Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are excited to have as one of our new sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information on growing Nu-Sun Sunflowers this year- and check out the full story on PCOM on their website by clicking here.

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Schafer says that this September 2.1 million acres will be up for renewal, September 2009 will see 2.8 million acres up for renewal and September 2010 4.4 million acres will see the end of their current contract- and could either exit the program or be "re-upped." Schafer adds that 50% more acres of land this year versus last year came out early from the CRP, with landowners willing to accept the penalties that are now in place.

We have the Secretary's full statement he offered reporters on Tuesday linked on our website- the link to that is below.

Click here for the story on NO early out without penalty for CRP.

But the talks are not over. Lamy gave the ministers overnight to "cool off" and come back for more discussions.
The word of the failure brought out lots of comments from politcians and agricultural groups. Several expressed thankfulness that the US had not given away the store and accepted what they called might be a "bad deal."

The National Cotton Council really felt like they have dodged a bullet. Cotton has been singled out as especially a problem for poor African countries- and the agreement had been made to cut cotton subsidies faster and further than other commodities. The Council said in their statement "We applaud Ambassador Schwab for refusing to settle for a bad agreement. We are encouraged that the United States held firm to its commitment to U.S. agriculture. We also believe that U.S. negotiators were justified in their criticism of China and India for those countries' insistence on allowances to raise agricultural tariffs above current levels."

Click here for our story on more reaction to the WTO talks derailing on Tuesday in Geneva.

Two of the five Congressmen that represent Oklahoma had primary night challenges- with Dan Boren beating Kevin Coleman with 85% of the vote, and First District lawmaker John Sullivan securing almost 92% of the vote in winning the right to face Democrat Georgianna Oliver who won the Democratic nod in the First District with 55% of the vote.

A couple of state House races were probably of interest to agricultural interests. One of only two incumbents in the House that had a primary challenge was Republican Chris Benge- and he wins his race with 80% of the vote over Brian Jackson.
AND- the former President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau who was term limited out of that job, Steve Kouplen of Beggs, wins the Democratic Primary for District 24- got 57.5% of the vote and has no challenger in the fall so will be a freshman lawmaker in 2009 at the State Capitol.

It is AFR's contention that more Oklahoma land owners were preparing to apply for the Critical Feed Use program and the judge in Seattle eliminates taht as a possibility in a year where the forage is badly needed by many. We have ranchers that were waiting for approval or had appointments set up to enroll in the days after the Temporary Restraining Order that are now left with arbitrary stipulations," said Ray Wulf.

Last weeks ruling allows applicants approved for the CFU initiative prior to the original temporary restraining order to participate as it was announced by USDA, allowing for haying and grazing until November 10 (approximately 200,000 acres). However, for those producers who had pending applications prior to the temporary restraining order the rules have now changed. Once they are approved for the program they will be allowed haying until September 30 and grazing until October 15 (approximately 153,000 acres). Anyone who applies to participate in the CFU and can demonstrate detrimental reliance, by having expended $4,500 or more, may be approved for and participate in the CFU but also must end haying activity by September 30 and grazing activity by October 15. Wulf went on to say "All of this has lead to wasted time and more paper work when our producers desperately needed their CRP lands for haying and grazing."

Division officials view the center as the next logical step in focusing multi-disciplinary efforts related to biofuels development not only within DASNR but across the state and nation. "The main activity of the center will be to coordinate and provide leadership for the division's bioenergy programs and serve as a liaison with the bioenergy industry," said Bob Westerman, DASNR assistant vice president for program support. Westerman said key areas of emphasis will be identifying and developing biomass feedstock sources; logistics of harvest, handling and transport of feedstock and processed value-added products; development and enhancement of efficient biomass conversion processes and technology; increased efficiency in biobased fuels, materials and products; marketing and contractual assistance; and the determination of economic, social and environmental effects.

Ray Huhnke, OSU Cooperative Extension biosystems engineer with the division's department of biosystems and agricultural engineering, will serve as center director. In addition to his center duties, Huhnke will continue to serve as coordinator of the multi-college, multi- institutional OSU Biofuels Team. The team is comprised of scientists and engineers within the division; the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology; the University of Oklahoma; Mississippi State University and Brigham Young University.
OSU, the University of Oklahoma and Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation comprise the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center, a consortium charged by Gov. Brad Henry to enhance and promote the state's bioenergy industry. OSU is also part of the federally funded Biomass based Energy Research Consortium, along with OU, Brigham Young University and Mississippi State University.

The U.S. Wheat Associates Board of Directors honored wheat producer Ron Suppes, Dighton, Kan., as he turned over the Chairman's gavel to Michael Edgar, Yuma, Arizona. Also at the meeting, Janice Mattson, Chester, Montana, assumed the duties of Vice Chairman, while Don Schieber assumed the Secretary-Treasurer position.

USW is the industry's export market development organization funded by America's wheat producers and through cost-share funding provided by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service. The organization elects officers for the next marketing year (June-May) at its Winter Board Meeting.

We plan on posting several stories on our website as the day goes by- and updating you on subjects like weed and insect control strategies, soil fertility and resistance issues found here in the southern plains.

Be on the lookout for those stories from the Seminar later today on WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com.

We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com

Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click on the name of the report to go to that link:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101 mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- One Pager From Country Hedging- looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges and the why of that day's market.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture. <
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.