Oklahoma Agriculture Blog

Oklahoma’s Official Agricultural Information Site

  • Welcome!

    Terry Peach, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture

    As agriculturists our jobs haven’t changed much from generation to generation but the way we do them sure has! Our roles as providers of the nation’s food and fiber and stewards of the land remain the same but just as we rely on new technologies to become more efficient as producers, we find we now need to find new ways to use them to communicate with each other.

    That’s why we have created this blog. Almost 60 percent of the population now depends on the internet for news and other information. The daily and weekly newspapers are still out there (and we still depend on them to reach thousands of Oklahomans) but for all of you who prefer the speed and convenience of electronic communications, this blog is for you.

    Let us know what you think and please interact on this site with your thoughts and comments. We are counting on you to let us know what you think and suggest things and ideas that will improve this site and provide you with the information you are looking for.

    Terry Peach, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture

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Archive for June, 2009

Oklahoma Planted Acreage Up 4 Percent from Last Year

Posted by carson4575 on June 30, 2009

Total planted acreage for major crops in Oklahoma is up 4 percent from last year, according to the Oklahoma Field Office of USDAs NASS. Wheat, rye, and cotton show an increase in planted acreage while, oats, sorghum, soybeans and peanuts show a
decline.

Wheat planted acres are estimated at 5.9 million acres, up 5 percent from 2008. Acres harvested for grain, at 3.6 million, are down 20 percent from last year. Oats planted acreage is estimated at 45,000 acres, down 10 percent from last year. Acres harvested for grain are forecast at 10,000, unchanged from 2008.

Rye plantings are estimated at 310,000 acres, up 11 percent from 2008. Harvested acres, at 65,000, are 18 percent above last year.

Cotton planted acreage is forecast at 180,000 acres, up 6 percent from last year. The first harvested acreage forecast of the year will be issued on August 12, 2009.

Corn planted acres are forecast at 370,000 acres, unchanged from 2008. Acres for grain, at 310,000, are down 3 percent from last year. Sorghum planted acres are forecast at 300,000 acres, down 14 percent from 2008. Acres for grain, at 240,000, are down 23
percent from last year.

Soybean planted acreage is forecast at 320,000 acres, down 20 percent from 2008. Harvested acres are expected to total 290,000 acres, 19 percent below last year.
Peanut planted acreage is forecast at 17,000, 11 percent below last year. Harvested acres are expected to total 16,000, also down 11 percent.

All hay acreage is forecast at 3.0 million, up 3 percent from 2008. Alfalfa hay, at 300,000 acres, is 3 percent below last year. All other hay is forecast at 2.7 million acres, up 4 percent from last year.

Survey results are based on Oklahoma farmers and ranchers reports from the June Agricultural Survey conducted during the first two weeks of June 2009
.

Posted in Ag Statistics | Leave a Comment »

June 1 Crop Report Good News for Livestock Feeding Industry

Posted by carson4575 on June 30, 2009

U.S. Crop Acreage Down Slightly in 2009, But Corn and Soybean Acres Up

Total U.S. crop area is down 1.2 percent from last year, but soybean acres are up 2.3 percent and corn acres are up 1.2 percent according to the Acreage report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Overall, farmers planted 320.9 million acres to principal crops in 2009. This is 3.9 million acres less than last year, but 3.9 million acres more than they indicated in the March 2009 Prospective Plantings report. The most significant acreage declines were in North Dakota, down 2.1 million, and Texas, down 570,000 acres.

Despite the overall decline in planted area, farmers sowed a record-high 77.5 million acres to soybeans, up 1.8 million acres from last year and up 1.5 million acres, or almost 2 percent, from March. Compared with 2008, soybean area is up more than 200,000 acres in five states: Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Farmers planted 87 million corn acres in 2009, up 1 million acres from last year. This is the second-largest corn acreage in more than 60 years, behind 2007. Despite wet weather in many growing areas, farmers reported that 97 percent of intended corn acreage was planted by early June, compared with the 10-year average of 98 percent.

NASS acreage estimates are based on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of June on approximately 11,000 segments of land and from a sample of approximately 73,500 farm operators across the United States. Principal crops included in the survey are corn, sorghum, oats, barley, winter wheat, rye, durum wheat, other spring wheat, rice, soybeans, peanuts, sunflower, cotton, dry edible beans, potatoes, sugar beets, canola and proso millet, as well as harvested area for all hay, tobacco and sugar cane.

Posted in Ag Statistics | Leave a Comment »

Organic Field Day Set For July 14

Posted by carson4575 on June 30, 2009

Oklahoma’s only certified organic public agricultural research facility will open its fields to visitors on July 14. The Lane Ag Center, ten miles east of Atoka on Highway 3, will share the results of its six year organic research program at a workshop and field day that will start at 2 p.m.

