ASI Develops Ag Appropriations Statement

March 7, 2008 -- The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) this week presented formal testimony to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Related Agencies and the counterpart subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs for fiscal year 2009. ASI President Burdell Johnson (N.D.) outlined the industry's priorities in appropriating funding for crucial agricultural programs.

Scrapie Eradication. ASI believes the requested funding level of $17.5 million is inadequate if scrapie eradication is to be achieved in the near future. The industry urges an increase in funding of at least $11.2 million for a total of $28.7 million.

When the program was first implemented in 2000, USDA projected the cost to be $170 million over the first seven years of the 10-year eradication program with a peak in cost at $31 million in the fifth year and projected funding decreasing afterwards. At the end of 2007, $110 million had been spent. The program must have sufficient funding for state cooperative agreements, diagnostic support, surveillance and enforcement of compliance activities in order to eradicate scrapie from the United States in a timely manner.

Wildlife Services (WS). Costs associated with depredation currently exceed the industry's veterinary, labor and transportation costs combined. ASI requested that WS operations for livestock protection be funded at $19 million in the Western region and at $3.6 million in the Eastern region. An additional $1 million was requested to replace seven WS aircraft that are more than 35 years old. Funding for wolf control programs across several states was also requested.

The agency continues to develop additional tools for effective predation control. ASI recommended funding $1.5 million to complete the field studies and the Environmental Protection Agency registration on the theobromine/caffeine product for use in predation management.

Foreign Agricultural Service. Full funding for these programs is encouraged. This includes the Market Access, Quality Samples and the Foreign Market Development Programs. ASI is the cooperator for American wool and sheep pelts and has achieved solid success in increasing exports of domestic product.

Research Initiatives. ASI also recommended continued funding for numerous research projects that are relevant to the sheep industry. Included in these research projects are the Minor Use Animal Drug Program, emerging and exotic diseases, sheep genome research and bighorn sheep disease work, wool laboratory research and scrapie eradication.

Sheep genome sequencing should be a high priority. By investing now, the United States helps insure its competitive position in the global marketplace for sheep, wool and their products.

Restored funding for the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank and the Livestock Marketing Information Center were also stressed.

The complete agriculture appropriations statement can be accessed on the ASI Web site at www.sheepusa.org.

Staff contact: Peter Orwick, ext. 33

<< Back