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According to the Crop Production report issued by USDA Monday - U.S. corn growers are expected to produce a record-high 13.8-billion bushels of corn in 2013. That's a 28-percent increase from drought-stricken 2012. While the early planting season wasn't very favorable this year - with abnormally wet and cold spring weather leading to just five-percent of corn planted by April 28th - the weather became more favorable in mid-May. This allowed producers to speed up their planting pace and tie the previous single-week planting record by getting 43-percent of the total crop in the ground during the week ending on May 19th. Growers completed planting by mid-June - with 97.4-million acres planted. As of August 4th - 64-percent of the U.S. corn crop was rated in good to excellent condition - significantly higher than at this time last year. As a result - USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service is forecasting this year's corn yield at 154.4-bushels per acre. That would be the third-highest yield on record.


U.S. soybean production is forecast at 3.26-billion bushels - up eight-percent from last year. Growers are expected to harvest 76.4-million acres of soybeans - which would be the second largest harvested acreage on record. Like corn growers - soybean producers were hampered by the unfavorable weather during the planting season. Planting of the crop wasn't underway in all 18 major soybean growing states until mid-May. The improved weather in June allowed growers to speed up their planting. Growers had 96-percent of the crop in the ground by June 30th - and based on August 1 conditions - yields are expected to average 42.6-bushels per acre.


Monday's Crop Production report also included the first production forecast for U.S. cotton. NASS forecasts all cotton production at 13.1-million 480-pound bales - down 25-percent from last year. Yield is expected to average 813-pounds per harvested acre - down 74-pounds from last year. Wheat production is also estimated lower than 2012. All wheat production is expected to total 2.11-billion bushels - a seven-percent decline from 2012. The all wheat yield - based on conditions on August 1 - is forecast at 46.2-bushels per acre.
 

Click here for more on the Crop Production, WASDE and the Crop Progress reports from USDA- we have links to the complete reports in our web story.

Report Lowers Yields Slightly, But Keeps Pace for a Record Corn Crop; Farmers, Ethanol Producers Pleased 

Despite slight decreases in the forecasts for overall production and national yield, U.S. farmers are still on track to produce a record corn crop, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates released today. The projected harvest of 13.8 billion bushels of corn fell 187 million bushels from the forecast a month prior as the first survey-based yield forecast fell to 154.4 bushels per acre. If this forecasts is realized, U.S. corn farmers would far exceed the production record set in 2009 of 13.09 billion bushels.

"Despite planting delays and somewhat cool, wet conditions across much of the Corn Belt, farmers have worked diligently to grow the best crop possible," said National Corn Growers Association First Vice President Martin Barbre, a farmer from Carmi, Ill. "We are pleased to see that this work is coming to fruition in many of the fields surveyed by the USDA in order to produce this forecast. Farmers merge cutting-edge technology and ever-improving practices to create a dynamic industry capable of operating at a level unthinkable only a few decades prior. As harvest slowly approaches, we hope that conditions hold strong and look forward to getting the crop out of the field and into the bins."  Click here to read more from the NCGA. 

Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen said "While it is important to remember the crop is not yet in the bins, today's report should be the last nail in the coffin of the ridiculous 'food versus fuel' argument. Corn stocks are likely to hit an 8-year high and prices are at a 3-year low. Meanwhile, USDA is projecting food inflation to average just 2 percent in 2013, down from 2.6 percent in 2012 and well below the historical average of 3 percent. Meat prices are expected to advance just 1.5 percent this year, compared to 3.4 percent last year. All this while ethanol production, demand, and consumption continues to increase. Clearly, the link between the RFS, ethanol, and food prices does not exist."  You can read more by clicking here.

Progress in the nation's corn crop is lagging significantly behind the five year average according to the USDA's latest weekly Crop Progress report.  Five percent of the crop was in the dent stage compared to a 17 percent five year average.  Soybean progress was also below average with wheat harvest progressing on par.  Click here for the full US Crop Progress report.

Another unusually wet week for the Oklahoma summertime averaged 1.67 inches of precipitation for the state, with the highest totals across northern Oklahoma.  Condition ratings for corn, sorghum and soybeans continued to be rated mostly good, while peanuts were rated mostly good to fair and cotton was rated mostly fair.  You can read the full Oklahoma report by clicking here.

