Release No.: 161-13

Contact:

Sam Jones-Ellard (202) 660-2268

samuel.jones@ams.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2013—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced four appointments to the 2014 Lamb Promotion, Research, and Information Board. Each appointee will serve 3-year terms.

"These appointees represent a cross section of the lamb industry and I am confident that the lamb industry will be well served by them," said Vilsack.

According to the 2007 U.S. Department of Agriculture Census, there were approximately 83,000 sheep and lamb farms with an estimated 5.8 million head of sheep and lambs in the United States during 2007. Top producing states included Texas, California, Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota.

The newly appointed board members are: James C. Percival, Ohio, and Diane Peavey, Idaho, representing producers; Dale R. Thorne, Michigan, representing feeders; and Gregory R. Ahart, California, representing first handlers.

The board is composed of six producers, three feeders, one seedstock producer, three first handlers, and a member of the general public. The Secretary of Agriculture appoints approximately one-third of all board members each year.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966, when Congress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 20 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

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