Halito (Hello) from Dr. Evan Whitley, Executive Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Hard to believe we have closed the chapter on yet another year. All years should be considered a gift from above, especially if they were witnessed with health and well-being for oneself and their family members. However, for anyone who is intimately tied to agriculture, 2025 will go down as “one for the ages.” Sure, there were a few ups and downs, but for the most part, every major box important to success in agriculture was checked. Major cattle markets (calves, yearlings and feds) improved to historic highs of 35%, 21% and 16%, respectively, even considering a significant Q3 correction caused by politics and speculation. Weather conditions in 2025, especially during the growing season months was phenomenal for most parts of Oklahoma and only until October did we start to mention “the D-word.”
Commodity prices were in-line with 2024 values and in many cases were lower. We booked our winter feed for about 8% less this year. Cost of gains during the finishing phase hovered just above $1.00 and—in a couple of instances—even dropped under that. Demand for our beef product (although a limited supply caused higher prices) remained strong, even reached new heights in some categories. All in all, it was a very good year. As we reflect upon it, we should do so with positivity and appreciation.
So, the “loaded” question becomes: “Can 2026 be even better?”
Any meaningful attempt to answer this rhetorical question is foolish. It reminds me of the shade advice: “Control what you can control—let everything else work itself out.” As anyone in agriculture can and likely will attest, there is so much that is truly out of our control. However, there are some key elements we can plan for. We will try and point some of those out here.
The hard truth is—every year is different, and what is most important is our ability to adapt and persevere. I hope you had a wonderful 2025, and are already well on your way to a blessed, healthy and prosperous 2026!