USDA Makes Second Lamb Buy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service purchased 216,000 pounds of lamb shoulder chops at a cost of approximately $1.03 million. This brings the amount of lamb purchased by USDA in this fiscal year to 369,000 pounds valued at over $1.7 million. This product will be distributed in federal food and nutrition programs.

"American lamb markets will benefit from the purchase of these lamb shoulder chops," commented Glen Fisher (Texas), president of the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI). "The purchases will help support the live lamb prices we have this fall."

All three companies who submitted bids -- Iowa Lamb Processing Corp., Mountain States Rosen LLC and Transhumance Inc. -- were awarded contracts from this invitation. The lamb shoulder chops will be delivered between Nov. 31 and Jan. 31, 2011.

ASI secured approval of the program to spend a minimum of $2 million in section 32 funds through calendar year 2010 to provide the industry with more confidence in this rough economy.

Additional program information can be accessed at www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateR&page=ORMAnnouncementPage2.