Registration is free but you must register by July 7 to reserve a place at dinner! For more registration information call 580-889-7343.

For more information on the Lane Agriculture Center’s organic research program, click here.
–Jack Carson

Posted in Organic | Leave a Comment »

Francie Tolle & Ryan McMullen Named To State USDA Posts

Posted by carson4575 on June 30, 2009

Last night’s announcement that President Obama’s administration named Francie Tolle as State Farm Service Agency Director and former state representative Ryan McMullen as USDA Director for Rural Development was welcomed by farm groups and several state agricultural leaders.

Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach, said he welcomes both individuals and looks forward to working with them in the future.
As a former FSA State Director, he said he knows Francie will do an excellent job for Oklahoma.

“Having served in that office under the Clinton administration I know what the challenges and the needs of FSA can be,” he said this morning. “I’ve known Francie for years and we brought her on board here at the state agriculture department when we decided to create the Agritourism Division. We knew she was the right person for building the program and I am confident she will make a positive difference for FSA and the state of Oklahoma.”

He said he was also looking forward to working with Ryan McMullen on rural development issues and projects.

“Rural Development and creating economic growth in our rural areas are two of our special interests at the agency and priorities of Governor Henry,” Peach said. “I’ve worked with Ryan on agricultural and rural economic issues since he was elected as a state representative in 2004 and I’m looking forward to working with him at his new post.”

To learn more about the Farm Service Agency, visit their website here.

The USDA Rural Development website is located at this link.

Posted in USDA | Leave a Comment »

Lost Creek Mushroom Farms Host Africans to Teach Mushroom Farming

Posted by carson4575 on June 29, 2009

Back in early April we blogged about the plans Lost Creek Mushroom Farm had to bring two African agriculturists here to learn about mushroom farming. Here’ the link to the earlier blog.

The trip went well and Oklahoma Horizon television featured their story this past week. Here’s a link to the story of how an Oklahoma family farm is helping improve the living conditions of people 6,000 miles away.–Jack Carson

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Oklahoma Hog Inventory Down 3 % From Last Year; U.S. Inventory Down 2%

Posted by carson4575 on June 29, 2009

Oklahoma’s inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2009, was estimated at 2.28 million head, down 3 percent from both March 1, 2009 and June 1, 2008. The breeding inventory of 400,000 head remained unchanged from last year.

The Market hog inventory was down 4 percent from the previous year and totaled 1.88 million head. Weight group breakdowns consisted of 860,000 pigs in the under 60-pound group; 300,000 in the 60-119 pound group; 210,000 in the 120-179 pound group; and 510,000 pigs in the 180 pound plus group.

The March – May 2009 pig crop totaled 1.62 million head, down 7 percent from last year, and down 4 percent from last quarter. The 180,000 sows farrowed were unchanged from the number farrowed during the previous quarter.

United States:

The U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2009, was 66.1 million head. This was down 2 percent from June 1, 2008 but up 1 percent from March 1, 2009. Breeding inventory, at 5.97 million head, was down 3 percent from last year and down slightly from the previous quarter.

Market hog inventory, at 60.1 million head, was down 2 percent from last year but up 1 percent from last quarter.

The March – May 2009 U.S. pig crop, at 28.5 million head, was down slightly from 2008 but up 2 percent from 2007. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.97 million head, down 3 percent from 2008 and down 2 percent 2007. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd.

Posted in Ag Statistics | Leave a Comment »

AFR SUPPORTS ODAFF’S SOLUTION TO CONTINUE SWINE EXHIBITING IN STATE

Posted by carson4575 on June 25, 2009

American Farmers & Ranchers, a general farm organization and mutual insurance company, issued a statement of support for action today by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) to require exhibitors in swine shows to have their premises identified prior to show participation.

“AFR supports ODAFF in its’ decision to continue swine shows in Oklahoma,” said AFR President Terry Detrick. “AFR is a strong supporter of all rural youth programs in the state. We agree that all 4-H and FFA members should continue to be able to compete and this process allows that opportunity. The premise identification requirement prior to exhibiting swine is a much more favorable solution to the alternative of shutting down these much loved family involved shows. It is less burdensome to have premise identification than to trade it for the possibility of a communicable disease with an inability to trace the problem.”

Oklahoma joins the ranks of Arizona, Colorado, Ohio and other national shows which require premise identification for participants.

AFR policy adopted by its delegates at its’ last annual convention on the subject states: “we support the current USDA premise identification program. Any future programs dealing with animal identification should be least burdensome to producers and maintain producer confidentiality.”

