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National Sheep Industry
Improvement Center
(NSIIC)


MISSION
To assist the U.S. Sheep and Goat Industries by strengthening and enhancing the production and marketing of sheep, goats, and their products.

OVERVIEW
The National Sheep Industry Improvement Center (NSIIC) was established by Congress to provide financial assistance for the enhancement and marketing of sheep or goat products in the United States with an emphasis on infrastructure development. The NSIIC has a unique organizational structure that works within the framework of the government but has many elements of a private organization.


OPERATIONS
One of the unique private elements is the management of NSIIC that is vested in a nine member Board of Directors that is appointed by, and reports to the Secretary of Agriculture. The Board of Directors has seven unpaid voting members that represent a diversity of grassroots interests in the production, marketing and financial management of sheep, goats and their products.

The Under Secretary for Rural Development and the Under Secretary for Reseach, Education and Economics serve as non-voting members of the Board.

An Executive Director with the help of an Administrative Officer carries out the Center's day-to-day activities. The NSIIC two-person office receives assistance from USDA Rural Development staff for limited personnel, accounting, procurement, IT support, budget requests, and related activities. USDA Research, Education and Economics also provides some limited personnel support. Other technical and administrative support is authorized to be contracted periodically by the Board as the need arises.

The NSIIC has the flexibility to deliver financial assistance to the sheep and goat industries through a number of different methods. NSICC began delivering programs to the sheep and goat industries in 1999 through a variety of grant mechanisms and a low interst loan program. For the NSIIC operations, programs, current board members and staff, how to complete an application, and more visit www.nsiic.org

(Disclaimer of Endorsement and Liability: Rural Development, Rural Business-Cooperative Service is not responsible for the accuracy of the content of non-Rural Development sites.)

National Sheep Industry Improvement Center
PO Box 23483
Washington, DC 20026-3483
Physical Address: Room 2117
1400 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20250-3252
Phone: 202-690-0632
Fax: 202-720-1053