Legislative Update from Washington, D.C.

The American Sheep Industry Association’s lobbying firm – Cornerstone Government Affairs – offered an update this week on legislative issues in our nation’s capital.

Congress finally clears OBBBA, President Trump signs bill into law

On Friday, July 4, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1 – the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), after clearing lengthy legislative hurdles to meet the Administration’s imposed Independence Day deadline. The reconciliation package passed by narrow margins in both the Senate and House and reflects the Administration’s broader agenda to cut wasteful and unnecessary spending through cuts to Medicaid and food stamps while also increasing and restoring tax deductions. After the Senate passed its version of the bill on July 1, the House was called back into session and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pulled off the feat of getting the majority of House Republicans to advance the bill to the President’s desk on July 3. The final version of the OBBBA included $66 billion in additional funding for and improvements to key farm bill priorities such as Title I commodities, crop insurance, disaster assistance, conservation, “orphan programs”, and animal disease prevention. The legislation also provides new funding for trade promotions and agricultural research. Those opposed to the bill criticized Medicaid funding cuts and a provision that will force states to start sharing the cost of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Further, from an agricultural-related tax perspective, the bill expands and extends 199A deductions, restores bonus depreciation, increases Section 179 expensing, and raises the estate tax exemption level.  You can find a copy of the signed into law bill text here.

Sheep Industry Applauds programs in Budget Reconciliation

Many of the sheep priorities that have been sought in the Farm Bill for nearly three years were funded in the recent legislation which is credit to Agriculture Committee chairs Senator Boozeman and Representative Thompson to promote to the leadership of the US House, US Seante and the Administration.

The wool marketing loan rate is increased nearly 40 percent for the next crop and the USDA Export programs are funded at a significant increase.  The wool manufacturers trust and the promotion/research trust were funded 2025 to 2031 which is critical to the infrastructure of wool production and wool mill levels.  Animal Disease Preparation from the 2018 farm bill is reauthorized with funding as are numerous conservation and disaster programs used by sheep producers.  The marketing grant administered by the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center is also authorized with a 50 percent increase.  Two of these programs were initiated and championed by ASI and the balance are all used and promoted aggressively by ASI and related organizations.  “We are very pleased with the efforts of the federal leaders to included sheep programs stated ASI Executive Director Peter Orwick. ASI will now move to authorize the remaining sheep priorities in the actual Farm Bill work expected this fall.”

USDA re-closes Mexico border due to New World Screwworm (NWS) case

On July 9, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the closure of the U.S. Mexico border due to a recently reported case of NWS in Mexico. Mexico’s National Service of Argo-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality agency reported this case in Veracruz Mexico, just 370 miles south of the U.S./ Mexico border and 160 miles from the current sterile fly facility. This decision came shortly after the U.S.’s recent announcement, on July 7, to gradually begin reopening the border to livestock imports from Mexico. The agency raised significant concerns over the outbreak, due to Mexico’s recent reporting that led USDA to begin reopening the border. In its announcement, USDA said that they plan to continue having agency personnel perform site visits throughout Mexico to monitor outbreaks and Mexico’s surveillance and response systems.

USDA announces newest slate of presidential appointments

On July 3, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new round of presidential appointments to the Department. She announced several appointees who will be fulfilling a variety of roles across USDA. The appointees are as follows:

• Justin Ransom was appointed as the Administrator for the Food Safety Inspection Service
• Michelle Bekkering was appointed as Deputy Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs
• Peter Laudeman was appointed as Senior Policy Advisor for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs
• Jacqueline Thomas was appointed as Director of External Communications for Farm Production and Conservation
• John Greene was appointed as Chief Operating Officer for the Rural Development Business Center.

 

Secretary Rollins announced revisions to NEPA

On June 30, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced changes to the current National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations to allow USDA to deliver critical and effective services to ranchers, farmers, and loggers. Secretary Rollins said “President Trump is reforming government to be more responsive to the needs of the American people. We have been hamstrung by overly burdensome regulations for decades.” USDA plans to issue one set of Department wide NEPA regulations by rescinding seven agency specific regulations, resulting in a 66% reduction in regulations. The move by USDA comes in response to President Trumps Unleashing American Energy executive order that led to the Council on Environmental Quality rescinding its NEPA implementing regulations, which creates a pathway for USDA to reform NEPA regulations. A preview of USDA’s new NEPA regulations can be found at the following link.

Farm Security is National Security: The Trump Administration Takes Bold Action to Elevate American Agriculture in National Security

On July 8, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, joined by top national security officials, announced the National Farm Security Action Plan as the latest pillar of the Make Agriculture Great Again initiative. The plan positions American agriculture as a cornerstone of national security in response to increasing threats from foreign adversaries—including land purchases, cyberattacks, and agricultural espionage. The action plan outlines seven key priorities: securing U.S. farmland, defending agricultural research, strengthening food supply chains, protecting the U.S. nutrition safety net, and enhancing biosecurity and critical infrastructure protections. Secretary Rollins emphasized, “We feed the world. We lead the world. And we’ll never let foreign adversaries control our land, our labs, or our livelihoods.”

