Ticker for November 14, 2012

                
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November 14, 2012  November 14, 2012  November 14, 2012  November 14, 2012


Agricultural damage in 2012 close to half a billion dollars

And I don't say that with my pinky up to my mouth, ala Dr. Evil. Talking drought
yesterday at the Governor's Water Conference in Tulsa, I was followed a couple of
presentations later by Dr. Dave Shideler of the Department of Agricultural
Economics at Oklahoma State University. They are the group that led the effort to
estimate the monetary damages to agriculture from last year's drought (really
last year's *WATER YEAR*, which runs from Oct. 1, 2010-Sept. 30, 2011). If you
will remember, that estimate was approximately $1.6 billion dollars.

He released the number for the 2011-12 Water Year yesterday at $427,460,930. That
places the two-year damage estimate to agriculture alone at more than $2 billion
dollars. Again, keep in mind that is to agriculture. That doesn't include damages
related to things like tourism, foundation repair, loss of industrial output
(e.g., water restrictions to industry), power generation, etc.

As I said a few weeks ago, we are still in the midst of our own multi-billion
dollar disaster with no end in sight just yet. We were not heartened by the
report on crops and soils from our friends over at the Oklahoma NASS Office.

"A cold front and general rain came through the state over the
weekend, bringing a statewide average of half an inch of rainfall. The
Panhandle received almost no rainfall while the Northeast district
received almost an inch on average. Wind gusts ahead of the front on
Saturday were recorded by Mesonet as high as 67 mph in Kenton and
over 60 mph throughout the Panhandle and northwest Oklahoma.
Sustained winds over 45 mph and as high as 50 mph in Kenton were
recorded as well. The wind and abnormally warm temperatures
continued to affect the small grains and canola trying to emerge.
Overall, crop conditions continued to fall and much more rainfall was
needed to reverse that trend. The condition of small grains has
dampened producer?s hopes for winter grazing. Stock pond levels
remain low and hay production made very little progress. Both topsoil
and subsoil moisture conditions continued to be rated poor to very
poor."

Those topsoil conditions are now reported at 92% short/very short. The subsoils
are even worse at 96% short/very short. The wheat crop fell to 38% poor/very
poor. Pasture and range lands dropped to 76% poor/very poor.

Ron Hays of the "Oklahoma Farm Report" interviewed Mike Schulte of the Oklahoma
Wheat Commission on the state of this year's crop. Schulte toured the state and
had this to say:

"In southwest and central Oklahoma there are still places where the
moisture maybe didn?t fall in areas that specifically needed it.
Going into winter right now you can look at the crop and see where
maybe it had enough moisture to bring the crop up in those regions
where they?d received rain, but that they didn?t maybe receive up in
the northern parts of the state. Where that crop had sprouted, it
does look like it is going backwards. And, in places, it looks like
it?s curling up and dying out in the field."

You can read (and listen to) the rest of Ron's interview with Mike Schulte
here (be sure to click around and explore Ron's website while you're at it, and
subscribe to his weekday morning e-mail reports):

http://tinyurl.com/bhyrfgm

There is a bit more rain showing up as we get into early next week, although
this one doesn't appear to be much of a drought-denter just yet.



Unfortunately, it still looks a bit on the dry and warm side as we get farther
into November.




Gary McManus
Associate State Climatologist
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
(405) 325-2253
gmcmanus@mesonet.org