Droughts have had devastating effects on our operation. While 50% of the Southern Plains are not currently in a drought, the CPC-IRI Forecast has increased the likelihood of having a Niña season by the end of this summer until the end of the 2025 winter, which is correlated with lower rainfall in our area. To prepare our business for the future and ensure long-term sustainability, we must have and implement a drought management plan.
(Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
The USDA’s Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program is a useful tool to help producers manage price risk. In this post, we will explain what LRP does and how it works, and we will discuss two important decisions that producers who wish to use this tool must make. 
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week 11/10/2023 – LRP Decision Making
The USDA’s Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance (PRF) has shown to be an essential tool that supports ranchers during these times. Today, we will review how this insurance works, with an example from Wise County.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 9/29/23 – PRF Decision Making for 2024
Aug. 9, 2022 in College Station, Texas. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
The Texas High Plains received some much-needed rain in the month of May, but conditions across much of the area are still dry. In this post, we’ll discuss the current state of the drought, what the current temperature and precipitation outlook is for the next month, and what all of this might mean for production in the region.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 6/7/23 – An Update on the Drought
(Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
The 2023 crop and livestock budgets for District 3 are posted, and the budgets are available for all districts on the AgriLife Extension Agricultural Economics website. Today, we look at the expected costs and returns from the Cow-Calf budgets in the Rolling Plains.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 3/29/2023 – A Look at the 2023 Cow-Calf Budget
Building a Profitable Ranch Business – Beef Cattle Standard Performance Analysis
One of the most essential responsibilities in our businesses is to ensure the economic sustainability of our companies for the future of our business or future generations. Most ranchers have suffered multiple years of low margins due to market prices below the average total economic cost of production. Even today, with a much better prices outlook than a year ago, breakeven prices are still high for most cow-calf operations.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 3/15/2023 – Building a Profitable Ranch Business
Dryland wheat grain and forage conditions in our area are better than last year but still not the best. The Wheat and Small Grain Decision Aids will help you analyze the best alternative for your wheat fields according to your expected yields, production costs, equipment, and other variables. [Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 3/1/2023 – Wheat Grain vs. Gain
The Livestock Forage Disaster program sign-up deadline is coming by the end of January. Last year’s drought triggered significant payments in most counties of Texas. Read the article for more information about your county’s program and eligibility. [Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 1/11/2023 – Livestock Forage Disaster Program