Missouri’s sheep farmers are evaluating the USDA’s announcement that it’s going to buy 170-million dollars worth of pork, chicken, lamb, and catfish to help farmers hurt by the drought.
The federal agriculture department counted 83-thosuand sheep and lambs on Missouri farms at the start of this year, the most in a decade. It calculated Missouri’s sheep farmers produced 300-thousand pounds of wool.
But sheep farmers are caught by many of the same problems other farmers are having–water shortages and burned-up pastures.
Executive Director Scott Kaden of the Missouri Sheep Producers Association says the value of the USDA’s offer will depend on the kind of operation…
But aren’t sheep awfully hot with all that wool in this hot, dry summer? Not particularly. Kaden says most of them don’t have all that much wool. Most ewes are sheared in the spring so they only have light fleece at this time of year.
