Canola Acreage and Crop Condition Vastly Better than Last Year, Sanders Says 

With a hard freeze expected across most of Oklahoma in the next day or two, the canola crop will be entering its dormant phase. Heath Sanders of the Great Plains Canola Association says the crop looks much better prepared for inclement weather this year and, overall, canola acres are expected to be way up.

Planting season started out dry in September, but rains toward the latter end of the planting window really got things off to a good start.

"With the weather we've been having we're getting some size on it, we're getting some leaves on these plants. And, of course, the canola that got off on a good start is getting pretty good sized now and the brakes will be put on that pretty quick. So, all in all, from what I've gathered and what I've driven across the state, we're in so much better shape than last year. It's just a sigh of relief that we're setting ourselves up for a good opportunity to make a good crop this next spring."

The condition of the crop so far is fairly good, Sanders says, even in the southwest which is still very dry.

"I've seen some canola fields that look really good down there and I've seen some stands and some fields that were a little bit smaller.   And as you get further southwest, you get more erratic rainfalls. You get a little bit further north and it's a little bit more widespread, but it kind of depends on where you're at in southwest Oklahoma. We've got a mixed bag. We've got some smaller canola, we've got some bigger canola. The big thing now is we do have more moisture than we had last year so we've got some smaller plants, maybe, in some of these fields, but they do have some moisture under them and that helps buffer that temperature and keep that plant healthier even if it is smaller."

You can hear my full interview with Heath Sanders or read more of this story by clicking here.  

Value of Preconditioning Apparent in Oklahoma Quality Beef Network Sales and Stocker Demand

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

The first few of several Oklahoma Quality Beef Network (OQBN) sales have been held in the past two weeks. OQBN is a vac-45 type preconditioning programming with a specific protocol for health and weaning of calves. Several more sales are upcoming in McAlester (November 19); Blackwell (November 23); Tulsa (December 2); El Reno (December 4); and Pawnee (December 7). Last week, at the OKC West sale at El Reno, Oklahoma, OQBN steers and heifers sold for premiums ranging from $11 to $24/cwt. compared to non-preconditioned feeders. The value of preconditioning is apparent even when feeder cattle prices are near record levels. For stocker or feedlot buyers, the improved health and reduced death loss risk of preconditioned feeder cattle is even more important at high prices.   

Wheat pasture is continuing to develop and calf markets in the Southern Plains reflect strong wheat pasture demand for stockers. The strong demand for lightweight stockers is maintaining a sharp price rollback on initial stocker gains. In last week's seven-market Oklahoma auction averages, the steer price rollback for the 425-525 pound weight range was $21.61/cwt; for 525-625 pounds, $16.75/cwt.; for 625-725 pounds, $3.07/cwt.; and for 725-825 pounds, $5.87/cwt. This means that the value of gain is heavily loaded towards the later stocker gains, i.e., in animals above 600 pounds.  

To read more of this article from Derrell Peel, please click here.

Innovative Communications Necessary to Successfully Engage Millennial Generation Beef Consumers

The beef industry is heading in new directions when it comes to advertising designed to reach today's beef consumers. Helping lead the charge is Michelle Peterson Murray, senior executive director for innovative communications with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. She tells Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays it's a big job.

"On behalf of farmers and ranchers around the country we help tell the story of beef to consumers in a relevant way. What we've been doing in the last six months is really reshaping our communications programs and really thinking through what matters to consumers and how do we deliver that story to a Millennial through online."

She says reaching out to the younger generation in non-traditional and new media is a challenge.

"It's a brave new world for beef. It truly is a brand new environment. It's a new way to communicate, but, it's also exactly what we've been doing for years-providing great products to Americans and resolving the questions they have about what they're going to have for dinner tonight or putting them closer to America's farmers and ranchers and how we produce beef every day."

Michelle joins me for the latest Beef Buzz.  Click here to listen in or to read more of this story.  

Sow Packers to Require Premises ID Tags in 2015

In an effort to improve pre-harvest traceability and improve national disease surveillance in the pork industry, many major U.S. packers and processors will require a USDA-approved, official premises identification number (PIN) swine tag as a condition of sale for breeding stock beginning Jan. 1, 2015.

"This is a positive step for our industry as we continue to create a more robust surveillance and traceability system that can help protect our animals, our livelihoods and our customers," said National Pork Board President, Karen Richter, a producer from Montgomery, Minn. "That's why I encourage producers who may not already be using official PIN tags to register their premises and begin using the tags now."

According to Dr. Patrick Webb, Pork Checkoff's director of swine health, the USDA-approved, official PIN tags for breeding swine are customizable with or without a management number and can be purchased in multiple colors. 

You can read more of this story by clicking here.
 

DuPont Pioneer Helps Growers Use 2013 Data to Plan for Better 2014 Crop

DuPont Pioneer offers two unique field-analysis tools that help growers conduct deep dives on yield results - regardless of the brand of seed planted. Available through Pioneer® Field360™ services, these data tools - called treatment analysis and post-harvest calibration - provide an unbiased view of hybrid performance across a field.

"Growers taking advantage of these tools can sit down with their Pioneer sales professionals at the end of the year and review their operations," says Nathan Paul, DuPont Pioneer services application manager. "This offers a lot of information beyond simply average yield. Our sales reps and agronomists can help growers analyze yields based on different field environments."

The treatment-analysis tool connects yield results to soil maps, fertility maps and as-planted maps, providing a report card on hybrid performance by unique environment. With this information, a grower can focus on his hybrid selections for next year. DuPont Pioneer is the only seed company currently offering treatment analysis to growers.

You can read the full story by clicking here.

 

A Half a World Away- Crops and Ag Infrastructure Wiped Away by Typhoon Haiyan

The early reports from the Philippines are telling the story of a massive loss of life as well as a way of life in this Pacific nation.  Reports of 10,000 dying may end up being conservative.  The government has indicated that they are focusing right now on trying to help those still alive as they push to rescue people and set up relief shelters in the hardest hit villages and towns.  

Agriculture has been devastated along the path of this massive storm, which was about twice as big as Katrina when it hit New Orleans a few years back- with rice and coconut production hurt badly.

According to a news release from the United Nations' Food and Ag Organization, ""Although there is not a clear picture yet of the impact on the agriculture sector, it is evident that the damage is extensive," said Dominique Burgeon, Director of FAO's Emergency and Rehabilitation Division.

"The typhoon hit just at the beginning of the main rice-planting season, and FAO estimates that over one million farmers have been affected and hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice destroyed.

"Severe impacts on coconut production in affected areas are expected, and there has also been wide-scale destruction to storage facilities and rural infrastructure.

"Along the coast the storm surge wiped out many fishing communities, demolishing boats and gear."

There are several general relief funds that you can contribute to- however, we are searching for one that will funnel resources straight into the hands of impacted farmers. Click here to read more from the FAO release on the agricultural hurt.

Hard Freeze Arrives with Arctic Air- a Repeat Expected Wednesday Morning

Temperatures have fallen harder and faster than first thought for Tuesday morning, with a second morning of hard freezing conditions expected tomorrow morning.

We have several maps for you to take a look at this morning- a wind chill map that shows values down into the teens in northwest Oklahoma as well as a map that shows the temperature drop over the last 24 hours.

We also have a map showing the Oklahoma City National Weather Service area with the expected lows for Wednesday morning- extend those out into the Panhandle and over into northeastern Oklahoma- and you have a very cold night for an extended period of time.   

Click here to check these maps out- and you can click here for the current real time temperature map on the Mesonet as well.