Latest News

Periodically assessing indicators of the sheep industry is not only important for producers to compare their flock performance, but it also has tremendous value for planning and designing research projects and educational events. In particular, benchmarking allows for a quick “pulse” to be taken on various aspects of the sheep and lamb industry. ALP has been supporting research towards the design and development of an on-farm pregnancy and litter size detection kit.  This survey is supporting that project so we encourage all ewe owners to fill it out and return it as soon as you complete your lambing season this year.

To take the survey please click here 

Complete the brief poll here!

Help shape the Next Policy Framework set to replace the Canadian Agricultural Partnership in April 2023.

Representatives of Alberta's agriculture, agri-food and agri-products sector are being consulted during May and June 2022 to gauge their understanding of the five priority areas identified in the Guelph Statement.

ALP is advocating for our producers at these enagement sessions for:

• Predation Management grant funding program to include upgrades to predation fencing, rebates on LGA’s and trapping training subsidies 
• To include a wool value-added opportunity for producer by providing funding for wool pelleting machines as this helps to address green/environmental initiatives
• Pregnancy detection ultrasound machines and including training for individual producer to use the machine
• Funding for specialized feed equipment to improve efficiency which also ties in with green/environmental initiatives

*We are also encourgaing our producers and industry stakeholders to fill out the survey, click here and have your say. The survey closes June 6, 2022.

Following the 2020 ALP AGM, the ALP Board of Directors decided to create a Producer Consultation Committee, as we recognized that we as an organization can do better to engage and connect with our eligible producers between AGMs. The Producer Consultation Committee’s first step was to create and distribute a producer survey, which was sent out following the 2020 AGM. Through the feedback we received, we followed up by hosting a town hall meeting for our eligible Alberta Lamb Producers that took place on July 20, 2021.

With the success and positive feedback from the July town hall meeting, ALP also hosted a fall session. It was held on October 21,2021, as requested by producers on the first call, and we discussed important topics such as CAP funding, insurance, BRM,  and other services  that we were unable to cover during the summer meeting.

We are following up by establishing the 2022 town hall meeting for eligible Alberta lamb producers, scheduled to take place Wednesday, July 6, 2022. In order to be an eligible producer to register, you need to have purchased tags within the last two years of ALP’s fiscal year end (August 31).

Please find the meeting date and registration links below.

*A detailed agenda and meeting package will be circulatd as soon as it is available*

ALP Town Hall Meeting – Eligible Alberta Producers Only (Eligibility will be confirmed by office)

When: Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Time: 7:00  pm to 9:00 pm

Producers will need to register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctf-mtrzssGtZbDVfhuVqiYu-HC0zkMq-Z  

*After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

ALP would like to thank those eligible producers who were able to attend in 2021 and for the dialogue that took place on the call. Moving forward, we hope all eligible Alberta lamb producers will engage in these town hall meetings and that the format will allow focus on ideas and opportunities at each level of production. Attendance and engagement will signal a need to continue with them. YOUR feedback on content and format will shape them to make the most of the time together. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Scott, ALP Executive Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The AgriStability enrollment deadline for the 2022 program year has been extended from April 30 to June 30, 2022. This extension allows farmers more time to sign up and take advantage of the support available under the program.

This step, agreed to by federal, provincial, and territorial governments, will enable the program to help more farmers manage the impact of challenges facing many farm operations, such as production loss, disease outbreak, increased costs and changing market conditions. 

Read more

Sheep Supply for month ending January 2022.

ALP is pleased to announce that we have selected the successful candidate who will be filling the Canada Summer Jobs grant position of Research Assistant. Samuel Reive will be joining the ALP team May 16, 2022 and will be working up until August 29, 2022 and will primarily be working on our newly funded Sheep and Goat Vegetation Management Accreditation Program. Samuel is a current student enrolled in the Agricultural Management Diploma program at Olds College who has a keen interest in raising sheep. Please help us in welcoming Samuel to our team!

Project background:
ALP in partnership with the Alberta Goat Association and Lakeland College will be working on developing a series of modules for Alberta sheep/goat producers to learn best practices for grazing forages under normal and unique circumstances.  Modules will form a sheep and goat vegetation management accreditation program. Stakeholders requiring or offering vegetation management services, using livestock, will use these resources for contract and partnership development.
Sheep and goats present land stewards a unique opportunity to graze areas near sensitive water bodies, that cattle cannot access and by consuming plant species (including woody and weedy species) that cattle find unpalatable. Sheep and goats’ digestive systems will break down weed seeds and often leave them incapable of germination.

This project aims to develop a series of modules for the creation of a sheep & goat vegetation management accreditation program. Modules will be used to educate flock managers and serve as the go to resource for comprehensive grazing and sheep & goat management under the specific situations listed above. Our project will engage both land and animal stakeholders to make this project more balanced in showing perspectives and needs from both sides involved in vegetation management.

Dear industry and provincial stakeholders,

This message is to inform industry and provincial stakeholders that sheep, goats and certain other ruminants can now be exported to the United States under applicable conditions.

Further to our message on December 14, 2021 regarding the rule published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on the Importation of Sheep, Goats, and Certain Other Ruminants on December 3, 2021, we are pleased to inform you that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has negotiated the following two export certificates with the United States:

• As of March 17, 2022, USDA APHIS is accepting the revised export certificate for sheep and goats direct to slaughter in the United States. The old certificate will be accepted up until May 15, 2022 only. An import permit is no longer required with the new certificate. The age limit of under 12 months has been removed and sealing at the point of departure is no longer required.

• Certificate HA1944 for the export of sheep or goats for breeding or production to the United States (amended February 24, 2022) has been also reactivated and is now available. As well, the APHIS issued an Import Alert, effective April 6, 2022, indicating that the U.S. has also completed its process of implementing an Import Permit to facilitate the export of sheep or goats for breeding or production to the United States.

Click here for additional import and post-entry requirements on the USDA APHIS Live Animal Imports website.

Exporters can also contact their local CFIA inspection office for any further questions relating to the export certificates.

Regards,

Market Access Secretariat

Here is a copy of the Canadian Livestock Transport Newsletter.

Sheep supply for the month of December 2021