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SD cattle producers and sales barns working to avoid what happened to state’s sheep industry

South Dakota’s sheep population peaked in 1943 at 2.4 million head. Now there are only 255,000 sheep in the state, a 89 percent drop, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s South Dakota office of ag statistics.The reasons for the decrease are several, but key ones have to do with U.S. trade policies that have given other countries more access to America’s meat-loving consumers, says Bryan Hanson. But he thinks those numbers could change down the road, like sheep numbers have declined, Hanson says.Until 1978, the Fort Pierre Livestock Auction held sheep sales regularly, as well as cattle sales, Hanson said. But there are too few ewes around anymore, he said.Now, as president off R-CALF USA - Ranchers-Cattlement Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America, he’s working to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to cattle producers, Hanson said. With members in 46 states, R-CALF promotes the interests of those who have herds of beef cows raising calf crops every year. It’s main concerns lately are what Hanson says is an uneven playing field that gives foreign producers to many advantages, too much access to U.S. grocery store shelves.

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Capital Journal
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