“The actions by ODAFF are consistent with our policy. The purpose of the program is to improve efficiency and speed of control by state health officials to combat any agriculture disease that might threaten the assets and very livelihood of Oklahoma agriculture producers. This action protects both social and economic concerns,” said Detrick. “Premise identification is a free service. ODAFF does not charge for it, and there are strict mandatory guidelines in place that such information cannot be released and must remain confidential.”

“We commend Governor Henry, Secretary Peach, the Board of Agriculture and state health officials for being pro-active in preparing in advance for issues that may affect the state’s pork industry,” concluded Detrick.

Posted in Animal Industry, Swine | Leave a Comment »

New Beef Value Cuts Come to Oklahoma

Posted by carson4575 on June 24, 2009

The Oklahoma Beef Council kicked-off a sales promotion with the Ben E. Keith foodservice company in June focusing on the checkoff-developed, beef value cuts including the Flatiron, Ranch, Delmonico and Denver steaks.

The Denver and Delmonico steaks are a part of the second generation of beef value cuts to be developed from the chuck, specifically the chuck roll. The flatiron and ranch steaks from the chuck shoulder clod have been available in Oklahoma the past several years, but this is the first time a foodservice company has distributed the Denver and Delmonico steaks.

The Oklahoma Beef Council is extremely excited Ben E. Keith has chosen to be the first company to sell the Denver and the Delmonico steaks in Oklahoma. It is also important to point out that the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agriculture Product Center at Oklahoma State University has played a key role in the development of this latest group of beef value cuts.

What does this all mean to the beef producer? Through the work of the beef checkoff-funded muscle-profiling project, researchers identified more steak options from the chuck creating more value for beef producers.

Cattle-Fax estimates that the first group of value cuts, led by the Flat Iron and the Petite Tender, added $50 to $60 a head to the value of the chuck, so we know from experience how popular products can affect our bottom line. The beef checkoff has the same hope for the new Denver and Delmonico steaks.
–Heather Buckmaster, Oklahoma Beef Council

Posted in Beef Council | Leave a Comment »

Swine Show Exhibitors Must Have Premise Identification as of August 1

Posted by carson4575 on June 24, 2009

Participants in swine shows and exhibits will be required to have an official premise identification card issued by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry effective August 1. Officials say the rule will protect both economic and social interests.

“This is a very proactive step that lets Oklahomans decide how best to protect the health of our citizens, our livestock industry and our livestock show industry,” said Governor Brad Henry. “Suggestions were made earlier by the Centers for Disease Control and some commercial producers to eliminate swine shows completely, but this is a much better alternative that lets our 4-H and FFA members compete in livestock shows.”

Even though the Novel Influenza A-H1N1 is not known to exist in any U.S. swine herd, it is possible that a person with an influenza virus could transmit the disease to swine. State Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach, said if an influenza outbreak were to occur, rapid tracking of infected animals and animals they could have been in contact with would be critical to containing the disease.

“This is a tool we will need if an outbreak of influenza were to strike our state,” he said. “We are simply preparing ourselves in advance.”

A large percentage of show swine are kept on school farms, Peach said. In those cases the school farm will have its own premise identification and the exhibitors will not need additional identification.

“If the animal is always kept at the school, no other premise identification is required,” he said. “Also, if an exhibitor shows up at a livestock show without premise identification the new rule does not refuse them to show if they fill out the required identification form immediately.”

There is no charge for premise identification and all information is strictly confidential and cannot be released. No other livestock species brought for exhibition are required to have the premise identification at this time.

The State Board of Agriculture voted unanimously to approve the measure at its monthly board meeting Wednesday.

Premise identification is already required at many swine shows including the Fall Classic held in Duncan annually. Arizona, Colorado and Ohio also require premise identification for participants.

Posted in Animal Industry, Swine | 37 Comments »

Artist That Created SASDA Sculpture Featured in Today’s Journal Record

Posted by carson4575 on June 24, 2009

Ice Sculpture At Last Week's OCA SASDA Reception

Ice Sculpture At Last Week's OCA SASDA Reception


One of the highlights of last week’s Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture conference was the reception hosted by the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association. Scott Dewald and his crew really pulled out all the stops to give the southern commissioners and secretaries of agriculture a real treat with excellent foods and beverages.

One of the nicest things was an ice sculpture of a cowboy hat perched atop a pair of boots. Everyone attending took pictures with their cameras or camera phones…I don’t think any single item was photographed more all week!

Today’s Journal Record features a great story by Brian Brus on the artist who created that sculpture and tells a little more about the trade. Click here for the full story.
–Jack Carson

Posted in Ag Events | Leave a Comment »