Deadline for Discounted ASI Registration is Approaching
The deadline to register for the American Sheep Industry Association Annual Convention at a discounted rate is now just TWO WEEKS away. Friday, Dec. 16, will be the last day to register and receive the early bird rate. The ASI Annual Convention is scheduled for Jan. 18-21, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas.
After Dec. 16, registration costs increase. Online registration at the regular rate will run from Dec. 17 through Dec. 30. Any registrations after the end of the year will have to be done in person at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel and are subject to availability.
Registering early also helps ASI, other affiliated industry groups and the host hotel plan for expected turnout at the convention. Producers and others in the industry should also get used to registering early this year, as registration deadlines will be several weeks sooner than normal the following year when the convention dates move to Jan. 10-13, 2024, in Denver.
“I would encourage those industry leaders who serve on ASI’s councils and committees to register now so they can take part in fulfilling their duties of guiding the association into the coming year,” said ASI Executive Director Peter Orwick. “We are putting together a great program of speakers on topics ranging from the industry’s role in climate policy to wool and lamb marketing to animal health, and we encourage participants from all facets of the industry to join us in Fort Worth.”
Click Here to register.
LMIC: Lamb Purchase, Cold Storage & Prices
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a Section 32 purchase of American lamb products. The purchase was supported by the American Sheep Industry Association and the National Lamb Feeders Association.
According to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service pre-solicitation notice, products will be distributed to various food nutrition assistance programs. Products that might be included in the purchase could include lamb leg roast, diced lamb, lamb shoulder chops and lamb loin chops. The USDA AMS lamb purchase will provide short-term relief to alleviate the buildup of lamb supplies that has occurred in the last year. Strong domestic consumer demand for lamb products will still remain a critical driving force to support lamb prices moving forward.
In May, cold storage stocks of lamb were 22.2 million pounds and during the next four months stocks increased with September recording the peak so far for the year at 31.4 million pounds. October stocks fell 9 percent from the prior month to 28.5 million pounds, which is 5 percent (1.4 million pounds) above last year, but 13 percent (4.2 million pounds) below the five-year average. The October decline in stock levels is following the typical seasonal pattern with levels drawing lower during the holiday season. Based on historical patterns, stock levels for November and December are likely to move lower.
The lamb cutout value has been averaging more than $4.80 per pound for the last month, which is about 22 percent ($1.33 per pound) below the same period last year, but it is 38 percent ($1.31 per pound) above the five-year average. The shoulder, leg and rack have all been tracking at a relatively level value for the past few months. The shoulder has averaged $3.63 per pound since early October, 29 percent below last year but 17 percent above the five-year average. Since October, the leg has averaged $4.09 per cwt, a 31-percent decrease from the same period last year but 12 percent higher than the five-year average.
Last week, the loin was $7.08 per pound, down 29 percent from the same week last year while the rack was down 16 percent to $11.98 per pound. During the last two months, prices for both the rack and loin have been declining about 1 percent or less each week.
Source: Livestock Marketing Information Center
Embryos Eligible for Import from U.K., Northern Ireland
Effective immediately, sheep and goat in-vivo embryos and oocytes from the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) and Northern Ireland will be eligible for import into the United States. Importation of such commodities is only permitted for direct transfer to recipient females in domestic flocks or herds listed in the National Scrapie Database, or to an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-approved embryo storage facility where they may be kept until transfer to the aforementioned recipient females.
The importer of record must meet post-entry requirements pertaining to further distribution of imported embryos/oocytes, identification of any progeny derived from the imported embryos/oocytes, and recordkeeping. The import requirements and post-entry requirements are available on the Live Animal Imports website.
APHIS requires an import permit for importation of sheep and goat embryos/oocytes from the United Kingdom. The shipment must also be accompanied by a health certificate endorsed by the competent authority of the exporting region (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Great Britain; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland). Examples of the required health certificates can be found on the APHIS website.
For any questions regarding import of sheep and goat embryos/oocytes from the United Kingdom for transfer to eligible domestic recipient females, please contact Dr. Mary Kate Anderson at 301-851-3300, Option 2 or e-mail LAIE@usda.gov.
For importation of sheep and goat embryos/oocytes for any purpose other than reproduction, please consult the Veterinary Services Permitting Assistant to determine the relevant import requirements.
Source: USDA/APHIS
Trade Show Booths Available at Annual Convention
Booths for the Trade Show at the 2023 ASI Annual Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, are currently available to companies and associations looking to reach a captive audience of sheep producers, extension educators and others who work daily in the American sheep industry.
Spaces in the show will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so potential vendors should get their requests to participate in as soon as possible. Questions about the Trade Show can be addressed with Heather Pearce at heather@sheepusa.org or 303-771-3500, ext. 102.
Click Here for more information.
Australian Wool Market Falls Off Again
The positive movements and buoyant tone experienced during last week’s Australian wool sales were short lived, with the market retracting this week. The higher prices on offer during the previous series encouraged more sellers to the market, pushing the national offering up to 37,347 bales – 4,054 bales more than the previous week.
On the first day of selling, buyer sentiment was noticeably more subdued than in the previous series, which translated into lower prices. Across the three regions, the individual Micron Price Guides for Merino fleece wool had fallen by between 4 and 44 cents. The only exception was the 17-micron MPG in the South, which gained 4 cents, and the 20- and 21-micron MPGs in the North that remained unchanged. These losses combined with reductions in the crossbred and skirting sectors resulted in a 17-cent fall in the AWEX Eastern Market Indicator.