With strong support from federal and state leaders, the plan aims to fortify America’s food systems and safeguard its agricultural future.

Click here to read the full article.
Source: USDA

Sheep GEMS: The potential of genomic selection for improving ewe longevity

In a previous article, we highlighted the need for genetically improving the length of ewe productive life in U.S. sheep based on our studies in Katahdin sheep. Ewe longevity is an example of a trait that will benefit from genomic selection because it is sex limited (only females have records) and measured late in the life of the animals. Therefore, the Sheep GEMS team has conducted genomic studies to support the implementation of genomic selection to improve ewe longevity in U.S. sheep.

Using records collected in the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP), we found that, on average, Katahdin ewes were 3 years of age at their last lambing. Over their lifetime, ewes produced 2.7 litters, gave birth to 4.6 lambs that weighed in total 40 lb., and weaned 4.3 lambs that weighed in total 154 lb. All these traits, which are indicative of ewe productive longevity, are heritable, with heritability estimates ranging from 6 to 15%. That means we can improve them through genetic selection. We also found that all these indicator traits for ewe longevity were highly correlated genetically. That means improvement in one trait will lead to improvement in the other traits. Therefore, we only need to use one indicator of ewe longevity in our selection programs. Among the options, the total number of lambs weaned over a ewe’s lifetime seems the best trait to use. Nonetheless, we found no evidence of genetic improvement in ewe longevity over time in Katahdins, stressing the need to consider it directly in our breeding decisions.
We also identified multiple genes associated with ewe longevity traits that were located across eighty-six genomic regions in Katahdin ewes. These regions include genes that affect prolificacy, the number of immature follicles in the ovaries, synthesis and release of reproductive hormones, and early pregnancy events. Moreover, we also identified genes related to response to stress or pathological conditions, growth performance, and carcass traits. That list coincides with the most common reasons we cull sheep: infertility, low prolificacy, and other reproductive issues; illness; low growth performance; and poor body condition. Importantly, these traits or conditions are biologically complex and controlled by many genes. However, as a next step, we need to study these genomic regions in greater depth for genetic markers that may assist us in identifying ewes with higher merit for longevity.
Overall, in our studies of ewe longevity, we found producers cull most ewes early in their life. However, it is not clear if this was voluntary or involuntary culling. We therefore need more complete records on culling reasons and dates. When we cull ewes at an earlier age, they wean fewer lambs over their lifetime. We also need to retain more ewe lambs, reducing how choosy we can be. No genetic progress in ewe longevity was evident over the past years, indicating that we need to include it in our selection decisions. By doing so, we can improve the profitability of the U.S. sheep industry.

For further information contact Drs. Luis Pinto ([email protected]) or Luiz Brito ([email protected]).

Acknowledgements. We thank the Katahdin producers participating in the National Sheep Improvement Program for access to their records. This work was supported by the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (grant 2016-51300-25723/project accession no. 1010329), and by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant (grant 2022-67015-36073/project accession no. 1027785), from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the USDA.

Source: Sheep GEMS

Be the Link Between Your Agricultural Community and the USDA

Nominations are now being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees. These committees make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2025 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2025.
Click Here to learn more about County Committees

Free Beginning Farmer and Rancher (BFR) Webinar

If you’ve operated a farm or ranch for less than 10 years, join the National BFR Team for an overview of special USDA assistance and resources that are available to you. This session will provide information on how to build your bench for a strong support system.

Event – Building Your Bench
Date – July 16, 2025
Time – 3:00 – 4:30pm Eastern
Click Here to Register

Graduate Research Opportunity in Sheep Virtual Monitoring

A unique graduate research assistantship is available through the University of Idaho for a Master’s student interested in sheep virtual monitoring and herding. The position is based at the Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center in Salmon, Idaho, and will be part of a collaborative project with the USDA-ARS Sheep Experiment Station and the Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation. The research will focus on developing and testing remote technologies to monitor and manage domestic sheep on rangelands—particularly in areas where grazing may intersect with wild sheep habitats. The outcomes aim to support improved sheep behavior understanding and range management solutions.
Ideal start dates are fall 2025 or spring 2026. Please share widely with prospective students or anyone who may be interested.

