The Mountain States Lamb Cooperative: Can Vertical Integration Keep Lamb Producers from Being Fleeced?

The Mountain States Lamb Cooperative was formed in 2001 to ensure markets for fed lambs. The cooperative partnered with B. Rosen & Sons, Inc., a company with over fifty years of experience in the lamb industry. Together, they market approximately 750,000 lambs per year, or almost 25% of U.S. domestic lamb production. The case is designed for senior- and graduate-level courses in agribusiness management. The case describes how trade and exchange rates affect U.S. lamb industry competitiveness and how a firm's choice of strategy is dictated by global trade issues. Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press.