Fellow sheep producers, I shall have a go at polishing my crystal ball and predicting the future of the lamb trade here in Atlantic Canada. Last time I wrote, I explained that there are global issues at play here, as well as local issues. Much to my chagrin, not much has changed.There is a move afoot to try to manage the volatility of lamb prices in the global marketplace. Some of the biggest movers and shakers in the industry will meet in Brussels for a Global Sheepmeat Forum to address the issue. It will be interesting to seeif New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and France can come up with a solution that works. There is nothing these groups can do to prevent severe weather problems that can devastate a year's production, but perhaps they could control, to some degree, the swing in exchange rates and help the supply chain manage profitability and enable farmers to receive a reasonable return.
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