Fall Planting Winding Down; Progress on Par with Averages 

With fall planting winding down, 69 percent of Oklahoma's wheat crop was rated in good to excellent condition in the latest USDA Crop Weather report.  Canola conditions were also rated mostly good.  More than half of the wheat, canola and rye crops had emerged by the end of the week.

Wheat planting was 84 percent complete by week's end and 61 percent of the crop had emerged.

As of Sunday, 96 percent of the state's canola had been planted and 81 percent had emerged.  That was nine points ahead of the same time last year.  (Click here for more of the Oklahoma report.)

Producers in the Texas Plains continued to seed wheat as earlier seeded fields emerged.  Sixty-nine percent of the crop had been planted by week's end, compared to 73 percent last year and an average of 72 percent.  The wheat crop's condition was listed as 67 percent good or excellent with 31 percent in fair or poor shape.  (Click here for the full Texas report.)

According to the USDA, 87 percent of the wheat crop in Kansas has been planted.  That's compared to a five year average of 85 percent and last year's pace of 90 percent.  Sixty-three percent of the wheat crop was listed in good or excellent condition so far with 37 percent posted as fair or poor.  (The Kansas report is available by clicking here.)

Corn harvest progress continues to lag far behind the five-year average according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released today. With 39 percent of the crop harvest in the top 18 corn producing states as of October 20, progress now trails the five-year average by 14 points. The previous report, released on September 30, indicated only an 11 point gap at that time.

"Planting came late this year as farmers dealt with wet, cool conditions and, accordingly, harvest will be later than normal also," said National Corn Growers Association President Martin Barbre. "While some anecdotal evidence points toward a more robust crop than some had predicted in rural America, it is important to note that these instances may not be representative. Right now, we need favorable conditions that will allow farmers to get the corn out of the field and into the bins. Then, we will be able to make an accurate assessment of how the overall U.S. crop fared in 2013."

Sixty-three percent of the nation's soybean crop had been harvested by Oct. 20, compared with 79 percent one year ago and a 69-percent five-year average.  Fifty-seven percent of the crop was in good or excellent condition, with 39 percent listed as poor or fair.

You can read more of this story by clicking here.  You'll find the USDA Crop Progress report by clicking here.

Winter Stocker Opportunities in Today's Cattle Market

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

Cattle and beef markets have strengthened in October despite the uncertainty of the past couple of weeks. Feeder and fed cattle prices, along with boxed beef have all advanced compared to pre-shutdown reports with fed cattle showing the strongest relative increase. By the end of this week many of the data holes may be filled in with a clearer picture of slaughter, carcass weights and beef production.

Feeder markets continue to offer high value of gain for stocker production. Though the high absolute price levels for stocker calves is scary for buyers and their lenders, the combination of high price levels and relatively little price rollback means that the value of putting weight on feeder cattle remains very high, in fact, well above what I would expect to see longer term. Last week, based on reported feeder prices at the Joplin Regional Stockyards, a 476 pound, medium/large frame steer could be purchased for $181.38.cwt. or $863.37/head. Or, a 567 pound steer was priced at $172.68/cwt. or $979.10/head. Notice that the additional 91 pounds of beginning weight only cost $1.27/lb., an important consideration as producers decide what weight to begin the stocker enterprise. 

Click here for more from Derrell Peel.  

Animal Agriculture Report Provides Stark Contrast to Pew Commission Report on 'Industrial' Farming

The Animal Agriculture Alliance released a report detailing the efforts and progress America's livestock, poultry and egg producers have made over more than a decade in ensuring animal well-being, protecting the environment, using antibiotics responsibly and producing the world's safest food.

Titled "Advances in Animal Agriculture; What the Center for a Livable Future, Pew Commission and Others Aren't Telling You About Food Production," the report will provide stark contrast to a report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for a Livable Future, the organization that initiated "Meatless Mondays." Its report, expected to be released Oct. 22, is an update of a report issued in 2008 by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production that was highly critical of modern food-animal production.

"Many organizations--including the Pew Commission--have long criticized the animal agriculture community for not caring enough about their animals or environment or prioritizing public health," said Alliance President and CEO Kay Johnson Smith. "While there's always more progress to be made, the entire animal agriculture community has worked hard and has achieved results. Those results should be shared."

You can read more of this story by clicking here.

NACD Supports Bill to Secure Private Water Rights

National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) President Earl Garber recently sent a letter to House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Hastings, Ranking Member DeFazio, Subcommittee on Water and Power Chairman McClintock, and Ranking Member Napolitano in support of the bipartisan Water Rights Protection Act, H.R. 3189. 
   
H.R. 3189 would prevent federal agencies from requiring public-lands users to turn over water rights as a condition of issuing or renewing permits, thus securing water rights for those that have paid for them while providing stakeholders the stability they need to appropriately plan for and manage natural resources at the local level. 
   
"Not only is compelling individuals to relinquish water rights for permits unfair to those who have paid to use their water permits, the required waiver of water rights to the federal government overlooks state laws concerning water rights transfer and ownership as well as Constitutional takings issues," Garber said. 

Click here to read more.   

Playing Catchup- USDA Issues Conservation Reserve Program Rental, Direct and ACRE Payments

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA has begun distributing Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) annual rental payments to participants across the country. USDA also will distribute 2013 direct payments and 2012 Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program payments beginning this Thursday, October 24. Payments originally were scheduled to be issued earlier in the month, but were delayed by several weeks due to the lapse in Federal funding. 

Producers will receive payments on almost 700,000 CRP contracts on 390,000 farms covering 26.8 million acres.

Direct payments for 2013 for the DCP and ACRE programs are being made to the more than 1.7 million farms enrolled in the Farm Service Agency's programs. Producers with base acres of certain commodities are eligible for DCP payments. ACRE payments for 2012-crop barley, corn, grain sorghum, lentils, oats, peanuts, dry peas, soybeans, and wheat are scheduled to be released beginning Oct. 24 and contingent upon national average market prices and yields in each state.

Click here for more details- and if you have questions- check with your local FSA office. 

This and That- Registration Deadline for Outlook Conference,  Cattle Recovered and Superior Female Sale

Agribusiness leaders interested in gaining insight into the latest industry trends should plan to attend the 2013 Rural Economic Outlook Conference next Friday,  November first on Oklahoma State University's Stillwater campus.  

"We are featuring a variety of timely issues, all of them relevant to decision-makers in agricultural businesses and government agencies across the state," said Damona Doye, acting agricultural economics department head at OSU. "Everyone who attends will get a unique chance to access up-to-date information and be challenged in their thinking by experts."

The registration fee before Oct. 25 is $50, and the cost to register at the door is $70. The fee includes a reception beginning at 5 p.m. Oct. 31 and a full slate of sessions the following day at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center, Click Family Alumni Hall.

You'll find more information and a link for registration on our website.  Click here to go there.