Wyoming Wool Growers Asking
For Limits On Lamb Imports

CHEYENNE, Wyo. —(AP)— Representatives of the Wyoming Wool Growers Association have asked the state's congressional delegates to take action to curb erosion the U.S. lamb market has experienced following a flood of low-priced imports, officials said.

The association's executive director, Bryce Reece of Casper, its president, Frank Philp of Shoshoni, and American Sheep Industry Association Secretary-Treasurer Frank Moore of Douglas, who is also a past president of the association, recently met with U.S. Sens. Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi and U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin.

They reviewed the drastic slide in domestic lamb prices in recent months, which wool growers blame on "a torrent of cheap lamb imports, primarily from the countries of Australia and New Zealand," says a wool growers news release.

On May 1, prices for feeder lambs were 45 percent lower than the year before, while prices for market-ready lambs had dropped 40 percent in that time.

"What is particularly alarming to the industry is the fact that prices have slid so dramatically despite the fact that domestic sheep numbers have continued their five-year decline, with a reduction of an additional six percent over the previous 12 months," Reece said in the release.

"Nationwide, sheep numbers have dropped over 25 percent since 1993, while Wyoming inventories have declined even more significantly with a nearly 40 percent reduction since the Clinton-Gore administration initiated its ‘reinventing government’ agenda which virtually abandoned domestic natural resource industries to the vagaries and insecurity of international ‘free’ trade," Reece said.

The industry is also worried production will drop another 20 percent to 25 percent in the next 12 months.

Industry officials are supporting an eight-point plan designed to slow or halt the drop in domestic prices.

It includes provisions calling for the immediate institution of tariffs on all imported lamb products, required price reporting, labeling imported meat and initiating discussions on the current trade situation with congressional committees and administration trade officials.

Mrs. Cubin said she would continue to do what she can to protect Wyoming's lamb and wool industry and American sheep producers.

"My commitment ot the sheep industry remains steadfast," she said. "I know the sheep industry in Wyoming can compete with any industry in the world, but there must be a level playing field for them to remain competitive."