STETTLER, Alta. – Like a modern day prophet, Merrell Dickie is spreading the good news about the sheep industry.
The biggest converts to his sheep theology are discouraged cattle producers who can see no future in their business.
“I want to spread the good news about the sheep industry,” said Dickie, livestock procurement manager with Sunterra Meats in Innisfail, Alta.
“I want to encourage new people in the industry. People who are in it are making good money.”
Cattle producers are the easiest to convert, said Dickie, who grew up in Saskatchewan but spent 20 years in New Zealand.
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He gets calls every week from cattle producers wondering how to convert from cattle to sheep.
The math is simple, Dickie said.
A farmer can keep six sheep for the price of one cow. Those six sheep can easily raise nine lambs a year compared to one calf.
In five months the lambs have gone to slaughter but the calf is barely weaned from its mother. The cattle producer will be lucky to be paid for his animal for months. Sheep producers are seeing some of their highest prices in years.
“I see such high potential in the industry. I’m thrilled to be in it,” Dickie told about 50 producers at the Battle River Research Group’s Ultimate Sheep Seminar.
The cattle industry exports thousands of cattle each year to the United States and is continually searching for other markets. By comparison, Dickie said the Canadian sheep industry could double its size and still not meet the growing domestic demand for lamb.
Last year, Sunterra slaughtered 65,000 lambs at its central Alberta plant. This year 80,000 lambs were slaughtered. Next year Dickie hopes to slaughter 90,000 lambs and 100,000 the following year.
It’s not easy being a sheep producer in cattle country, said Dickie. Few government resources are dedicated to helping the sheep industry despite the growing demand for domestic lamb.
“The cattle industry is so big and so strong. The sheep industry has always been a fledgling industry. It needs plenty of encouragement,” said Dickie, who sees part of his role as teacher and mentor.
Fresh lamb from Sunterra’s plant has already displaced some overseas lamb in western Canadian grocery stores and the demand is increasing each week. Sunterra has increased its own lamb feedlot to 15,000 from 12,000 capacity to help maintain a consistent supply for grocery store coolers.
“There is a real need for consistent, year-round supply. All the big stores want lamb every day of the week,” he said.
