Hear Lamb Summit Outcomes during Facebook Livestreams Aug. 27-28

The first American Lamb Summit is set to unveil the latest about lamb quality and production efficiencies next Tuesday and Wednesday (August 27-28) in Ft. Collins, CO. The American Lamb Board will be hosting five livestreaming video sessions on Facebook so the industry has immediate access to topline information.

Anyone who has access to Facebook can watch the live video over the internet using their smartphone, tablet or computer. The first step is to go to the American Lamb Checkoff page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LambCheckoff/). Tune in a few minutes prior to each livestream session and when it starts it will show up automatically as the newest item on the Lamb Checkoff page.

Tuesday, August 27

·11am MST/Noon CST/1pm EST: How to increase market share by providing what consumers want and what global competitors are doing to improve their lamb products

·4:30pm MST/5:30pm CST/6:30pm EST: genetic selection tools to influence end-product profitability, farmgate efficiencies, and the latest on-farm innovation and technologies to improve value

Wednesday, August 28

·10:15am MST/11:15am CST/12:15pm EST: the economic realities of out-of-season lambing and tools to improve carcass quality and traceability throughout the supply chain

·1pm MST/2pm CST/3pm EST: understanding grids and value-based marketing, and the latest on lamb flavor including using REIMS to separate products by flavor profiles

·2:40pm MST/3:40pm CST/1:40pm EST: the entire final session on Lamb Summit findings and where the industry goes from this point

ALB Chairman Dale Thorne sums up what to expect from the Lamb Summit this way: "Imports represent more than 60% of the lamb consumed in the US. Our industry must improve production efficiencies and deliver a more consistent, high-quality product at a price which consumers will pay. Our farm gate prices are not likely to significantly increase when our products are already priced at a strong premium over competitors. How can we be expected to lower costs, increase production and not get paid more? That is what the Lamb Summit is all about. We are going to explore how our industry can use genetics, nutrition, technology, knowledge and networks to increase productivity, make more money and produce a higher quality product."

Stan Potratz, founder of Premier 1 Supplies, says: "My goal for this event is to reverse the decline in the consumption of US Lamb by improving its perceived value to consumers and reducing its cost. Here is what I hope we discuss at this summit: What is imported lamb doing to improve its product and what can be done so we better compete? How can we produce the same amount at less cost? What are the top four things that US producers do, or fail to do, that reduce consistency? How can we increase muscle without reducing quality?"

This first American Lamb Summit is sponsored by the American Lamb Board and Premier 1 Supplies.