2020 was a difficult year for U.S. agriculture with the pandemic causing a back log of animals at processing plants and the need for COVID-19 relief packages. Despite that, the sheep industry saw some wins in the trade arena. American Sheep Industry Association Executive Director Peter Orwick says the Trump administration reopened some important markets for U.S lamb.
Orwick says they are already working on new markets for the lamb and wool industries and are working to accomplish trade advances by going virtually.
He says the year wasn’t without trade challenges, some brought on by the tension between the U.S. and China, which were detrimental to the U.S. wool sector.
However, Orwick says they’re hoping to work with the incoming Biden administration on developing even more market opportunities for sheep producers.
