From the CEO’s Desk: US Industry Visit – January–February 2026

Recently SPA Chair Bindi Murray and I had the opportunity to engage with sheep producers, industry leaders and policy stakeholders across the United States.

Our visit formed part of SPA’s ongoing international engagement - ensuring Australian sheep producers are well-represented in global conversations which shape our trading environment and long-term competitiveness.

At a time where global agricultural policy settings, trade dynamics and market access settings are under heightened scrutiny, it was particularly valuable to spend time listening to - and learning from - our international counterparts. 

Maintaining constructive relationships with key partner industries enables SPA to: 

• Better anticipate global policy trends 

• Identify areas of mutual interest and collaboration 

• Inform our own strategic planning processes 

• Support stable, rules-based trading relationships 

ASI Annual Convention 

SPA attended the American Sheep Industry Association’s (ASI) Annual Convention in Reno, which brought together more than 400 producers and industry stakeholders from across the United States.

The conference provided the opportunity for meetings with ASI leadership and members as well as international counterparts including Beef + Lamb New Zealand, MLA representatives and partners from the Global Sheep Producers Forum (GSPF) network.  

SPA’s engagement with ASI reflects a longstanding relationship between our respective peak producer bodies,  - dating back to the Tri-Lamb initiative involving our predecessor organisation, the Sheepmeat Council of Australia - and counterpart producer organisations in the United States and New Zealand.  

Policy discussions formed part of the program, with updates provided by federal agency representatives and Congressional offices on issues impacting sheep production systems, including grazing access, predator management, animal health and the broader operating environment for US producers.  

Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei addressed delegates on the introduction of proposed legislation seeking to impose a 30 per cent duty on imported sheepmeat and wool products from Australia and New Zealand.

This follows the petition lodged by the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) in October 2025 requested the US Administration initiate a safeguard investigation into imported sheepmeat under Sections 201–202 of the Trade Act of 1974.    

Discussions with industry representatives and convention participants focused on:  

• Shared production and workforce challenges 

• Animal health developments (including New World screwworm preparedness, progress towards Scrapie-free status) and availability of pharmaceuticals such drenches and vaccines.  

• The evolving global policy landscape for livestock agriculture 

• Meat eating quality grading systems  

• The role of genetics - in improving productivity, carcase consistency, disease resilience and eating quality outcomes. 

• Growing demand for lamb in the United States. 

• Solar grazing – ongoing opportunities for growth and entry for younger/next generation producers. 

  
  

From discussions throughout the Convention and during on-farm visits, it was evident that there are differences in understanding – between our respective countries - about how sheep production systems operate.

This includes the extensive, pasture-based nature of Australian operations and the largely commercial (rather than subsidised) environment in which Australian producers operate.

These discussions also highlighted opportunities for continued exchange on the application of genetics to support flock resilience, production efficiency and long-term industry competitiveness. 

Building on these conversations there was a strong interest in SPA's initiatives, including our work through The Future Flock and the relevant history of the Sheep Industry Strategic Plans which have helped shape Australia’s growth since the 1990s into a world leading sheep production and export industry.

Importantly, the Convention also provided an opportunity to progress international engagement ahead of LambEx 2026 in Adelaide, including collaboration through the GSPF Next Generation program - supporting the leadership pipeline that both our industries recognise as critical to future advocacy. 

On-farm insights 

Time spent with US producers in Idaho and Wyoming offered valuable first-hand insight into: 

• Extensive rangeland production systems 

• Predator management and labour availability 

• Feedbase constraints and seasonal variability 

• The intersection of regulation and operational viability 

  
  

 It was clear that while Australian and US production environments differ, many of the strategic pressures facing US producers such as input costs, workforce availability and predation pressures closely mirror those being experienced by Australian sheep producers.  

Cross-sector engagement 

The timing of our visit aligned with the NCBA CattleCon Conference, providing valuable insight into cross-sector approaches to producer advocacy and policy engagement, consumer marketing and market development.  

This conference also provided the opportunity to engage informally with international agricultural representatives and embassy officials from a number of key trading partners. 

There are clear learnings in how producer organisations are engaging in complex

policy environments - including debates about dietary guidance, domestic supply, the role of animal protein in national food security and communicating the value of livestock production systems to domestic and international audiences.

This conference included an address by US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who outlined proposed updates to the United States Dietary Guidelines and the restructuring of the traditional food pyramid to place protein - including red meat - as a foundational component of a healthy diet.

The proposed changes are expected to influence federal nutrition programs, public health messaging and long-term consumer demand settings in the United States. 

Advocacy in action 

In Washington DC, we undertook a series of meetings with industry and government stakeholders. Discussions centred on global market access trends and the broader geopolitical context for agricultural trade, evolving consumer and regulatory expectations.  

For SPA, these engagements are about maintaining open lines of communication and ensuring Australian sheep producers’ production systems are well understood by policymakers as global regulatory and market settings continue to evolve.

These engagements complement the ongoing work undertaken by the Australian Embassy, ensuring Australian sheep producers’ perspectives are understood within a rapidly shifting global policy landscape. 

SPA also participated in a retail tour which provided a direct view of how red meat products, including lamb, are positioned within the US retail environment. Conversations across industry and retail stakeholders reflected expectations of continued growth in red meat demand in the United States.

This growth will be driven by population trends, consumer interest in protein-rich diets, and the diversification of red meat applications across retail and foodservice channels.

The tour included visits to a cross-section of supermarkets servicing different consumer demographics across the Washington DC metropolitan area.

These visits provided insight into: 

• Lamb product assortment and specification across retail tiers 

• Pricing structures and promotional strategies 

• In-store merchandising and provenance messaging 

• The positioning of lamb relative to other meats 

• Opportunities within culturally diverse retail channels, including halal markets 

Lamb is available across several premium and mainstream supermarkets. Discussions with retail staff and customers highlighted that unfamiliarity with preparation methods remains a barrier to more frequent consumption.

In one instance, we spoke with a customer considering purchasing a rack of lamb. This person sought our advice on how best to prepare it.

This interaction reinforced the importance of ongoing consumer education and confidence-building in cooking lamb at home. 

SPA’s engagement reinforced the importance of maintaining strong producer-to-producer and industry relationships in an increasingly complex global operating environment.

Discussions with US counterparts highlighted shared challenges as well as opportunities for collaboration in areas such as genetics, animal health and demand-building.

The visit also provided valuable insight into evolving policy settings, consumer trends and retail dynamics shaping red meat demand in a key export market.

This knowledge will inform SPA’s ongoing policy and strategic work, including The Future Flock initiative, ensuring Australian sheep producers remain well-positioned to respond to global market opportunities and risks.