ability to thin itself out. The strongest survive. And we're just going to have to wait and see what we have."

Click here for more from Heath Sanders.

 

peelsaysdemographicPeel Says 'Demographic Cliff' Brings Challenges and Opportunities to Rebuilding the Cow Herd

 

In the third part of a series on rebuilding the nation's cow herd, Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, writes in the latest Cow-Calf Newsletter about the demographic and economic forces that have to be considered in that process.  

 

Like farmers of all types, cattle producers have been aging as a group for many years. USDA data from 2011 indicates that among the 654,000 cattle farms in the country, 37 percent are operated by producers 65 years of age or older and another 29 percent are operated by producers aged 55-64. Together these two age groups operate 64 percent of land used for cattle production. This includes 118.4 million acres by the 65+ producers, 66 percent of which are the full owners of their farms. In many cases there are no family heirs interested or able to take over the operation.

These demographics suggest that a significant amount of asset turnover is inevitable in the next decade. In the meantime, older cattle producers, like many farmers, often don't really retire and exit the industry but rather tend to "retire in place" by remaining on the farm and gradually scaling back their operations. Older producers, on average more financially secure, can afford to cut back by reducing cattle numbers or switching to less labor intensive enterprises according to their health situation and labor ability. The latest USDA data confirms that cattle producers over 65 years of age have a per farm value of production that is 43 percent less (25 percent less on a per acre equivalent basis) compared to the average value of production of all cattle farms. In the most recent data, average farm size for these older producers has dropped to roughly 75 percent of the average of all cattle farms. Previous data had indicated that farm size for the older producers was only 8-10 percent less than average. It is possible that asset turnover in the cattle industry has accelerated recently.

 

Click here for more of Derrell Peel's analysis and for links to Parts 1 and 2 of this series on rebuilding the nation's cow herd.

 

 

ewgcallsforEWG Calls for One-Year Farm Bill Extension, No 'Secret' Farm Bill

 

The Environmental Working Group joined with several groups to call on lawmakers to stop a secret farm bill from being attached to any legislation designed to straighten out the nation's finances. Scott Faber, EWG's vice president of government affairs released the following statement:

"Our groups may not agree on many things. But, we are united in our view that it would unconscionable for our nation's leaders to bypass the House and attach a $1 trillion farm bill to legislation designed to right the nation's finances.

"The time to pass a farm bill has come and gone. Congress should pass a fiscally responsible one-year extension of farm and food programs and allow the House to debate the future of farm subsidies.

 

You can read more of the EWG statement by clicking here.

 

russiademandsRussia Demands US Meat Be Certified Ractopamine- Free Which Could Halt Meat Exports to That Country

 

Russia has notified Washington that all U.S. beef and pork exports must be certified as ractopamine-free, USDA officials confirmed to Meatingplace.

The move would effectively halt U.S. beef and pork exports to Russia because the agency does not have a testing and certification program in place for the leanness-enhancing feed additive.

United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk today issued the following statement in response to Russia's new requirements that U.S. beef and pork exports to Russia be tested and certified free of the feed additive ractopamine:

"The United States is very concerned that Russia has taken these actions, which appear to be inconsistent with its obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization. The United States calls on Russia to suspend these new measures and restore market access for U.S. beef and pork products. The United States sought, and Russia committed as part of its WTO accession package, to ensure that it adhered rigorously to WTO requirements and that it would use international standards unless it had a risk assessment to justify use of a more stringent standard. Especially in light of its commitment to use international standards, this is an important opportunity for Russia to demonstrate that it takes its WTO commitments seriously." 

 

 

studiesrevealStudies Reveal Proper Cow Nutrition Prior to Calving Pays Big Dividends

 

Don't put your cow herd on "coast." Nutrition in the months before calving can determine the calves' future performance.

Rick Rasby of the University of Nebraska says, "The idea behind fetal programming is:  Can you manipulate the fetus while it's still in utero in the cow by nutrition?"

Research at the University of Nebraska and other universities across the country says, "yes."

"Some of the early work we would have done here would indicate that when cows were grazing winter range and were supplemented, as compared to those cows that were grazing winter range and were not supplemented, those steer progeny, those male progeny, from those females that were supplemented, if you carry them on into the feedlot, is that they had a heavier hot-carcass weight as compared to those male progeny whose dams were not supplemented, to the tune of about 62 pounds."

That same study found that offspring of the supplemented cows graded 86 percent choice compared to 71 percent in the non-supplemented group. Premium-choice dropped 18 points without the added protein.

 

You can read more of this story or see a video version of it on our website.  Click here to go there.

 

ThisNThatFinally- A Big Thank You to Oklahoma Ag Educators

 

At the end of November, the National Association of Agricultural Educators held their annual meeting over in Atlanta- I had hoped to be there but family issues made that impossible. Earlier in the year- I was able to attend the state level conference in Oklahoma City- where Oklahoma Ag Ed teachers presented me with what they call their "Cooperation" award.  I was told at the time that they had submitted my name to be considered for a similar honor at the national level- and at that meeting in Atlanta on November 30- my name was called out as one of six national honorees for their 2012 "Outstanding Cooperation" award. 

 

I have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for what was once called the Vo-Ag teacher- my dad was one during part of my growing up years.  I am biased- but I believe they invest themselves into the lives of their students moreso than almost any other secondary education teacher. Besides the time in the classroom- they are there with them working on projects, preparing for judging and speech and show competitions- and teaching the value of hard work, being prepared and how to win with class and lose with dignity.  Hanging out with the guys (only guys way back then) at the State Fair in the show barn- I wanted to be just like those guys who wore the Blue and Gold jackets that were a part of my Dad's FFA chapter.  Later, two of the teachers I admired and loved the most were my Ag teachers- they worked us hard- got my butt busted more than once- and we had fun as we worked in the community, went to contests and oh those trips to Kansas City and the National Convention of the Future Farmers- they are etched forever in my memory bank. 

 

Ag Ed teachers are repeating that story over and over even today (minus the butt busting for the most part)- and I count this as one of my highest honors to be saluted by them. I offer my thanks to the men and ladies who aspire to inspire their students in Ag Ed and FFA. 

 

Click here for the news release which tells a little more about the award that was presented

Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers, CROPLAN by Winfield , KIS Futures and the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association 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 

 

 

God Bless! You can reach us at the following:  

 

phone: 405-473-6144

 

 


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