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Lamb processing facility closure prompts plea for federal guidance
Lawmakers have asked for immediate assistance from USDA to help sheep producers find alternate processing options following the closure of the nation’s second largest lamb processor.
After filing bankruptcy, the Mountain States Rosen (MSR) lamb processing facility in Greely, Colorado was purchased by JBS USA Holdings who has indicated they will not be using the facility for lamb processing.
House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chair Jim Costa of California along with David Rouzer of NC and Michael Conaway of TX led 17 members in a letter to Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue. The letter states the closure has come at a time when the sheep industry is already projected to lose more than $350 million from COVID-19 market declines and that many feedlots are already at peak capacity.
Costa says USDA can help sheep producers find other processing options that keep products moving through the supply chain.
