Reaction to Senate Passage of Immigration Reform Split Among Ag Groups, Lawmakers 

Reaction to the Senate's 68-32 passage of the comprehensive immigration bill Thursday provoked mixed reactions among agriculture groups and legislators.

Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation supported the Senate's passage of the measure:  "The Senate's passage today of a balanced immigration reform bill that includes a fair and workable farm labor provision is welcomed by America's farmers and ranchers. A comprehensive agricultural labor plan that works for all sectors of agriculture and across all regions of our nation is long overdue. We commend the Senate for addressing this very important issue, which will help ensure the continued success of agriculture in our nation."  (Click here for more from Bob Stallman.)

National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Scott George also hailed the vote:  "Border security and immigration have been one of our top priorities as set by our members in 2013. I am pleased to see that the Senate has continued the conversation on this important issue that affects all Americans, but especially rural Americans and our members who live and ranch along our borders. This action by the Senate is a step in the right direction and we look forward to engaging with members of the House in ensuring the priorities of cattlemen and women are met in final legislation."  (You can read more from Scott George by clicking here.)

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, however, slammed his colleagues who voted for the bill.  He said, "This bill is a historic missed opportunity for the United States Senate. It is a $48 billion border stimulus package that grants amnesty to politicians who want to say they are securing the border when in fact they are not. I very much wanted to support an immigration reform proposal that balances our fundamental American values of legal immigration and the rule of law. Sadly, this bill fails that test.  (You'll find more of Coburn's comments by clicking here.)      

Oklahoma's Senior Senator Jim Inhofe was also unhappy with the final vote that sends the measure from the Senate to the House. "

Kim Anderson Says 2013 a 'Jekyll and Hyde' Year for Oklahoma Wheat Crop 

In his preview to this week's SUNUP program, OSU Extension Small Grains Marketing Specialist Kim Anderson says the 2013 wheat crop will go down in the record books as a year of two different wheat crops.

"In the western part of the state, the Panhandle and southwestern and southern parts of the state, you've got a very poor crop. A lot of acres had zero bushels; they were abandoned, then five to ten bushels per acre, a lot of 15 to 20 bushels per acre. That's good in some of those areas.

"But you get up into central Oklahoma, up in the northern parts of Oklahoma, you've got 30, 40, 50 and some 60-or higher-bushels per acre.   Some farmers are getting record crops or record yields. So you've got the Jekyll and Hyde this year."

Anderson said we won't know the final tally on statewide production for another month.

Click here to see the full lineup for this week's SUNUP show and to hear more from Kim Anderson.

Chairwoman Stabenow Applauds CFTC for Pursuing Accountability in MF Global Collapse

Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today applauded the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for its continued efforts to demand accountability in the wake of the bankruptcy of MF Global. Stabenow's statement comes as the CFTC filed civil charges against former MF Global Executives in federal court today. The company's bankruptcy was the eighth largest in history and nearly $1.2 billion in segregated customer funds went missing from the firm. The Senate Agriculture Committee has held several hearings on the MF Global bankruptcy.

"This is an important step forward and I appreciate that the CFTC continues to pursue this matter and fight for customers and market integrity,"  Stabenow said. "As I have said before, there must be accountability in this case and we need to do all we can to help MF Global customers get their money back. The loss of $1.2 billion in customer funds represents an extraordinary breach of trust and devastated thousands of farmers, ranchers and small businesses who rely on the futures market to hedge business risk. The Senate Agriculture Committee will continue throughout the upcoming CFTC reauthorization process to consider additional protections to ensure that customer money is not used improperly and to prevent situations like the MF Global bankruptcy from happening again." 

Two groups called on Congress to get creative-if necessary-to move the farm bill forward after the measure failed to gain sufficient votes for passage in the House of Representatives last week.

"There are a number of options on the table for moving forward with a Farm Bill, and failure simply cannot be one of them," said Earl Garber, president of the National Association of Conservation Districts.  "Now that the dust has settled, it's time for Congress to regroup and get this bill done. There is still time before the September 30 deadline, and we are confident that Congress can and will do the right thing..."  (Click here for more from Earl Garber.)

Michael A. Needham, CEO of Heritage Action said there are reports the Republican-controlled House is considering separating food stamps from farm programs if it will help get a farm bill passed.

"We are encouraged to hear reports that House Republican leaders are actively considering the separation of the so-called farm bill. This is an important first step to restoring fiscal sanity and transparency to this debate, but it is only a step. The reason to end this unholy alliance is to have an open, transparent debate on real reforms."  (You can read more from Michael Needham by clicking here.)

Pork Producers Praise Christie For Supporting Farmers

America's hog farmers and the National Pork Producers Council thanked New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for vetoing legislation that would have banned the use of individual maternity pens for pregnant sows. The legislation was pushed by animal-rights groups despite the fact that few of New Jersey's small number of hog farmers use such housing.

"This is a great example of a governor standing up to powerful lobbying groups on behalf of small, independent farmers," said NPPC President-elect Dr. Howard Hill, a pork producer from Cambridge, Iowa. "America's family hog farmers thank Gov. Christie for rejecting this bad legislation."

The legislation was championed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other radical animal-rights activists even though it would have prevented farmers from caring for their animals in a way approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. Those organizations long have recognize individual maternity pens as appropriate for providing for the well-being of sows during pregnancy.

Click here to read more of this story.   

Plains Grains Calls Oklahoma Wheat Harvest 80% Done

According to Mark Hodges of Plains Grains- it has been a high speed harvest over the last week.  The weekly harvest report was released last night:

"The 2013 HRW wheat harvest hit high gear in the southern and south central states this week as temperatures reached triple digits and fields dried down. The Texas harvest is now winding down in all areas other than far northwest Texas (Panhandle) and is estimated to be 70% complete state-wide. Oklahoma also made a big leap in harvested area this week with now 80% of the state's wheat crop cut. Many areas of north central Oklahoma have been reporting good yields (40 - 60) bushel per acre, good test weight (above 60 lb/bu) and protein averaging in the upper 11's.  

"Combines are rolling from the Oklahoma border to the Nebraska border in Kansas and as far west as Colorado. Kansas is currently reportedly 25% complete with harvest, but moving very rapidly. Early reports in Kansas have been much like states further south where drought and freeze were factors and that has influenced yields, kernel characteristics and protein. Areas in the western 1/3 of Kansas have reported very erratic yields, small kernels, but very good protein. The central area of Kansas has been reporting very good yields (>50 bushels per acre) with good kernel characteristics, but proteins of 11 and below in some areas.  

Colorado and Nebraska are just getting underway with harvest with no data currently available. The overall protein average of the first 80 samples of and expected 500 is 12.9% (all 80 samples are from central/north central Texas and Oklahoma). The Thousand Kernel Weights (TKW) data is from the first 61 of the 80 samples currently being tested and is reflective of the adverse conditions under which the crop developed in Texas and Oklahoma (extreme drought and multiple freeze events during later stages of development), TKW's are expected to increase as harvest moves northward where there were many areas not subject to such condition during crop development. "