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.
FINAL Congressional Push for Lamb Import Investigation: ASI Mobilizes Industry Ahead of Jan. 9 Deadline
In recent weeks, the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) has been actively working to advance both House and Senate “Dear Colleague” letters. These letters call on members of Congress to urge the U.S. Trade Representative to support the U.S. International Trade Commission in initiating a global safeguard investigation into lamb meat imports under Sections 201–202 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Tragically this week, Western Caucus Chairman and House letter lead, Rep. Doug. LaMalfa (R-CA) passed away unexpectedly. Rep. LaMalfa was a fierce advocate for our issues and the Western way of life. In lieu of his leadership on our “Dear Colleague” letter initiative, ASI has decided to hold off on pushing this letter forward until a new leader is established.
ASI is still moving forward with the Senate letter, spearheaded by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). The sheep industry is making a strong push to secure signatures before tomorrow’s January 9th deadline. ASI, Cornerstone staff and state associations have reached out to members of Congress who have championed or been an ally to the industry and urged their support for our initiative and the letter. While this outreach has been critical and effective, your producer and constituent voices matter most. Members of Congress respond most successfully to constituents in their state and district. Cornerstone has and continues to offer support finding contact information for your members. If you have not already reached out to your members of Congress, please do so TODAY.
USDA Announces FBA Payment Rates for Eligible Commodities
On December 31, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the payment rates for all eligible commodities under the current Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program. Of the total $12 billion allocated towards the FBA program, $11 billion is designated for one-time payments to traditional row crop producers and the remaining $1 billion will be reserved for uncovered commodities. FBA payments for currently eligible producers are expected to be delivered to producers by February 28, 2026. Timelines for payments for producers that fall under the uncovered commodities category are still under development and require additional understanding of market impacts and economic needs.
ASI is actively working on connecting with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on potential inclusion of wool in the $1 billion for FBA’s uncovered commodities. For more information, you can contact your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office or visit the online FBA landing page here.
Justin Benavidez Appointed as USDA Chief Economist
This week it was announced that Justin Benavidez, previously the chief economist for the majority staff of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, was appointed to serve as the next chief economist at the USDA. There he will lead the department’s economic analysis and forecasting efforts. Benavidez has been a great partner to the sheep industry for many years through his work on the Hill and beyond.
USDA Announces 2026 Wool Marketing Assistance Loan Rates
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation has announced Marketing Assistance Loan rates for 2026-crop graded wool by micron class. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the loan rate for graded wool has increased to $1.60 per pound (greasy basis), ungraded wool to $0.55 per pound.
ASI successfully secured increases to the Wool LDP and MAL rates, bringing them more in line with today’s markets and production costs and strengthening an essential risk management tool for America’s sheep producers.
Marketing Assistance Loans and Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs) are available to producers for graded wool, ungraded wool, and mohair. Unshorn pelts are eligible for LDPs only, with rates based on the ungraded wool LDP multiplied by the average unshorn pelt weight of 6.865 pounds. These programs provide producers with valuable marketing tools and interim financing at harvest or shearing time, helping meet cash flow needs without selling at seasonal market lows.
Click Here to learn More.
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) Reaches 16,000+ Sheep Youth Nationwide
More than 16,000 youth ages 7–21 raising sheep, lambs, and wool were certified through the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) program this past year. With strong participation at the intermediate and senior levels and reach across both rural and populated areas, YQCA is building leadership, promoting animal welfare, and strengthening the future of the U.S. sheep industry.
ASI actively supports the YQCA program, including serving on its Board of Directors.
“This program not only strengthens the sustainability of the sheep industry but also builds public confidence in the quality and integrity of American sheep products—making it an investment in both our industry’s reputation and its long-term success. Thank you to the American Sheep Industry for their support of the YQCA program.”
— Sarah Smith, Extension Specialist, Washington State University.
Click Here to learn more about the YQCA program.
Sheep and Goat Identification – National Scrapie Eradication Program
The National Scrapie Eradication Program is again providing up to 100 plastic flock ID tags free-of-charge to first time participants in the sheep and goat identification program until available funds are expended. Producers will need to purchase the compatible applicator from the tag manufacturer.
APHIS discontinued the availability of no-cost metal tags for producers on August 31, 2019. Dealers and markets may continue to receive metal serial tags at no cost until the available funds are expended. Flock ID tag numbers are the producer’s flock ID assigned by APHIS or the State followed by an individual animal number. Metal serial tag numbers have the State postal abbreviation, two letters followed by four numbers. Plastic serial tags have the State postal abbreviation, a letter and a number in either order, followed by four numbers.
Click Here to learn more.
State of the Flock Webinar: Highlights from the National Animal Heath Monitoring System (NAHMS) Sheep 2024 Study
The ASI webinar shared early results from the USDA NAHMS Sheep 2024 Study, a nationwide survey and on-farm sampling project covering 30 states and most of the U.S. flock. Speakers highlighted key trends in flock management, disease and biosecurity, and major health concerns—especially GI parasites and anthelmintic resistance, along with progress in scrapie genetic resistance.
Speakers:
Alyson Wiedenheft, DVM, MS, CSU-NAHMS Cooperative Co-Investigator and Biologics Coordinator.
Natalie Urie, DVM, MPH, Veterinary Epidemiologist.
Click Here to watch the webinar.
ALB Holiday Campaign Yields Key Insights
The American Lamb Board’s Feast It Forward holiday campaign provided valuable insights to guide strategic marketing efforts in the year ahead.
The campaign generated more than 500 consumer submissions from across the United States. Participants nominated their favorite restaurants serving American Lamb and shared the lamb dishes they love most. Beyond growing the consumer email list, the campaign delivered a clear snapshot of where consumers are actively choosing American Lamb when dining out.
“The data collected from this holiday campaign will be valuable as we plan our new campaigns for 2026,” says ALB Chairman Jeff Ebert.
ALB plans to use these insights to:
- Identify and recruit potential Lamb Jam restaurants
- Track emerging restaurants serving American Lamb
- Better understand regional trends and consumer dining behavior
To close out the campaign, ALB selected four lucky winners from across the country, each receiving a gift card to enjoy a “Feast It Forward” meal at their nominated restaurant:
- Suzanne Blanchard, Bones (Atlanta) Elysian Fields Lamb Rack
- Emilee Dougherty, Work & Class (Denver) Colorado lamb, roasted in coriander
- David Hughes, Mistral (Boston) Colorado rack of lamb
- Brandi Gray, Farm & Fisherman Tavern (New Jersey) Astoria lamb burger
Source: ALB