Auza and Arthur top
March and April Grids
The top lambs
The top lambs in March were marketed by Joe Auza Sheep Company, Casa Grande, Arizona. Fed at Double J, Ault, CO, these lambs were 100% yield grade 2’s and 3’s. They returned an average of $7.80 on the marketing grid and another $2.53 on the natural grid for a total premium of $10.33 per head. The average lamb marketed in March returned $4.73 on the grid, with the average pelt earning $4.97.
April’s top lambs were marketed by Forrest Arthur. Fed by Forrest Arthur, this load earned an average of $7.26 per head by yielding 92% Y2’s and Y3’s. The average lamb marketed through Mountain States Lamb Cooperative in April earned $4.61 on the grid and $5.32 for the pelt.
We have seen our producers respond very well to our grid over the last four years. If you have attended our annual meeting you know that during this time the Co-op has paid premiums over and above what we have received from Mountain States Rosen. Now that we own the company, we are working toward one grid, based on the actual economic value of the different yield grades. The Co-op lambs have performed very well in ongoing MSR cutting tests.
The final grid will be established and implemented very soon. It is our goal to still have our producer’s feed for a quality yield grade two carcass, because we know this is the carcass that provides the greatest return to our meat company. You will however, see a higher base price for all lambs going forward and less premiums . The total return will be the same, but the Co-op and MSR will use the same grid. This strategy will be discussed further at our annual meeting.
Board Elections
The District One board seat is up for election this year. Brad Boner, Glenrock, WY has been nominated. Mountain States Lamb Cooperative members holding a common share of stock should find a ballot enclosed.
Photo by Michael
Smile!
This lamb is all smiles at the Oxarango Ranch in Rupert, Idaho. Humane care is a core value of Mountain States Lamb Cooperative and a message we want to emphasize to our consumers.
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Annual Meeting
Now is the time to get reservations made for our annual meeting in Alpine, WY on July 15, 16, and 17th. The room rate is $99 plus tax and any rooms not reserved by July 1 will be released. Contact the Flying Saddle at 877/772-4422 or 307/654-4422.
Registration information will be sent out in early June. The tentative basic agenda is as follows:
Wednesday, July15-7 pm Welcoming Reception
Thursday, July 16-Annual Business Meeting and Mountain States Rosen Update
Friday, July 17- Sheep Tour (you will want to pack your camera and a jacket)
Please make plans now to join us for this very important annual meeting. This has been a monumental year for Mountain States Lamb Cooperative with the purchase of the remainder of Mountain States Rosen. There is a lot of information to share and we will allow plenty of time for your questions.
Changes to FSA Wool Program
Changes to the way loan repayment rates are calculated for both wool Marketing Assistance Loans and for the Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) program went into effect on April 15.
The most noticeable change is that there will now be a new 30-day average repayment rate in addition to the familiar weekly repayment rate. The repayment rate that will be in effect for the following week will be the lower of the two calculations.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will publish loan repayment rates for graded and non-graded wool once a week to be effective from Wednesday morning through the following Tuesday evening as has been the case since the initiation of the program. The new format for reporting prices incorporates the two programs.
"Adding the 30-day rate will be helpful for producers, especially when the wool market rises quickly," explains Peter Orwick, executive director of the American Sheep Industry Association, adding that the 2009 wool season so far is the perfect example of when this type of marketing assistance is crucial. "Slow sales due to the weakened economy and major changes in currency exchange rates have producers looking for the benefit of additional revenue through a deficiency payment or the cash flow of a marketing loan for spring expenses."
The 30-day average repayment rate allows producers to watch the market signals for the past few weeks and determine when it is financially beneficial to either repay the marketing loans or to take out an LDP. The 30-day average also helps to smooth price spikes in the market due to weekly market volatility. In the past, the weekly repayment rates and subsequently wool LDP rates have changed dramatically from one week to the next. The new adjustments will help stabilize program benefits and allows for time needed to make better informed marketing decisions for wool.
These changes are in response to requirements in the 2008 Farm Bill legislation mandating the addition of a 30-day repayment rate calculation.
Additional information is available at your county FSA office or online at www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=prsu&topic=col-nl-wm.
Reprinted from ASI Weekly, April 17, 2009
WANTED: Cull Cows If you are looking for an alternative market for your cull cows, visit www.cullcows.com. Salt Of The Earth is putting together a producer-driven supply chain of grass-only, naturally-managed cull cows. Their business structure resembles those of Mountain States Lamb Association and US Premium Beef, two very successful meat marketing companies. Please… take a minute or two to complete their online survey. |
