NCBA Helps Convince Senate Ag Committee Chair Stabenow to Pull Cage Agreement From Her Farm Bill Mark

The farm bill markup is still planned for May, with the Senate Ag Committee expected to begin as early as the latter part of this week.   Colin Woodall, vice president of government affairs with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, says a "short term victory" has been won in discussions with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow as she gets the process rolling, as the Michigan Senator has apparently pulled from her Chairman's Mark language that would have codified the HSUS- UEP cage agreement. In recent days, her staff had signaled that it would be a part of her initial draft of the 2013 five year Farm Bill.
 

"There is a huge concern as to whether or not she will include the language on the HSUS-United Egg Producers agreement in regards to the size of laying cages. We understand it was in an initial draft. We started having meetings with her staff immediately and really ramped up some of our other friends in animal agriculture to express our concern about it. And I think we have put enough pressure on her that she is going to remove that. So we see that as a short-term victory, but we still don't know if one of the other Senators will bring that up as an amendment either during the markup later this week or when the bill goes to the floor. So, it's still very much a real threat to all of us in livestock production."

Woodall says this language should be of great concern to cattle producers.

"Almost two years ago the Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers got together and decided that they were going to dictate the size of laying cages to be used in the egg industry. Now, on the surface, if that's something that United Egg Producers and HSUS wanted to agree to, that's not a problem. Our problem is the way they intended to enforce that. Basically, they wanted Congress to pass a law that would mandate the use of these cages.

"A lot of people questioned why NCBA, the Pork Producers, and other groups in livestock have been involved and it has to do with precedents. If we allow this agreement to move forward and be passed into law, it will actually be the first time that Congress has ever dictated a production practice."

Colin joins me on the latest Beef Buzz.  Click here to read more or to listen to our conversation.  

Ratings for all small grains declined slightly across Oklahoma last week in the latest USDA Crop Progress and Condition report. Below-normal precipitation, multiple freeze events, and hail storms have all damaged small grains in various locations.

Wheat jointing was 94 percent complete by Sunday. Wheat heading was 42 percent complete by the end of the week, 41 points behind normal.   Thirty-five percent of the wheat crop was rated in fair condition, 27 percent was rated as poor, 18 percent was rated good, and 18 percent was in very poor shape.

Canola was rated mostly good to fair with 38 percent rated poor to very poor. Canola blooming was 97 percent complete by the end of the week.  (Click here to read the full Oklahoma report.)

In Kansas, the winter wheat crop was 67 percent jointed, behind 100 percent a year ago and 90 percent average. The crop was 3 percent headed, well behind 89 percent a year ago and 3 weeks behind 32 percent average. The condition rated 19 percent very poor, 21 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 24 percent good, and 3 percent excellent. (You can read the Kansas report by clicking here.)

Winter wheat continued to suffer across much of the Texas Plains due to dry, windy conditions combined with overnight freezes. While producers still expect to harvest some of their wheat for grain, many fields were being baled for hay. Insurance adjusters were busy evaluating fields. In East and South Texas, wheat was generally in better condition with many fields reaching the heading stage.  Seventy-four percent of the crop was in very poor or poor condition, with 19 percent in fair shape, and only six percent rated good.  (Click here to read the full report from Texas.) 

NATIONALLY- we have finally made a little progress in planting the 2013 corn crop- we added seven percentage points to national planting totals this past week- we are now 12% planted- still well behind the 47% five year avaerage.  Click here for the national Crop Press report from Uncle Sam to check out the full crop progress story.

March Beef Export Results Mixed; Pork Exports Trend Lower

March exports of U.S. beef were down in volume from a year ago but edged slightly higher in value, while pork exports slumped on lower results in several mainstay markets. According to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), March beef export volume of 83,612 metric tons (mt) was down 7 percent from a year ago but export value ($440.7 million) was slightly higher. Beef exports finished the first quarter 4 percent lower in volume (256,587 mt) but 5 percent ahead of last year's record pace in value ($1.3 billion).

March pork exports declined 18 percent from a year ago in both volume (163,004 mt) and value ($469.5 million), hampered by a beta agonist-related market closure in Russia, larger domestic supplies in China and South Korea and weakened demand in top markets Japan and Mexico. For the first quarter, pork exports fell 12 percent below last year's record pace in volume (528,195 mt) and 11 percent in value ($1.49 billion).

"We are definitely facing a challenging environment in several of our leading markets," said USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng. "Some of these trends are anticipated, such as the lower demand for exports where domestic production is up and inventories are plentiful. But the trade impasse with Russia is very frustrating because we have lost access to a market where demand for our product is extremely strong. In other destinations we have seen the overall demand for high-quality proteins become sluggish, and USMEF is very focused on reversing this trend."

