New Foodservice Study Shows Pork Is Fastest-Growing Protein 

With a growth rate outpacing all other proteins in the foodservice industry, pork is hot. According to Technomic, Inc.'s 2013 Volumetric Assessment of Pork in Foodservice, pork is sustaining its popularity having become the foodservice industry's fastest-growing protein in each of the past two years. 

This most recent study noted that total pork sold through foodservice outlets reached a record-breaking 9.25 billion pounds, reflecting a volume increase of 462 million pounds over 2011 when the survey was last undertaken. The 2.6 percent increase outpaced the total protein growth average of 0.8 percent and the 1.5 percent total growth of the foodservice industry itself. 

"We are pleased to see such positive growth in foodservice, especially carnita meat, shoulder/butt and pulled pork," said Stephen Gerike, director of foodservice marketing for the Pork Checkoff. "The volumetric study shows that operators are leveraging pork's versatility." 

Since 2011, fresh pork has driven growth of the total pork category, increasing by 3.5 percent on an annual basis. Sales of processed pork also grew 2.3 percent, largely driven by sales of ham, breakfast sausage and bacon. Sales of these traditional breakfast meats represent 56 percent of the carcass-weigh equivalent.

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Corn, Soybean Crops Continue to Make Good Progress, USDA Report Says 

The U.S. corn and soybean crops continued to make steady progress toward full maturity last week while remaining in good condition, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Monday. The percentage of the corn crop doughing increased by 18 points last week, narrowing the amount by which this crop's maturation lags the five-year average by four points. Reports also indicate that the crop condition remains nearly unchanged from the previous week with 59 percent of the crop forecast to be in good-to-excellent condition. Last year at this time, only 22 percent of the crop still fared as well. 

"While the crop condition remains strong, farmers understand how weather can play an important role at any point during season," said National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson, a grower in Floyd, Iowa. "Despite wet, cool conditions this spring and, for some, this summer, farmers forged ahead to plant a near-record number of corn acres. Now, they face varied conditions across the Corn Belt. Should favorable weather continue to fuel growth and maintain quality, U.S. corn farmers could produce a record crop in 2013."

You can read more of this story and find a link to the U.S. Crop Progress report by clicking here.
 

ICYMI: Economics of Canola Mean Bigger Slices of a Bigger Pie for Everybody, Jones Says

The economics of winter canola production are looking really good across the Southern Plains, according to Dr. Rodney Jones. He was recently named the Oklahoma Farm Credit Endowed Professor of Agrifinance at Oklahoma State University.   Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays spoke with Jones at the recent winter canola workshop in Enid.

Jones said that producers have learned a lot over the last eight to ten years as they have worked to get canola introduced in the state.

"We have learned over the last eight years that the economics of this crop in a rotation, in a wheat-canola rotation or even a more intensive crop rotation, canola in our crop rotation in this part of Oklahoma works very well from an economic standpoint. We've seen time after time after where folks have been able to harvest yields that are comparable on a bushel-per-acre basis to wheat. Just take 2013 for example, we're selling canola for $12 a bushel and some of them are selling wheat for $7 a bushel."

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Pitchfork Ranches and Rash Barrett Cattle Company Named 2013 Range Round-Up Champions

After the dust settled from two rounds of fierce competition at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City, Pitchfork Ranch and Rash Barrett Cattle Company combined their efforts to clinch the OCA's 29th Annual Range Round-Up Championship.

 These cowboys secured their winning position by placing first in the Wild Cow Milking and second in the Stray Gathering and Team Branding events. Team members included: Todd Casebolt, Kyle McCord, Eric Waters, Carl Gholson and James Gholson.

The OCA Range Round-Up features 12 teams consisting of 'real ranch' cowboys, representing 16 of Oklahoma's most historic ranches. The Pitchfork and Barrett team will represent Oklahoma as they advance to the World Finals which will take place in November.

The Pitchfork Land and Cattle is headquartered in Guthrie, Texas with a location in Waurika, Okla. Rash Barrett Cattle is located in Ryan, Okla. 

You can read more of this story by clicking here. 

Better Forage Conditions Appear in Many Drought Regions

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

 I have had the opportunity to travel nearly 4000 miles in the month of August over a good deal of the drought areas of the Southern Plains and western Great Plains. In one trip I traveled across the Texas Panhandle and made a loop covering much of central and eastern New Mexico. In another trip I traveled across south-central and southwest Nebraska, central and western Kansas, the Oklahoma Panhandle and northwest Oklahoma. Most all of this region is shortgrass native range and a mixture of dryland and irrigated farming. 

Recent rains have resulted in significant short term improvement in range conditions in much of these regions. The warm-season grasses that make up native ranges in the central and southern Plains typically receive monsoonal summer moisture and will respond with forage growth resulting in high quality forage in the fall and winter. The recent rains do not imply that drought is erased from many of these regions nor that forage production is back to normal after sustained damage from several years of drought. However, the forage growth that does occur will help stabilize the severely reduced herd numbers in the region and may allow for limited heifer retention this fall. Full recovery of these native ranges will require several years but this could be an important first step in that process. With respect to crop production, the recent rains will do little to change the damage already incurred on summer crops, especially corn, though it may help soybean and grain sorghum production in Kansas and southern Nebraska.

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

Heat Dome Builds Over Oklahoma; Temperatures Soar Near Triple Digits

Hot, dry weather has settled in over Oklahoma and Associate State Climatologist Gary McManus says the current seven- day rainfall is the worst he's seen in quite a while.  He says the next seven days don't seem that much better due to a heat dome being parked right over the region.  

High temperatures are flirting with triple digits in southwest Oklahoma and the upper nineties are will be commonplace over the rest of the state.

The National Weather Service in Norman shows that other than a slight chance for showers in the far southwest tomorrow, it will be more of the same for the next week. Temperatures are not out of control, but they're still a bit above normal (and a LOT above where they were earlier in the month).

You can read more and see the latest climate maps by clicking here.