DENVER – The proposed Farm Bill text released by House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (Penn.) last week addresses critical needs of the American sheep industry, earning praise from industry leaders. Many of the areas addressed in the proposed legislation mirror specific requests of ASI and producers who participated during the 2024 ASI Spring Trip to Washington, D.C., in mid-March.
“This text from the House Ag chair provides real support to our sheep producers,” said American Sheep Industry Association President Brad Boner of Wyoming. “The text is very favorable toward the sheep industry in areas such as foreign animal disease management, drought and feed losses, foreign market development programs – which we are heavily reliant on for marketing American wool – as well as the wool marketing loan. The wool marketing loan is the only sheep-specific risk management tool that is available to American wool growers, so it’s important that the program can respond to the current wool market.”
The Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2024 proposes to:
- Substantially increase the existing marketing loan rate for American wool, which has not been adjusted since 2002.
- Increase funding for the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program, which is connected to funding for the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center and its grant programs.
- Double funding for foreign market programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. These programs include the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program, both of which provide support for marketing American wool to manufacturers overseas.
- Direct additional resources towards bolstering the three-legged stool to protect American livestock against foreign animal diseases.
- Establish permanent baseline for a new Agricultural Fiber Products Trust Fund, which includes additional funding for wool apparel manufacturers and wool research and promotion.
ASI appreciates the chairman’s efforts and investments made in the sheep industry in this Farm Bill proposal and welcomes forward progress in the process of getting a Farm Bill passed and signed into law.
Click Here for the full text of the proposal from Chairman Thompson.
In accordance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Sheep Industry Association does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, disability, age or marital/family status. ASI is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
