Sheep Industry News February 2024

American Lamb's Journey Continues KYLE PARTAIN is now available for states and extension to host virtual or live educational programs.

The crowd at the Lamb Council meeting might have gathered for the discussion on creating a new risk management program for the sheep industry – see page 10 for more details – but it stayed for updates on both international and domestic lamb programs. Leading the charge was Jessica Spreitzer of the U.S. Meat Export Federation with a synopsis of where the small amount of exported American lamb ends up on a regular basis. Through November 2023 – the latest data available at the time of the presentation – the United States had exported 4.2 million pounds (down 11 percent) of lamb muscle cuts for a value of $11.05 million (down 11.5 percent) in 2023. A majority of those exports head to the Caribbean and the Dominican Republic, with Mexico following right behind. Smaller amounts head to Canada, Central America and Asia. Cruise lines are once again sailing and doing well after the Covid shutdown, and that accounts for some of the demand in the Caribbean. Despite those numbers, Spreitzer said the United States is recognized as an exporter of high-quality lamb. American lamb is recognized overseas for having a milder, less-gamey taste with larger cut sizes due to genetic selection and grain feeding. Another indicator of lamb quality is that 90 percent of American lamb receives either choice or prime grades, indicating a youthful carcass that is of higher quality. Recently, USMEF has led lamb education among chefs in the Philippines and worked to establish American lamb as a high end product in the fairly new market of Japan. While USMEF is shepherding American lamb overseas, the American Lamb Board is leading efforts to increase demand do mestically. ALB reported an additional $800,000 in yearly income thanks to a change in the way checkoff dollars are collected at auction markets. That equates to a yearly budget of $3 million in

Wortman also announced that ALB’s third Lamb Summit will be conducted on July 24-26 this year at the University of Idaho. Look for more information on the summit in the months to come. As required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ALB evaluates the effectiveness of the lamb checkoff every five years. A report is due this spring, but a 2019 study showed that ALB promotions in terms of additional industry profit ranged from $14.20 to $33.40 per promotion dollar. Wortman ceded some of her time to North Dakota State University/University of Minnesota Extension Sheep Specialist Dr. Travis Hoffman who reported on his research into using sus pended fresh technology for American lamb. Working with IQ Foods, Hoffman is looking at how the technology can maximize taste while increasing shelf life. Hoffman said nearly every other protein is already working with the technology, which “chills” meat to 28 degrees. As part of his research, Hoffman has three objectives. The first is to test the technology with a full loin/loin chops. The test will compare sus pended fresh meat with frozen with an 80-day storage period. A consumer sensory panel will then compare tenderness, juiciness and flavor. Hoffman will also evaluate physiochemical data from proximate analysis, shear force, oxidation, protein degradation, drip loss, shelf life and lean meat color. This first objective began in October of 2023. Subsequent objectives will test retail ready sirloin roasts and ground lamb. And finally, the Lamb Council heard from its lamb market working group, which continues to look into additional ways to market “yearling” lamb. The group consists of Reed Anderson of Oregon, Nick Forrest of Ohio, Bob Harlan of Wyoming, Don Hawk of Ohio, Karissa Isaacs of Colorado and Dan Lippert of Minnesota.

2024 – 70 percent of which will go toward promotion of American lamb. The remaining 30 percent sup ports industry programs and research. ALB continues to put an emphasis on education with the hiring of Camren Maierle as the organiza tion’s sustainability director. He will develop and manage ALB’s targeted grazing education program, including workshops scheduled for later this year in Texas, North Carolina and California, said ALB Ex ecutive Director Megan Wortman. These workshops come on the heals of an emerging sheep producers workshop in Kentucky in the fall of 2023, and funding

14 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org