| No. 19 December, 2001 |
| North Dakota Lamb and Wool Industry Newsletter |
| North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers Association / NDSU Extension Service Roger G. Haugen, Extension Sheep Specialist and Editor 701-231-7645 |
Annual Sheep Convention/Lamb Cooperative Meeting Set for November 30, December 1, 2001 at Seven Seas Motel in Mandan
A
Something For Nothing@This year as you register for our convention you will be asked if you wish to join the NDLWPA and the American Sheep Industry Association. Very often when I ask individuals to join our association or ASI the first question out of their mouth is "what to I get for joining"? This year I am more than happy to reply. In addition to the national and state political representation, up to date news on policy and affairs that affect our operations, a voice on public policy, and a network of individuals working for the common good of a industry, each of us on average received a return on investment fifty to a hundred fold.
This past year many of us received payments on three dollar ahead for feeder lambs, five dollar ahead for fat lambs, one hundred dollars a head on ram purchases, and twenty percent on cost sharing on facility improvements and new construction projects used for sheep. In addition we received a forty-cent per pound deficiency payment on last years wool. Over the last 12 months over 60 million in direct payments have been made to producers. Another 50 to 200 million in producer payments is on tap for the next few years. All of these benefits did not come about because someone in Washington D.C. had some extra monies to expend and thought about the sheep industry. No, these benefits are the result of organized leadership and representation on your behalf by NDLWP and ASI. In addition legislation is in the works that promises each of us a wool deficiency payment of one dollar a pound for graded wool and forty cents a pound for non-graded wool. Also just announced an eighteen-dollar payment per ewe lamb retained for one year. When I do the math for myself the return on my twenty five-dollar membership to ASI and my fifteen-dollar membership to NDLWPA is well above the average.
Certainly lamb prices should be better each of us can attest to that. It is times like this when it becomes hard to part with the membership dollars. However now is not the time to go it alone and practice isolationism. Many an army has been conquered when divided and many successful when unified. My reply for those that say this or that program or organization is no good is this. To be negative is the easy way out. Everyone can find fault if we look hard enough. I challenge the nay-sayers to become part of the solution. Rather than merely tearing down the work of others, find ways of building upon the foundation and improving the final product.
If each of us is truly honest with ourselves we cannot dispute the return on investment was substantial. I hope each of you analyses the alternative of no representation and decides to join both organizations. Never let it be said of our industry that we got something for nothing. Truly the fruits of our labors is just deserved for an industry struggling with imports, tariffs and the ramifications of "free trade". Hope to see each of you at the convention.
Burton Pfliger, President of NDLWPA, Bismarck
Convention Agenda
(All Times are CST)Convention Registration
Attention NDLWPA members!
Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative
On November 30 and December 1, the DLGC will be meeting with the NDLWPA. All sheep producers are invited to attend our annual meeting. The DLGC has the Saturday morning session. We are in the process of doing an equity drive to increase the number of sheep producers and increase the number of lambs committed. With new markets developing, we need more sheep producers to join the DLGC. I invite all sheep producers to the Seven Seas in Mandan, ND. Hope to see you at the convention.
Articles for the February Newsletter
South Dakota Sheep Shearing School
REGISTRATION FOR SHEEP SHEARING SCHOOL Brookings, SD -- December 5-7, 2001
Name:____________________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________________
Work phone:_________________________ Home phone:__________________
Fee: $125 per person. Registration
deadline: December 1, 2001. FIFTY DOLLARS MUST ACCOMPANY THIS FORM. Mail to:
South Dakota Sheep Shearing Program, Box 2170, Brookings, SD 57007.
Phone: 605-688-5433. E-mail: jeffrey_held@sdstate.edu.
Sponsored by SDSGA, Wool Committee with cooperation from SDSU Extension Service.
November 19 Key Date for Sheep Producers As Most Scrapie Rules Go Into Effect
Those categories of sheep and goats
that must be identified (ear tags or tattoos) are:
* All sheep 18 months and older;
* All breeding sheep regardless of age;
* All scrapie exposed, suspect, test-positive and high-risk animals;
* Breeding goats, except low-risk commercial goats;
* All sheep and goats for exhibition other than castrated males.
The following groups need no ID and
have no movement restrictions:
* All sheep under 18 months of age moving into slaughter channels;
* All goats moving into slaughter channels;
* Low-risk commercial goats defined as those:
- Raised for fiber and/or meat;
- Not registered or exhibited;
- Which have not been in contact with sheep;
- Not scrapie positive, high-risk or exposed animals;
- Not from an infected or source herd.
* Wethers for exhibition;
* Animals moving for grazing, if no change in ownership occurs.
Owners of commercial whiteface breeding sheep less than 18 months of age will have until February 19, 2002, to comply with the ID and movement restrictions. The requirements for all scrapie-exposed, suspect, high-risk and positive animals have been in effect since September 20.
"If they haven't already done so, producers should call their local APHIS office, 866-873-2824 , to be assigned an official ID number and to get free ear tags," explains Dr. Diane Sutton, National Scrapie Program Coordinator with USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services.
The regulations needed for implementation of the accelerated scrapie eradication program became final in August. In addition to the identification requirements, the rule also provides indemnity to compensate producers whose flocks or herds are found to be infected with this always-fatal disease. More information is available on the Internet at www.animalagriculture.org/scrapie or www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/scrapie.htm.
USDA Announces Ewe Lamb Program
LMAAP is designed to help relieve economic injuries suffered by the domestic lamb and sheep industry and to help stabilize market conditions. The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) was instrumental in securing the LMAAP program, which was part of an initial $100 million industry assistance package first announced in 1999 after the industry filed a Section 201 trade case against imports. The additional assistance was announced in August when the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said the United States would comply with a World Trade Organization ruling that overturned the 1999 decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission that prompted the United States to impose restraints on lamb meat imports.
Per the agreement with the 201 petitioners, USDA has allocated an additional $37.7 million for the extension of LMAAP. Of that amount, $26 million will be allocated to the new ewe lamb expansion payment program for years three and four of LMAAP, while the remaining funds will be restricted to payments for feeder and slaughter lambs marketed during year two through year four of LMAAP.
"We urged USDA to publish a press release on this new program to explain the basics of the new ewe lamb payment, since the application form and rule will likely not be available until the end of the year," ASI President and Wyoming sheep producer Frank Moore said. "USDA included the guts of the program as we requested so producers can make their transactions now with a reasonable expectation of the payments and qualifications."
To be eligible for the planned new
ewe lamb expansion payment, a sheep and lamb operation must have been purchased
or a ewe lamb retained to expand the sheep herd between August 1, 2001, through
July 31, 2003. The producer would also have to certify that the ewe lamb meets
the following eligibility criteria:
* not older than 18 months of age
* not produced an offspring
* identified with an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service approved scrapie
program (compliance with the federal interstate movement restrictions for
scrapie as it applies to the state in which you operate)
* Does not possess parrot mouth or foot rot
Payments for retaining or purchasing qualifying ewe lambs during years three and four are targeted at $18 per ewe lamb. Signup dates will be announced at a later date. Other program restrictions may apply. Implementing regulations will be published in the Federal Register as soon as possible. Further information on LMAAP will be available from local USDA Service Centers or on USDA Farm Service Agency's web site at: www.fsa.usda.govwww.fsa.usda.gov.
ND Bred Ewe/Ewe Lamb Sale - Nov 30
North Star Classic Sheep Show on
Friday, Nov 30
9:00 am - Open Show
11:00am - Junior Show
Calendar of Events: