How is the sheep industry?

[bellson]

Wondering how many people are active in this industry?

[Smithy]

The sheep industry seems to be picking up a bit in northern BC. I have had 3 inquiries from people in the last month or so looking for more ewes. I don't have any I want to sell, but it is a nice sign of optimism.

[joedales]

What is the economic engine for the sheep industry in Canada?

Wool?

Meat?

What are the issues?

Lack of breeding herd?

Thanks,

Joe

[cakadu]

There are many issues facing the sheep industry right now, at least here in Alberta. There is a lack of rain and/or moisture at the moment, which is having an impact on pasture growth.

No rain also means no hay and potentially no crops, so additional burdens. There is still some hope for rain, but unless we see some significant rainfall in the next couple of weeks, there will definitely be no first cut hay.

A number of producers have gotten out of the business so there are fewer flock numbers than in the past. On the bright side, there does seem to be a growing interest in eating local and there is increasing demand for Alberta/Canadian lamb.

The sheep industry is primarily one of meat, with wool essentially being a by-product. We raise a hair sheep breed so I can't really speak to any wool issues and am not certain of the price. In any event, meat production and wool quality are negatively correlated. The sheep breeds here in Canada are not reknown for their fine wool, although there are some wool breeds that are finer wool. Breeds like Merino are produced in tremendous numbers in Australia/New Zealand.

Hope this provides some insights.

[joedales]

Thanks for the update...

Hope the weather (moisture) turns for you.

Is the meat market tied to a global price or local market price?

Has it been hammered like pork by supply issues and the strong Cdn dollar?

Sorry, I don't have much knowledge of the sector, but find it interesting to learn about different areas of agriculture.

Thanks,

Joe