MLK Day Schedule 

Monday is a federal holiday, honoring Martin Luther King.  As a result, all federal government offices are closed- plus state offices are closed, no mail service and Equity and Futures markets are closed.

However, the auction barns that normally run are open today- in fact- most businesses are open on this government holiday.

Because the ag futures are closed- as well as federal government is taking the day off as well- we have consolidated our Monday and Tuesday email into this one report.  

We will not send a second email on Tuesday morning- but will return at our normal time on Wednesday morning.

Our radio updates as heard on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network will continue as normal today.

New CanolaTV Episode with Heath Sanders as We Assess the 2013 Crop  

Compared with last year, farmers are looking at their canola fields and seeing a vast difference. Last year's fields were full and green where this year's are looking flat and dry. Agronomist Heath Sanders with Producers Cooperative Oil Mill has been out surveying fields across the state and says while fields don't look as good as they did last year, the crop is not as bad off as it might look. Sanders spoke with me recently for the latest edition of Canola TV. 

"We've been getting a lot of calls this year from farmers, either first time growers or maybe a second-year grower. Where last year our canola stayed green throughout the fall, winter, and spring, it went into dormancy, but it didn't look like it did. This year when you go out and look at a canola field, it looks really brown, the leaves are crunchy, it's shrunk down a lot flatter to the soil. That's typically what we see with winter canola. So, I've been getting a lot of calls from farmers asking me 'Is this stuff going to make it? Is it alive?' Yes. If it's got good size on it going into fall, and as long as that crown is still green, that canola plant is still alive."

Sanders said appearances can be deceiving and producers need to get out into their fields and take a close look at the plants.

"From the road it's hard to see, but when you walk across the field and your getting down and looking at those plants, if there's one leaf that's still green on the inside of that crown, then that canola plant is still alive."

You can click here to read more or watch our full conversation on Canola TV.  

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Reminds Producers to Complete 2012 Census of Agriculture 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week continued to remind producers to complete forms for the Census of Agriculture-the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial agricultural data for every county in the nation. The 2012 Census of Agriculture will provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with current information to help ensure an abundant, safe, and accessible food supply for all of America. On Monday, Vilsack spoke to thousands of American farmers and ranchers in Nashville, Tenn. The Census of Agriculture, said Vilsack, is one of the most important tools for providing certainty to producers and sustaining the unlimited economic potential of rural America.

"It's important for farmers and ranchers in America today to stand up and be counted by participating in the Census of Agriculture," said Vilsack. "By participating in this survey, producers help provide a snapshot of the current state of agriculture in our country, which helps policymakers make better decisions about farm safety net programs and policies."

Currently underway by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Census collects detailed data covering nearly every facet of U.S. agriculture. It looks at land use and ownership, production practices, expenditures and other factors that affect the way farmers do business and succeed in the 21st Century.

Click here to read more.

AFBF Board Establishes Strategic Action Plan for 2013

Following the delegate session of the American Farm Bureau Federation's 94th Annual Meeting, which wrapped up this week in Nashville, the organization's board of directors met to establish priorities for AFBF's strategic action plan for 2013.

"This plan represents those issue areas where we believe the American Farm Bureau Federation and its grassroots members will have real opportunities to achieve success this year, as well as challenges we will need to tackle to help safeguard our members' ability to operate their farms and ranches," said AFBF President Bob Stallman.

Aggressively working to secure passage of legislation early in the year that addresses both long- and short-term agricultural labor needs is a priority for AFBF. A recent Farm Bureau economic analysis concluded that $5 billion to $9 billion in annual production is in jeopardy if the employee shortage cannot be filled. 

"Comprehensive immigration reform through legislation is needed to solve the agricultural worker problem," Stallman said.

You can read more about Farm Bureau's 2013 priorities by clicking here.

Cargill to Shutter Plainview Beef Plant- Hoping to Dry Up Excess Packing Capacity

The following are comments offered by Len Steiner and Steve Meyer in the Daily Livestock Report that is a email summary of a top news story daily impacting the livestock industry. This report looks at the impact of Cargill Beef announcing they will close their Plainview, Texas beef plant as of February first of this year.

"Live cattle futures collapsed in Thursday's trading as Cargill announced that it would sharply reduce packing capacity in light of limited cattle supplies in the Texas Panhandle. According to the Cargill press release, their plant in Plainview Texas will be idled following the results of "an exhaustive analysis of the regional cattle supply and processing capacity situation in North America...Increased feed costs resulting from the prolonged drought, combined with herd liquidations by cattle ranchers, are severely and adversely contributing to the challenging business conditions we face as an industry."

"The closure will affect 2000 employees at the Plainview facility. According to the Cargill website, the facility had a processing capacity of 4650 cattle per day, making it one of the larger plants operated by the company. According to data from "Cattle Buyers Weekly," Cargill operated 8 plants in 2012, with a total daily capacity of a little over 30,000 cattle per day. Some of those cattle (about 14%) were non-fed cws and bulls, however, so the total steer and heifer packing capacity was a little over 26,000 head. According to the data available to us, and this is for most but not all US beef packing plants, the Cargill Plainview plant represented about 4% of the steer/heifer slaughter capacity. 

Click here for more of this story.

 

Global Renewable Fuels Alliance Says Biofuels Key to Strong Economy and Clean Energy Future

The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance called on the policy development, business and technology sector leaders attending the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, to commit to increasing biofuels' share of the future global energy mix.

The World Future Energy Summit is the world's foremost annual event, dedicated to advancing future energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies. The Summit attracts heads of state, journalists, international policy makers, industry, investing and academic leaders to discuss practical and sustainable solutions to future energy challenges.

"The GRFA has demonstrated that increasing biofuels production and use in the future will lower GHG emissions while positively contributing to our economy and reduce our reliance on crude oil," said Bliss Baker, spokesperson for the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance.

According to the GRFA, biofuels will help shape the future of renewable energy because they are good for the global environment and economy.

You can read more of this story on our website by clicking here.

2013 Kicks Off with More Misleading Anti-Meat Campaigns

The role of meat and other animal products in Americans' diets continues to come under fire, with activist organizations' continued efforts to push for the introduction of meatless meals in the home, in the workplace, in school cafeterias and even in state legislatures. The Animal Agriculture Alliance learned this week that popular Food Network, Inc. personality, Giada De Laurentis launched her 2013 season with an episode entitled "Meatless Mondays."

According to a description of the episode on Foodtv.com, Ms. De Laurentis prepares meatless meals every Monday night for "health" and "environmental reasons."

"We are disappointed that a chef as popular as Ms. De Laurentis would lend her name to a movement funded and supported by radical animal rights activists," said Animal Agriculture Alliance President and CEO Kay Johnson Smith. "We believe in consumer choice when it comes to selecting one's meal choices, but this particular campaign is based on misleading and false information which is a disservice to America's hard working farm families, as well as consumers." 

Click here for more.