USDA Fosters Market Transparency In Grass Fed Lamb & Goat Industry

According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, there are over five million head of sheep and lambs in the United States, and over 2.6 million head of goats. A growing trend is producing these animals using grass fed production systems, especially for small to mid-sized producers.  

In response to the changing and widening marketplace, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will begin releasing the National Monthly Grass Fed Lamb and Goat Meat report through their USDA Market News service today, Wednesday, May 13, 2015.  This is one of the first reports of its kind, filling a significant data gap for the industry and increasing transparency in the marketplace.

It is estimated that half a million sheep each year are channeled into the nontraditional marketplace – such as ethnic and direct-to-consumer markets.  Often these nontraditional markets offer premiums to farmers and ranchers over traditional marketing channels.  Small to mid-sized producers and farmers, in particular, often use direct-to-consumer markets to get better prices for their products, while creating their own niche in the marketplace. 

To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA Blog