One of the bright spots in the commodity markets as we wrap up 2016 comes from sheep. NAFB’s Trade Talk gives voice to ag businesses and commodity groups each year. The sheep industry was well represented again this year with the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) and the American Lamb Board.
“It’s trending downward as you see that seasonality, which we traditionally see this time of year. But we haven’t seen near the severity of the downward pressure we have seen in the beef market, the corn or the bean market. It’s adding value to a lot of producers balance sheets. We even have producers adding more ewes to their operations,” said Burton Pfliger, President ASI.
An essential component to an open and transparent market is Mandatory Price Reporting. Listen to my complete interview with Burton as he shares it’s impact on the sheep community along with details into their Let’s Grow program, new educational materials and what we can expect at the upcoming ASI Convention. Interview with Burton Pfliger, President ASI
Research is at the heart of the promotion of lamb products from the American Lamb Board. Lamb Board member, Jim Percival, said some of their most recent studies have been focused on flavor and quality. “We are working with Colorado State University and The Ohio State University to identify those compounds in lamb that create taste. There are a lot of people that absolutely love lamb and there are people who will tell you they don’t like lamb because of the taste.”
Jim said they want to ensure consistent taste whether the lamb is consumed at a high-end restaurant or bought at the meat case in a local grocery store. Listen to my complete interview with Jim to learn the 12 new lamb chop best practices and lessons learned from the Tri-Lamb Young Leader Forum here: Interview with Jim Percival, American Lamb Board member
View and download photos from the event here: NAFB Convention Photo Album
