Lamb Market News Reports Introduced

August 21, 2001http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/mncs/ls_mpr.htm

USDA has introduced two new lamb market news reports and one revised report to replace or complement existing reports currently issued as part of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Program. These reports are expected to improve public access to mandatory information by permitting USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service to publish a greater volume of collected data on a more consistent basis to protect the confidentiality of reported transactions. In some of the more thinly traded market sectors, AMS has been unable to publish collected daily data on a routine basis because the publication of such data might have revealed the identity or actions of individual reporting entities.

The LMR Program requires the reporting of market information by packers who have annually slaughtered an average of 125,000 cattle or 100,000 swine over the most recent five calendar-year period, or have annually slaughtered or processed an average of 75,000 lambs over the most recent five calendar-year period. Importers who have annually imported an average of 5,000 metric tons of lamb meat products over the most recent five calendar-year period are also subject to mandatory reporting requirements.

Among the new reports being launched are two new market news reports on lamb meat and one revised market news report that is designed to replace existing reports on lamb carcasses and negotiated sales of boxed lamb.

National Weekly Lamb Carcass Report: This new report, to be published each Wednesday, will include information on all carcass lamb sales that have occurred nationwide between the previous Thursday morning and the last mandatory reporting period on Wednesday afternoon. By using a Thursday-Wednesday reporting format, in accordance with the standard trading cycle of the domestic lamb carcass industry, the content of the new report will provide a more accurate reflection of emerging trends in market activity and prices.

Central U.S. Daily Lamb Carcass Report: This new daily report will include market information submitted by packers located in Colorado, Texas, and Iowa, permitting more frequent publication of daily lamb carcass sales information in a manner that meets confidentiality requirements.

National Daily 5-Day Rolling Average Boxed Lamb Cut Report - Negotiated Sales: This revised daily report contains a five-day rolling average of reported values submitted nationwide about negotiated sales in boxed lamb cuts. The use of a five-day rolling average rather than actual daily values will enable USDA to publish a substantially greater volume of information on negotiated lamb cut sales without divulging proprietary information.

Further information about each of these reports is available from the AMS Livestock and Grain Market News Branch, at their mandatory reporting Web site, located at http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/mncs/ls_mpr.htm.