In Kansas, heavy rains dumped three to seven inches in central and southeastern portions of the state last week.   Corn in the dent stage was nine percent, well behind 58 percent last year and a 31-percent five-year average. Forty-nine percent of the sorghum crop was listed in good to excellent shape, and soybeans were progressing in line with five-year averages.  Click here to read more of the Kansas Crop Progress report.

Temperatures in excess of 100 degrees and a lack of rainfall last week depleted soil moisture over a large portion of Texas.  Fifty-five percent of the state's corn crop was reported in excellent or good condition, with 58 percent of the sorghum crop in the same categories.  You can read the full report for Texas by clicking here.

NCBA Moves Against COOL Rule with Two-Pronged Approach

At the recent Summer Beef Industry Conference in Denver, Collin Woodall, vice president for governmental affairs with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, presented a briefing on the state of the NCBA's efforts to rule back implementation of the USDA's Country Of Origin Labeling rule.

The final COOL was put into place in May, and was an attempt to satisfy the World Trade Organization, Woodall said. It requires a three-tiered label which lists where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. The USDA is moving forward with forcing producers to implement the rule, even though action is still pending before the WTO court.

"We do not like that because the WTO has not finished all their work on the case. We know that this new label is going to cost more in investment from the industry in order to comply. We do expect the WTO to throw this particular rule out. So, we're lining ourselves up to have all this investment on a rule that will eventually be pitched out. That's just a waste of money, so that's why we're working twofold: one is through the farm bill to try to get a fix in that process, and we are also seeking a preliminary injunction through the legal system in or to stop further implementation of the May COOL rule."

You can read more or listen to my full conversation with Collin Woodall by clicking here.  

Derrell Peel Explores Fall Feeder Cattle Marketing Options

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

 Oklahoma feeder cattle prices have increased about $20/cwt. for all weights since the lows in late May. After being on the defensive much of the first half of the year, feeder cattle markets are poised to hold stronger in the second half of the year. Good prospects for a big corn crop and corn price relief combined with significantly improved forage conditions is being reflected in stronger feeder prices and open up more marketing options for cow-calf and stocker producers. 

Calf prices are currently about $25/cwt. higher than this time last year. In 2012, calf prices increased $20-22/cwt between August and November. Some of the increase in calf prices that occurred between August and November of 2012 has likely already happened this year.   Basis for lightweight feeders continues to be relatively strong compared to Feeder futures. An average basis and the current Feeder futures price would indicate that 500 pound steers in OKC would be at least $172/cwt. in November but the current strong basis suggests that the price could be $180/cwt or higher this fall. Both the current cash market and the Feeder futures suggest that cow-calf producers should expect calf prices that are $10-15/cwt. higher than last year in November.

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

Timely Rains Give Oklahoma Cotton Crop Unexpected Gift

Timely rains have given Jeannie Hileman's clients near Carnegie an unexpected gift. a good cotton crop. Hileman manages the Farmers Coop Gin here. In fact, the rain and accompanying cool weather this summer nearly wrecked the cotton crop before it got started, she said.

 "We like to get the cotton planted early so it can have a full season to mature," she said. "Spring rains here came with cool fronts and a lot of wind slowed down cotton planting and made a lot of the cotton late. 

"Luckily, the rains have continued on into August to keep the crop growing."

 Hileman said her farmers had 4,000 acres of dryland cotton and 8,000 acres of irrigated cotton in Caddo and Comanche counties. She added cotton growers as far west as Elk City haul cotton to the Carnegie facility for processing in the fall.

 "There isn't much irrigation water available in the Elk City and Canute areas," she said. "But we know they have received some good rain. In that particular area, the dryland cotton should make good yields if the rain continues."

Click here to read more of this story. 

This n That- THE Weather God, Rainfall Piles Higher, and the Meat Goat Website is Calling You!

In case you missed it- the New York Times send a writer to Oklahoma City back in May to follow around Seiling, Oklahoma native son Gary England.   

The writer was around right after the May 20th tornadoes of this spring- and witnessed first hand the incredible grasp that England has when it comes to tracking storms and getting people in position to survive even the strongest storm.   

Sam Anderson writes of the love affair between England and his viewers across central and western Oklahoma- "In the eyes of