Contact:
Dr. Melinda Ellison – [email protected]
Carmen Willmore – [email protected]

South Dakota in Search of a Small Ruminant Specialist
Jaelyn Whaley, SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist

South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension is seeking a qualified Small Ruminant Specialist to be based on campus in Brookings, S.D. The Department of Animal Science upholds the land-grant mission through distinguished faculty, a meat science laboratory, and livestock teaching facilities. The SDSU Sheep Research and Teaching Unit houses the oldest registered Hampshire flock in the United States, along with Polypay and Targhee ewes. Lambing seasons occur in fall (September–October), winter (late January to early March), and May. A full-time shepherd manages daily operations and supervises 8–10 undergraduate student employees each semester. This position offers a 90% extension and 10% teaching appointment, with opportunities for research involvement. Beyond campus, South Dakota provides extensive industry engagement and outreach opportunities, with diverse production systems ranging from large, extensive operations in the west to accelerated and seedstock production in the east. Extension also maintains a strong partnership with the South Dakota Sheep Growers Association.
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply at https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/44297. This position requires a Ph.D.; current graduate students completing their Ph.D. will be considered. Initial review of applications begins July 28, 2025.

 

New Marketing Report Reveals Positive Insights Amidst Stagnant Q1 Growth

The Q1 2025 U.S. Quarterly Lamb Report conducted by Midan Marketing shows many positive trends for American Lamb despite relatively flat numbers. The report compares lamb sales from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025. Overall, lamb sales were down slightly in the U.S. for the first 13 weeks of the year, with a 1.4 percent decline in sales and a 3 percent decrease in volume. American Lamb sales fared slightly better, down 1.2 percent in volume sales and a marginal growth of 0.4 percent. However, these numbers don’t give the full picture. The Easter holiday is an important factor to consider when comparing numbers. The figures for Q1 2024 include sales from the Easter holiday, whereas the 2025 report does not account for Easter sales, as the holiday fell much later this year. This impact was felt by many holiday favorites, including lamb, smoked ham and even potatoes.

“Seeing the American Lamb sales hold steady in a year-to-year comparison despite not including Easter lamb sales is significant,” says ALB Chairman Jeff Ebert.

Sales by Market

Another key finding in this report is evident when examining lamb sales by market. A few major markets, including Houston, Denver and Atlanta, saw an increase in lamb sales, while Boston and New York experienced sharp decreases in lamb sales for Q1. In fact, the decrease in national sales can be entirely attributed to the Northeast market, where lamb saw a 9.5 percent decrease in dollar sales and a 14.6 percent decrease in volume sales. In fact, the report finds that had it not been for the Northeast, the overall U.S. would have seen an increase in both dollar and volume sales of lamb for Q1 2025, even without adjusting for the Easter holiday.

Sales by Cut

Leg roasts and racks were primarily responsible for the decrease in dollar sales over this 13-week period. Both cuts experienced a decline in both dollar and volume sales. Meanwhile, loin chops saw a slight increase in dollars, due largely to a sharp increase in price, while showing a significant decrease (6.4%) in volume sales. Ground lamb, however, was a different story. Ground lamb experienced an enormous surge in sales from 2024 to 2025, with a 17.2 percent increase in dollars and a 19.2 percent increase in pounds sold. In fact, the middle two weeks of March were the best-selling weeks for ground lamb in history.

Lamb Exports

In addition to these bright spots in domestic sales, U.S. lamb exports also saw a notable increase. In fact, March lamb exports were the largest since 2019. This fueled strong first- quarter export numbers, which show a 26 percent increase compared to Q1 2024, reaching 747 metric tons valued at $4.1 million. These increases were driven by larger shipments to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Source: ALB

Positive Start for New Wool Selling Season

The Australian wool market has started the new season in a positive fashion, recording an overall increase for the second consecutive selling series, meaning increases across both weeks of the 2025/26 selling season. With many parts of the country experiencing winter conditions, shearing activity is low. With this traditionally quiet time of year, the national quantity was again relatively small. There was a total of 29,275 bales available to trade. Currency has again played its role this week, this time in favor of the Australian wool producer. The Australian dollar dropped 0.61 cents when compared to the US dollar (USD) since the close of the previous series. Given that most trading is done in US dollars (USD), this gave exporters more buying power. This quickly equated with increased prices in the sale room. In welcome news to merino growers, it was the merino fleece market that was the driving force behind the overall market increase. The movements in the merino fleece Micron Price Guides (MPGs) ranged between negative 6 cents and positive 25 cents. The benchmark Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) added 2 cents on each of the two selling days, closing the series 4 cents higher at 1,212 cents. The EMI has now risen for four consecutive selling days. After steadily climbing for the previous two months, the crossbred market settled. The prices on offer were generally within 10 cents of those on offer at the previous sale, this was reflected in the MPGs. Due to the currency fluctuation, when viewed in USD terms the market movement was less favorable. The EMI dropped 5 US cents for the series, finishing the week at 790 cents. Next week Fremantle will not be in operation. With only Melbourne and Sydney selling, the national quantity will fall. There are currently 23,990 bales on offer nationally.

Click Here for the ASI Conversion Chart – AWEX Prices to USD Per Pound.

Source: AWEX