Lamb prices spark optimism among ranchers

The price for commercial lambs in Oregon during the last month or so has been $1.60 a pound, a figure similar to or a bit higher than what it was last year. “The price has been steady,” said Dan Dawson who has a flock of 1,500 ewes in Douglas County, Ore. “But $1.70 would sure be better.” Dawson said he has heard of some lambs selling for a higher price in different states. With hopes for such a price, he hasn’t yet signed a contract for his lambs. His options are to sell them and let another business finish them through a feedlot process or maintain ownership while the lambs go through a feedlot. Australia and New Zealand are the world’s leading exporters of lamb. Since the U.S. is the largest export market for Australian lamb, Dawson said the export price for lamb is a major factor in determining the price for U.S. grown lambs. Cody Sandberg, another Douglas County rancher who has 500 ewes, said, “$1.60 is not bad. The lamb price can be a roller coaster. Everything is based off supply and demand and right now the demand for lamb is there. “I do think people are starting to figure out West Coast and Oregon lamb is a better product compared to others throughout the nation,” Sandberg added. Trent Pynch, a 23-year-old Douglas County rancher with 200 ewes, said the price isn’t “exceptional, but it definitely meets the bottom line. It’s holding steady and if anything, it’s climbing a bit.”...MORE