Several U.S. senators in the West sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, asking the agency to purchase American lamb as part of its authority under Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act Amendment of 1935.
The section authorizes USDA to support prices of commodities in surplus by purchasing them in the marketplace and also authorizes USDA to distribute commodities domestically. According to the letter, sheep ranchers helped fill the shortages experienced during the pandemic by increasing their herd size, and consumer demand increased as well.
“Now that market conditions have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, demand for beef, pork and chicken has rebounded,” the letter read. “As a result, domestic lamb supply now outstrips demand, leaving lamb prices stagnant and lamb feeders struggling to find outlets for their maturing surplus.”
The senators also ask for “improvements to USDA’s reporting structure and requirements for the lamb marketplace to increase price transparency and stability.”
The letter concluded, “We hope USDA will work closely with industry members on long-term solutions to support domestic lamb producers and feeders.”