The second day was almost a carbon copy of the first. Prices were again reduced as buyers attempted to find value in the falling market. The MPGs lost a further 4 to 30 cents, with one exception. This time, the 17-micron MPG in the South managed a 10-cent rise. The EMI lost a total of 32 cents for the week, closing at 1,224 Australian cents. The EMI is now at its lowest point since January 2021.
The total dollar amount sold this season has nearly reached the billion dollar mark. There was $46.04 million worth of wool sold nationally this week, pushing the total amount this season to $996 million. At the corresponding sale of the 2021-22 season, this figure was $1,021 million.
A noteworthy event happened in the North this week as the 28-micron MPG dropped to its lowest point on record on Tuesday at 313 cents.
Next week’s national offering rises again. Currently, there are expected to be 44,775 bales on offer.
Click Here for the Full Australian Wool Market Report
Source: AWEX
Rapid City to Host All American Sheep Day
The Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo will once again host All American Sheep Day on Jan. 30, 2023, at the James Kjerstad Event Center on the Central States Fairgrounds.
All American Sheep Day is a total sheep industry experience for all attendees, whether or not they are sheep producers. The Northern Plains states of South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Nebraska make up 20 percent of all the sheep in the United States. There is a long tradition of sheep production among ranchers in this region and a lot of the sheep industry’s infrastructure can be found in these states, including: sheep producers themselves, professional sheep shearers, sheep dog trainers, wool warehouses, livestock auctions marketing lamb, feedlots, and small wool mills and lamb harvesting plants.
South Dakota State University Extension is cooperating with the Black Hills Stock Show and sheep industry partners to provide education demonstrations and activities that will interest the producer and public alike, including sheep dog trials, a shearing contest and more.
Click Here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Source: South Dakota Sheep Growers Association
Livestock Industry Reacts to Loss of Exemption
Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (Wash.) released the following statement this week in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s rejection of a request by livestock and agriculture groups for an exemption to federal driving time regulations that would have provided necessary flexibility during certain times of the year.
“This decision by the Department of Transportation does not take into account recommendations from farmers and ranchers who work hard to safely transport livestock and other agricultural goods across the country. It will also cause undue harm and leave these animals susceptible to heat, cold, and other extreme conditions,” said Newhouse. “With unprecedented supply chain disruptions, a looming threat of a rail shutdown, and a truck driver shortage facing communities across the country, now is not the time to be placing additional stressors on this industry. DOT should reverse this decision and continue working to meet the unique needs of livestock transportation.”
National livestock groups also reacted to the news.
“Flexibility in hours-of-service is the best policy for sheep health and well-being,” said American Sheep Industry Association Executive Director Peter Orwick. “ASI will continue to support such with Congress.”
“We are disappointed in FMCSA’s decision, especially when the cattle and beef supply chain faces continued stress from driver shortages and a potential rail strike,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus. “Hauling cattle is very different from hauling consumer goods, which is why NCBA will continue urging congressional leaders to support expanded hours-of-service flexibility for livestock haulers so they can continue making their critical deliveries.”
“We are disappointed FMCSA denied the request without more seriously considering or addressing the proposed safety measures industry brought forward,” said General Counsel and Vice President of Risk Management for the Livestock Marketing Association Jara Settles. “Livestock haulers have an excellent safety record and our drivers haul a very unique cargo. The Livestock Marketing Association and the groups we work with will continue to seek commonsense flexibilities for these special drivers to make sure livestock get where they need to go in a safe and responsible manner while meeting the ever-growing needs of the American food supply.”
Source: Congressional Western Caucus
Rare Breed Gift Guide Includes American Wool
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the rare breed livestock lover in your life? The Livestock Conservancy has compiled a few heritage breed gift ideas from its members, including several choices made from American wool.
Click Here to see the gift guide.
Source: The Livestock Conservancy
American Lamb is Virtually Everywhere
Research shows 85 percent of Americans say they go online daily. That figure includes the 31 percent who report going online almost constantly, as well as 48 percent who say they go online several times a day. To reach consumers in the digital space, the American Lamb Board is working with wine experts, chefs, bloggers, butchers and nutritionists to host virtual classes to share information about the versatility and benefits of American lamb.
“Online learning is the norm, so educating consumers about American lamb through virtual programs is something ALB is excited to provide,” said ALB Chairman Peter Camino.
According to ALB’ research, consumers want and need more information about lamb cuts. Most consumers are only familiar with one or two cuts and recipes, and they are interested in expanding their lamb use. ALB’s lamb cuts section on americanlamb.com is the second most frequently visited page after time and temperature guidelines.
Last month, ALB partnered with Kelly Kawachi from Blackbelly Market to do a virtual butchery demonstration highlighting American lamb cuts and cooking methods. The live class sold out with 100 consumer attendees and is available for viewing on ALB’s consumer YouTube channel.
Source: ALB
Video of the Week
As America’s family farmers and ranchers face increasing economic stress, opportunities to partner with solar farms are providing new income streams and in many cases, the ability to expand operations. Even better, they are fighting climate change and promoting healthy landscapes while they maintain vegetation under and around solar panels.
This video tells the story through the voices of real American farm families raising sheep on solar farms.
Click Here to watch the video.
Source: Lightsource bp