Sheep Industry News July 2022

NSIIC Accepting Proposals

P rograms to help American farmers build markets over seas boosted agricultural exports by an average of $9.6 billion annually from 1977 to 2019, representing 13.7 percent of total agricultural export value, and returning $24.50 in additional net export revenue for every dollar spent on ex port promotion. Those are the key conclusions from a study commissioned by the U.S. Grains Council on behalf of members of the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council to evaluate the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program and For eign Market Development program – both of which are utilized by ASI. “These programs provide additional funding for ASI to open, develop and expand markets for American wool all around the world,” said ASI Deputy Director Rita Samuelson. “As we’ve seen first with the trade war in China and then the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to the American wool industry that we develop a variety of buyers for American wool. These programs play a crucial role in that process.” The MAP and FMD programs are authorized by the Farm Bill and administered by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. The programs form part of the public-private partnerships that offer T he National Sheep Industry Improvement Center’s Board of Directors recently announced that it is accepting grant proposals from July 1 through Sept. 15. The grants must be designed to improve the American sheep industry. The sheep center has budgeted about $300,000 to support proj ects consistent with the grant program. The average grant amount in the last four years has been about $29,000. Financial assistance provided by the sheep center must accomplish one or more of the following objectives: 1. Strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States through the im provement of infrastructure, business, resource development and the development of innovative approaches to solve long term problems. 2. Provide leadership training and education to the industry stakeholders. 3. Enhance sheep and sheep products in the United States through assistance to all segments of the industry to address sus tainable production and marketing of sheep and sheep products. 4. Promote marketing of sheep and sheep products through an organized method that can measure tangible results.

competitive cost-share grants for foreign market development activities to USAEDC members. The study reported that these market development programs effectively leveraged industry contributions, averaging between 70 and 77 percent of expendi tures from 2013 to 2019, valued at an estimated annual average of $567 million. The study found that from 2002 to 2019, foreign market de velopment investment through the MAP and FMD programs: • Increased farm cash receipts by $12.2 billion (3.4 percent); • Contributed $45 billion annually in economic output and $22.3 billion annually in gross domestic product; • Created an estimated 225,800 jobs across the entire econo my. “The organizations that comprise our membership use these export programs to great effect,” said USAEDC Executive Director Lorena Alfaro. “The export programs not only boost the entire agricultural sector, but they also have a multiplier effect throughout the entire U.S. economy, supporting jobs and income in a range of industries.” The full study is available online at usaedc.org/wp-content/ uploads/2022/05/USGC-IHS-Markit-Cost-Benefit-Report April-2022.pdf. 5. Enhance the sheep industry by coordinating information exchange and by seeking mutual understanding and marketing within the industry community. The sheep center will review each proposal, recommend funding and submit final recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agri culture's Agricultural Marketing Service for approval. For more information about applying for a grant, contact NSIIC Program Manager Steve Lee at 207-236-6567 or stevelee@nsiic.org, or send mail to National Sheep Industry Improvement Center, 1578 Spring Water Way, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. The sheep center was established as part of the 2008 Farm Bill and was awarded funding by the Agricultural Marketing Service to be used for the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program as part of the 2018 Farm Bill. Grant funding can be used on activi ties designed to strengthen and enhance the production or mar keting of sheep and sheep products in the United States through infrastructure development, business development, production, resource development, and market and environmental research. Additional information about the sheep center is available on the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center website at NSIIC.org.

FAS Boosts Ag Exports, Wool

22 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org