Request NASS to Expand Sheep Data
March 11, 2005
March 11, 2005 -- President Paul Frischknecht of the American Sheep Industry Association asked for a meeting with the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to discuss the possibility of generating a Sheep Inventory Report that provides sheep data for all 50 states. Current NASS reporting provides sheep numbers for only 33 individual states. Inventory numbers for Conn., Maine, Mass., N.H., R.I. and Vt. are combined into a 'New England' category and a second category entitled 'other states' makes up the inventories from an additional 11 states which include: Alaska, Ark., Ariz., Del., Fla., Ga., Hawaii, La., Miss., N.J. and S.C.
"We very pleased that the efforts of the industry and U.S. Department of Agriculture to stabilize and rebuild the U.S. sheep inventory have been successful, as indicated in the Jan. 31, 2005, Sheep Inventory Report," stated Frischknecht. "However, it is disappointing for many of our directors in that the report does not give them statistical data to analyze the growth in their particular states."
"The lack of inventory reporting for 17 states is a serious problem for our national sheep initiatives and programs," concluded Frischknecht.
Staff contact: Peter Orwick, ext. 33
<< Back