Sheep Industry News March 2025

Market Report

TYLER COZZENS, PH.D. Livestock Marketing Information Center

Inventory, Trade & Price Update

T he U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricul tural Statistics Service released its annual sheep and lamb inventory report as of Jan. 1, 2025, which pro vided a snapshot of current supplies but also helps paint part of the supply picture for this year. NASS reported that the flock size increased less than 1 per cent (+0.4 percent, or 20,000 head) to 5.05 million head. The last time sheep and lamb inventory levels posted an annual increase was 2016, when the flock increased 25,000 head (+0.5 percent) to 5.27 million head. At the state level, changes in sheep and lamb inventories were mixed across the United States. Declines in the flock size were reported for Oregon (-3.2 percent), South Dakota (-2.4 percent) and Wyoming (-6.3 percent) to 150,000, 205,000 and 300,000 head, respectively. The flock size in California, Colorado and Idaho remained unchanged from a year ago at 510,000, 405,000 and 235,000 head, respectively. Iowa (+3.9 percent), Montana (+2.8 percent), Ohio (+1.4 percent), Texas (+4.7 percent) and Utah (+3.7 percent) reported gains in the flock size to 161,000, 185,000, 145,000, 670,000 and 280,000 head, respectively. Additional inventory statistics from the NASS report noted that the total breeding flock increased 10,000 head (+0.3 per

cent) to 3.68 million head. The increased breeding flock was due solely to a rise in ewes 1-year-old and older from 2.87 mil lion head in 2024 to 2.88 million head in 2025. The remaining breeding flock inventory levels were unchanged from the prior year with rams 1-year-old and older and replacement lambs at 165,000 and 635,000 head, respectively. The breeding flock last reported an annual increase in 2016 of 15,000 head (+0.4 percent) to 3.94 million head. Total market sheep were reported up nearly 1 percent (+0.7 percent) or 10,000 head to 1.37 million head. The rise was due to reported increases in most of the reported market lamb weight categories. Lambs weighing under 65 pounds increased 1.4 percent (5,000 head), 65- to 84-pound lambs were even with a year ago, 85- to 105-pound lambs rose 1.5 percent (4,000 head), lambs weighing more than 105 pounds remained level with last year, and market sheep increased 1.2 percent (1,000 head) from a year earlier. The lamb crop posted a 10,000 head (+0.3 percent) increase from the prior year to 3.04 million head. This was due partly to a rise in the lambing percentage from 103.4 percent in 2023 to 105.9 percent in 2024. The lamb crop has not posted a year-over-year increase in two decades, when it rose 5,000 head (+0.1 percent) in 2004 to 4.04 million head. The lamb

ing percentage has not been this high in four years, when it reached 107 percent in 2019 and 2020. TRADE DISCUSSION USDA also released December trade statistics, which finalized annual tallies for 2024. Lamb imports in 2024 reached a record of 309 million pounds, an increase of 69 million pounds (+29 percent). Increased lamb imports were seen from Australia and New Zealand last year. Lamb imports from Australia totaled 230 million pounds, up 51 million pounds (+29 percent) from the prior year. Lamb shipments from New Zealand rose 18 million pounds (+31 percent) to 77 mil lion pounds. In 2024, Australia accounted for 74 percent of total U.S. lamb imports

6 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org