June 2005 -- On April 28, 2005, the Federal Crop Insurance Commission (FCIC) cast a vote on the Lamb Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) plan of ?intent to disapprove the Lamb LRP product.? This was not the decision either the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) or the sheep insurance taskforce were eager to hear.
The next step in the FCIC process will be to formally correspond with ASI to communicate their intent to disapprove the proposed Lamb LRP product. It is understood that the commission will provide their reasons for this preliminary decision and provide a time-frame for ASI to respond.
ASI is gathering additional information in order to build a strategy to revive the process to secure a risk management product for the U.S. lamb industry. The industry has formally met with the Commission several times in the last six months and submitted in-depth information and responses to questions raised about the proposed Lamb LRP program. To date, there have been no alternative risk-management proposals put before the board for the lamb industry.
?We are obviously very disappointed in this action of the FCIC. Many people invested a lot of time in this effort, and I want to thank them for that,? states Margaret Soulen Hinson, ASI executive board member. ?In moving forward, ASI will begin developing a strategy to address the FCIC concerns and continue toward the incorporation of a Lamb LRP product.?
Participating in the meeting along with Soulen Hinson were: Lesa Eidman, executive director of the California Wool Growers Association; David Bossman and Peter Griffin, Ph.D., with Applied Analytics Group, Inc.; Deborah Marsh, from Virginia Tech; and Paul Rodgers, deputy director of policy for ASI.