SHEEP PROGRAM DISAPPROVED IN REFERENDUM Release No. 0104.97 Becky Unkenholz (202) 720-8998 runkenholz@usda.gov Jerry Redding (202) 720-6959 jredding@usda.gov SHEEP PROGRAM DISAPPROVED IN REFERENDUM WASHINGTON, April 4, 1997--The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that a proposed national sheep and wool promotion, research and information program has been disapproved in an industry wide referendum. Of the 11,880 valid ballots cast 5,603 (47 percent) favored and 6,277 (53 percent) opposed implementation of the Sheep and Wool Promotion, Research, Education, and Information Order. Of those persons voting in the referendum who cast a valid ballot, those who favored the order accounted for 33 percent of the total production voted and those who opposed it accounted for 67 percent of the production voted. In addition, there was a relatively small number of ballots cast that could not be verified during USDA's review of the referendum. These ballots are not included in the figures cited above. However, a thorough analysis demonstrates that their inclusion would not affect the outcome of the referendum. A detailed report on USDA's review of this referendum will be available by mid-April. The Sheep Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1994, that would have authorized the program, provides that the order may be approved by either a simple majority of the producers, feeders and importers voting in the referendum or by those persons voting in the referendum who account for at least 2/3 of the production represented. Based on the results of the referendum, the order and previously published regulations associated with the implementation of the program will be terminated on a date to be announced by USDA. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, a marketing and regulatory programs agency, has oversight responsibility for federal research and promotion programs. USDA held a second referendum Oct. 1 because the results of an earlier referendum were invalidated due to inconsistent application of voting procedures. A notice of the results of the national sheep referendum will be published in a future issue of the Federal Register. A copy of the notice and additional information regarding the sheep and wool promotion, research and information program may be obtained from Ralph L. Tapp, Chief, Marketing Programs Branch, Livestock and Seed Division, AMS, USDA, Rm. 2606-S, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, D.C. 20090-6456; tel. 202-720-1115. State by State results are as follows: STATE YES NO TOTAL YES NO TOTAL VOTES VOTES VOTES VOLUME VOLUME VOLUME AL 14 7 21 536 264 800 AK 2 0 2 150 0 150 AZ 25 20 45 11864 26198 38062 AR 23 6 29 412 391 803 CA 376 142 518 251769 200997 452766 CO 171 142 313 227550 349351 576901 CT 12 4 16 1017 9168 10185 DE 2 1 3 195 40 235 FL 11 2 13 498 100 598 GA 24 8 32 475 80295 80770 HI 0 0 0 0 0 0 ID 106 74 180 119748 81505 201253 IL 224 133 357 10901 9378 20279 IN 223 122 345 11067 12356 23423 IA 353 552 905 78253 125264 203517 KS 171 255 426 15753 57142 72895 KY 64 12 76 3004 784 3788 LA 12 1 13 377 160 537 ME 17 11 28 1004 1427 2431 MD 64 25 89 3956 2962 6918 MA 16 19 35 1347 97713 99060 MI 151 68 219 21479 74260 95739 MN 251 269 520 19569 81629 101198 MS 47 5 52 809 28 837 MO 125 122 247 8699 16023 24722 MT 314 677 991 130731 286167 416898 NE 125 200 325 15011 34826 49837 NV 10 28 38 17102 130879 147981 NH 35 10 45 609 865 1474 NJ 22 33 55 2454 84712 87166 NM 83 112 195 52378 97078 149456 NY 77 163 240 3646 278898 282544 NC 68 9 77 3453 74 3527 ND 102 223 325 17019 66487 83506 OH 356 240 596 17475 50098 67573 OK 64 34 98 6549 8433 14982 OR 91 291 382 16760 242485 259245 PA 180 189 369 12444 14573 27017 RI 18 3 21 387 30767 31154 SC 12 4 16 26515 8383 34898 SD 127 867 994 67609 279773 347382 TN 83 18 101 2639 586 3225 TX 546 442 988 384676 471467 856143 UT 132 28 160 115384 40477 155861 VT 46 26 72 1464 52516 53980 VA 91 63 154 7780 3288 11068 WA 174 86 260 41803 62693 104496 WV 111 26 137 7619 1884 9503 WI 145 152 297 13180 17314 30494 WY 107 353 460 201865 422983 624848 TOTAL 5603 6277 11880 1956984 3915141 5872125 # NOTE: USDA news releases and media advisories are available on the Internet. Access the USDA Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.usda.gov