A group that represents Ontario's sheep producers is stressing the importance of support programs including the Growing Forward 2 and Ontario Farm Innovation Program.
Jennifer MacTavish is the general manager of the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency or OSMA.
The group works on advocacy, market development and capacity, and industry capacity building on behalf of 3,000 members who generate $440 million in annual economic activity every year.
OSMA received funding to develop a price predictability tool because there was no no method to forecast pricing in the sheep industry. If the tool works, producers will be able to gauge their profitability by using the calculator to confidently predict an estimated price based on their market lamb production.
A 14-month Master Shepherd course was developed to provide continuing education to sheep producers interested in both expanding their production and receiving professional development, including writing business plans.
MacTavish says OSMA’s price predictability model is one such project where results could also potentially be of use to the goat or veal industries.
