Sheep Industry News August 2024

SGUSA: Given your diverse livestock background, why did you decide to engage in the sheep industry and specifically NSIP? DAVID: I think there is an opportunity for tremendous growth in the sheep industry. Because of my diverse back ground it becomes apparent to me that as an industry we have fallen behind the rest of the major livestock sectors in terms of adoption of new technologies. I think that the diversity of our producer base is one of our strengths. If we keep an open mind, I think that production of sheep can fit into many models that our peers in other segments of agri culture would be unable to fulfill. Furthermore, I am a believer in NSIP because it has a variety of traits to match the diversity of our producers. As long as each operation has a clear set of goals and can priori tize traits that are of the most economic importance to their individual operations, then NSIP offers the selection tools to help them best accomplish those goals and further their bottom lines.

KATAHDINS

The

Genomic

Enhanced

Breed

PO Box 739 Fowlerville, MI 48836 717-335-8280

SGUSA: What do you feel will be your major challenges in moving new genetic technologies forward? DAVID: I think one challenge moving forward is the fact that there are nearly 90,000 sheep producers in the USA, and less than 1 percent of them are seedstock producers enrolled in NSIP. Furthermore, I think pulling more commercial pro ducers in as end users of NSIP technology is essential to the growth of enrolled seedstock producers. In other words, a rising tide lifts all ships. Additionally, after conversations with a number of enrolled flocks, I think one bottleneck to be addressed is how to increase ease of data management on the producer end.

18 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org