You'll find the full story by clicking here.

 

National Crop Insurance President Tries to Set the Record Straight on Crop Insurance

Thomas P. Zacharias, Ph.D., is president of National Crop Insurance Services and formerly was an associate professor at Iowa State University. This guest editorial appeared in CQ/Roll Call on May 6, 2013:

Admittedly, opponents of farm policy attract more headlines than the men and women who put food on our tables and clothes on our backs.

Then again, it is far easier to get attention with sensationalist claims and unsubstantiated data.

Take the drought of 2012 for example. Opponents of crop insurance made news by claiming that taxpayers would be responsible for as much as $40 billion. Critics called crop insurance a farmer bailout and said things like farmers were "laughing all the way to the bank" and were "praying for drought, not praying for rain."

Never were these anti-agriculture activists and for-hire university economists criticized for their bombastic tone or baseless predictions that turned out to be incredibly inaccurate.

Sure, farmers tried to set the record straight, but supporting a farm policy that helped protect taxpayer dollars is not as glamorous as inflated estimates and inflammatory rhetoric.

Click here for more.

 

Derrell Peel Asks: Boxed Beef Leads Prices Higher, But For How Long?

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, writes in the latest Cow-Calf Newsletter:

Choice boxed beef reached record levels above $200/cwt. last week, with fed cattle prices not far behind.   The late spring rally comes after boxed beef and fed markets appeared to have topped in March. Extended cold weather, abundant supplies of competing meats, high gas prices and increased payroll taxes have all played a part in limiting beef demand this spring. Several of those factors have now changed somewhat.

The recent rally in Choice boxed beef has no doubt been part of beef buying for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Though the weather has moderated somewhat recently, more winter weather occurred as late as last week. The buying now seems to be more in the tone of insisting that the weather will warm up for the first big summer holiday, in the absence of concrete improvement in the weather so far. Beef demand is also getting some help in the form of lower gasoline prices and strength in competing meat prices. Broiler breast meat has made a strong increase leading to the highest prices since 2010. On the pork side, ham prices have recovered dramatically since the Easter lows, although pork loin prices are still weak.

You can read more of Derrell Peel's analysis by clicking here.

Ed Czerwien of the USDA Market News service takes a look at the record setting numbers from last week.  Click here to listen to his report or to read more. 

 

USDA Announces Final Call for 2012 Census of Agriculture

With the window to respond to the 2012 Census of Agriculture officially closing on May 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is urging farmers and ranchers not to miss this opportunity to be counted and help determine the future of farming in America. USDA has already received more than 2 million completed Census forms.

"Our nation needs your help to ensure that decisions about U.S. agriculture accurately represent you, your communities, and your industry," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "For every 158 people in America there is one farm. I urge you to take action today and respond to the Census - your country is counting on the information to help ensure a continued supply of food, fiber and fuel for generations to come."

The Census of Agriculture, conducted only once every five years, is the only source of consistent and comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the nation. It looks at farms, value of land, market value of agricultural production, farm practices, expenditures, and other factors that affect the way farmers and ranchers do business. The information is used by agribusinesses, town planners, local governments, and policy makers, as well as farmers, ranchers, growers and others to shape farm programs, boost rural services and grow the future of farming.

Jump to more of this story by clicking here.

 

This N That- Latest Calendar Adds, Smartphones and Record Keeping- and a Oklahoma Farm Report App Reminder

We have added several items to the calendar in recent days- and that includes several wheat field plot meetings, a set of meetings planned by Winfield on plant nutrition and seed treament, the quarterly board meeting of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association this coming Friday in El Reno and the Lahoma Wheat Field Day- also this Friday. 

Click here to jump over to our website and our calendar page to get up to date on the latest happenings going on in Oklahoma agriculture.

*********

We have a really interesting story on how one cattle lady is using her smartphone and apps that are available to keep records on her beef cattle herd.  We have the story and the video on our website- click here to go and check it out about how Barb Downey of Kansas is using technology to her advantage.

**********

Speaking of APPs- we hope that you have had the chance to download our Oklahoma Farm Report App on your smartphone.  Click here to jump over to our webpage that will direct you to where you can download either the Iphone version or the Android version. 

As some of you may remember- we took entries for an Ipad Mini at the recent Southern Plains Farm Show- we want to give anyone who did not have a chance to enter to have one more chance to do so- you have to have downloaded the App on your smartphone or tablet to be eligible- and to get your last minute entry to me- you will need to do to the Oklahoma Farm Report App on your phone, look at the Video section- and email me the name of the video that is at the top of the current list of videos that are available to be seen on the App. Email me by clicking here- we will take entries today and tomorrow and then draw for the Ipad Mini on Thursday and announce the winner in the News section of the App.