Gradual growth is foreseen for sheep industry
*
DENVER, Colo - A
resurgence of the long
declining American sheep
industiy is near at hand,
according to the Executive
Director of the American
Sheep Producers Council
(ASPC), and with it will
come dramatic op
portunities to provide
desperately needed food
supplies to developing
countries throughout the
world.
In recent addresses to 125
newspaper food editors in
Los Angeles, and 60
magazine food editors in
New York, Richard D. Bighn
said the new demands from
the Middle East alone have
the potential for consuming
the total American sheep
and lamb crops.
“We’re (the world) over
four billion population now
... and we’ll double that
again m 30 more years,”
Biglin said. “Somehow these
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masses of people must be fed
and clothed and that’s
particularly tough in the
developing nations ... but,
the sheep is a magnificent
animal, beautifully equipped
to help fill the food and
clothing gaps.”
The food editors,
representing major
publications from across the
United States, were briefed
on current activities of the
sheep industry which are
aimed at reversing the 35-
year decline in numbers.
“Our continuing challenge
is to bring our supplies up so
we can keep gaining meat
case space in comparison
with other meats,” Biglin
stated. “We know the
demand is there... that is the
purpose of the Blueprmt for
Expansion program ... to
expand production to meet
that demand,” he added.
The ASPC executive said
that sheep industry growth
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• TRANSPORT AUGERS , CHANNEL LOCK
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' Richard D. Biglin
in the West continues to be
hampered by predators. The
total loss of lambs and sheep
to coyotes in 1974 was “very
close” to one million head,
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according to Biglin. He
related that loss to ap
proximately 50 million
pounds of lamb in stores and
supermarkets and placed
the direct cost of losses to
producers at $27 million
during that time period.
However, the annual rate
of decline in sheep numbers
is slowing, and the forecast
for the immediate future is
for gradual growth.
Recent statistics from the
United States Department of
Agriculture indicate a six
per cent increase in ewe
lambs held for breeding
flocks in 1978. However,
Biglin said, producers will
have to withhold from
slaughter 20 to 25 per cent of
their ewe lambs for the
expansion program to be
effective.
The immediate problem
for most producers is one of
economics, according to the
ASPC official. “In a good
lamb market situation, when
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• BIN SWEEPS
• PIPE SPOUTING
• MOISTURE TESTER
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Lancaster Co.
717-464-3321
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 2,1978
prices are high, there is a
great profit incentive to sell
lambs when they are market
ready,” Biglin said. “You
must realize that each sheep
producer makes his own
buying and selling decisions.
The industry can only
educate and persuade
producers to withhold these
ewes.”
The editors were told that
the sheep industry expansion
program is working well in
the farm Hock areas of the
country; that new
developments m genetics
Swine meeting to be held
NEWARK, Del. - A swine
management meeting has specialist at North Carolina
been scheduled for Thur- state College. He will speak
sday, December 7, at 8 p.m., 0 n the subject, “Tips for
at the University of Greater Pork Profit.”
Delaware’s Georgetown
Substation.
Featured speaker at the livestock specialist Dr.
meeting will be Dr. David Richard Fowler, or call 302-
Spruill. Extension swine 738-2505.
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and breeding are resulting in
lamb crops of up to 200 per
cent in some areas; and that
confinement management of
sheep from birth to market
may be the wave of the
future for the industry.
Referring to lamb meat as
the “gourmet feast of an
tiquity” and the “meat of the
future,” Biglin assured his
audiences on both Coasts
that the American sheep
industry is on the right track
at last and is, without
question, in the throes of
being “bom again”.
For further information,
contact Delaware Extension
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