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The American Sheep and Goat Center is the successor organization to the Privatization of the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center. The National Sheep Industry Improvement Center (NSIIC) was authorized by 7 U.S.C. 2008j. The NSIIC enabling legislation envisioned NSIIC as a pilot program that would become self sustaining and privatize over a ten year period. There were two triggers built into the legislation to set the privatization process in motion 1) September 30, 2006 or; 2) the full authorized funding of $50 million. An extension of five years of the September 30, 2006 date is being sought through legislative action and the authorized funding has not met expectations. Although the NSIIC Board of Directors is pleased with the programs they have been able to provide with this limited budget for the country’s sheep and goat industries, they would like to undertake enterprises that will allow the organization to become self sustaining as expected.
A. promote strategic development activities and collaborative efforts by private and State entities to maximize the impact of Federal assistance to strengthen and enhance production and marketing of sheep or goat products in the United States; B. optimize the use of available human capital and resources within the sheep or goat industries; C. provide assistance to meet the needs of the sheep or goat industry for infrastructure development, business development, production, resource development, and market and environmental research; D. advance activities that empower and build the capacity of the United States sheep or goat industry to design unique responses to the special needs of the sheep or goat industries on both a regional and national basis; and E. adopt flexible and innovative approaches to solving the long-term needs of the United States sheep or goat industry. |
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