ASI Awarded Additional NADPRP Grant
The American Sheep Industry Association has been awarded a National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program grant for $111,110 to evaluate the traceability of livestock marketed in an auction market setting utilizing electronic identification in a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak through collaboration with industry and state partners.
The purpose of this agreement is to demonstrate how electronic ID systems when utilized in a livestock auction market setting can enhance animal disease traceability and decrease the response time during a Foreign Animal Disease outbreak. ASI will accomplish this by simulating two FMD outbreak trace exercises of animals (sheep, goats and cattle) sold through Oregon livestock auction markets.
The first exercise will be based on the current animal ID system used by the livestock auction markets to provide rapid animal movement traceability information to the state animal health official. The second exercise will follow implementation and/or enhancement of the electronic animal ID system at the auction market(s). Three multi-species (sheep, goats and cattle) auction markets ranging from small to large scale will be invited to participate. It is critical that auction markets provide animal movement information in an effective manner to minimize the impacts of a disease outbreak.
In collaboration with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, this project will demonstrate how an electronic animal ID system can generate the needed information required by state and federal animal health officials for tracing movement of livestock within and across state lines during an FMD outbreak. This will be accomplished by demonstrating how the time required to trace animals is different between the initial FMD exercise trace and the second FMD exercise trace after implementation of an electronic animal ID system.
Scrapie Webinar Planned for Tuesday
A webinar on the National Scrapie Eradication Program is set for Tuesday at 8 p.m. eastern time. The webinar will address options to meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s sheep and goat identification requirements.
Dr. Stephanie Ringler with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/Veterinary Services will lead the discussion. She is a veterinary medical officer for the National Sheep and Goat Team. She also owns and operates a small ruminant veterinary practice in western Pennsylvania.
The webinar is funded in part by the American Sheep Industry Association through a cooperative agreement with USDA/APHIS.
Click Here to register for the free webinar.
AMS Offers Rare Wool Report
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service offered a rare wool sale report this week. Prices aren’t usually available due to a lack of reported sales and confidentiality concerns.
Domestic wool trading had 505,723 lbs. of clean and 517,629 lbs. of greasy wool confirmed trades reported this week. Prices reflect trades FOB warehouse in original bag or square pack, bellies out, some graded, and 76 mm or longer. No allowance made for coring, freight or handling fees at the warehouse level to reflect net grower prices.
Wools shorter than 75 mm typically discounted .10-.20 clean. Classed and skirted wools usually trade at a .10-.20 premium to original bag prices.
Click Here for the full report.
Source: USDA/AMS
Australian Wool Market Records Small Increase
After two successive weeks of falls, the Australian wool market recorded an overall increase this series, albeit by the barest of margins.
The national offering was again below 40,000 bales for the third week in a row. There were a total of 35,436 bales available to the trade after 8.8 percent of the offering was withdrawn prior to sale. When compared to the previous season, the total amount offered continues to trend lower. Season to date there have been 15,974 fewer bales offered – 1 percent lower than the previous season.
Although the market improved, market movements were varied across the two selling days, within sectors and also within individual micron pockets. On the first day, the movements in the individual Micron Price Guides for Merino fleece ranged by between plus 18 and minus 10 cents. These movements – combined with varied results in the crossbreds, skirtings and oddments – resulted in a 1-cent fall in the AWEX Eastern Market Indicator.
The second day was similar to the first, but with a slightly more positive tone. The Merino fleece MPG movements ranged between minus 3 and plus 22 cents, with 18 of the 26 published MPGs recording positive movements and only three falling. The EMI gained 2 cents for the day. By the end of the series, the EMI closed 1 cent higher at 1,135 Australian cents.
Due to a stronger Australian dollar, the rise in the EMI when viewed in U.S. dollar terms was better. The EMI added 9 U.S. cents across the series to close the week at 754 U.S. cents.
Next week’s offering is again expected to be below 40,000 bales. There are currently 39,404 bales on offer in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle, which will sell over one day (Tuesday) due to the limited amount of wool on offer.
Source: AWEX
Click Here for the ASI Conversion Table – AWEX Prices to USD Per Pound.
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.
House Ag Chair Releases Complete Farm Bill Text
This morning, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (Penn.) released text for The Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2024. In the initial press release the chairman touts the bill as, “the product of extensive feedback from stakeholders and all members of the House and is responsive to the needs of farm country through the incorporation of hundreds of bipartisan policies.”
This comes after the May 10 release of the committee’s title-by-title summary of the chairman’s Farm Bill proposal and an open letter to his colleagues and stakeholders outlining his perspective in drafting his Farm Bill proposal.
Big wins in the bill for the sheep industry include a considerable increase to the existing wool marketing loan rate, increased funding for the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program, and established baseline and increased funds for the Wool Trust Fund. The full committee markup for the bill is set for May 23, but an official start time has yet to be announced.
Click Here for the complete bill text. You can also find his title-by-title summary of the Farm Bill here, as well as the colleague letter here.
House Appropriations Releases FY 25 Schedule
On Thursday, House Appropriation Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) announced the markup schedule for Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bills. Of importance to the American Sheep Industry Association, the subcommittee markup for the Agriculture-FDA spending bill is expected to take place June 11 with the full committee markup set for July 10. The subcommittee markup for the Interior appropriations bill is planned for June 28 with the full committee to follow on July 9.
Click Here for the tentative schedule for the other appropriations bills.
Texas Targeted Grazing Workshop a Success
Producers from eight states gathered in Temple, Texas, on May 9 for the American Lamb Board’s inaugural Targeted Grazing Workshop. The three-day event brought together sheep producers to discuss contract grazing opportunities to expand the American sheep industry. Producers in attendance represented an estimated 30,000 head of sheep and nearly 20,000 acres of targeted grazing contracts being negotiated or finalized.
The three-day event included two classroom days, followed by a field day with a tour of a solar site, which will have sheep deployed for vegetation management on almost 5,000 acres.
In the classroom, JR Howard, producer, grazer and owner of Texas Solar Sheep, delivered regional expertise on managing a solar grazing business and building beneficial relationships with solar companies excited to utilize sheep and grazers to manage site vegetation.
Texas A&M University’s extension staff also provided support with discussions about the genetic selection of sheep and managing guard dogs.
From the solar side, SB Energy and Blattner Energy provided attendees with information on safety and electrical engineering to help producers better understand the environment around solar arrays.
The workshop’s highlight was the participants’ collaborative and engaging attitudes. The open discussions and group activities made the event a huge success.
This was the first of three Targeted Grazing Workshops planned for 2024. The next workshop in Roxboro, N.C., will take place later this month, and another event is scheduled for July 15-17 in Hopland, California.
Click Here to learn more.
Source: ALB
Dairy Sheep Symposium to Meet in Chicago
The Dairy Sheep Association of North America is making plans for an in-person Dairy Sheep Symposium this fall. The symposium is scheduled for Nov. 7-9 in Chicago, Ill. This will be the first in-person gathering of the association in five years.
The three-day event will include two days of presentations, producer panels and small group sessions focused on dairy sheep nutrition, sheep milk processing, dairy sheep management and the marketing of sheep dairy products. The third day will include a tour of Ms. J & Company – a sheep dairy milking 500 ewes a day in Wisconsin. The tour will include a hands-on demonstration of skills that producers can take back to their own operations.
The symposium will be conducted at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, located near Chicago O’Hare International Airport. DSANA has reserved a block of rooms at a symposium rate of $179 per night.
Click Here to learn more.
Source: DSANA
Suffolk Event Planned for June
The United Suffolk Sheep Association is sponsoring the second annual Suffolk Event to be held June 7-9, in Springfield, Ill. This is an opportunity for Suffolk enthusiasts to all come together, but is open to any sheep producer or those interested in getting started in raising sheep.
Fifteen educational programs will be offered for adults and six for youth. Educational sessions will take place on June 7 at Land of Lincoln Community College and on June 8 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
The National Suffolk Sale will be held at the fairgrounds on Saturday. A sale preview will be held on Friday night where participants will be able to view the sheep and vote on the sale order. Decisions and Desserts will be a unique opportunity to socialize and provide input into the sale order.
On Saturday evening, the Hall of Fame Banquet featuring a lamb dinner will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Three Suffolk breeders will be recognized and inducted into the USSA Hall of Fame.
The Junior Suffolk Show will take place Sunday morning and will feature some fun activities for youth. The theme for the junior show is Walk the Red Carpet.
Click Here for more information.
Source: USSA