National
Sheep Industry Improvement Center
and NLPA Sign Grant Agreement
Colorado
Springs, CO (Nov. 18, 1999) —
National Sheep Industry Improvement Center Chairman Pierce Miller
and Sam Philips, Chairman of the National Livestock Producers
Association signed the long awaited grant agreement today in a
joint meeting of their respective groups in Denver.
Chairman Miller said at the signing, "earlier this year we
identified two major priorities for the year. The intermediary
grant agreement and legislation that would correct some of our
most pressing problems. With
the Sheep Center’s corrective language as part of the Ag.
Appropriations bill signed into law last month, and the signing
of the grant agreement today, we have met those goals. Getting
this program into the industry has always been our top priority
and this grant agreement provides that mechanism."
Chairman Philips said, “the National Livestock Producers
Association has a history of providing credit and capital assistance
to the livestock industry, and this newly-formed intermediary
structure is yet another way to help the industry."
The National Sheep Industry Improvement Center was established
as part of the 1996 Farm Bill to aid the nation's ailing sheep
and goat industries. The Sheep Center was designed as an innovative
new revolving fund to provide capital to the sheep and goat industries
for marketing and infrastructure developments. Since February
1997 the Board of Directors, which is the governing body appointed
by the Secretary of Agriculture, has pursued a number of actions
to get this unique program working. Chairman Miller said, "The
use of a single intermediary, the National Livestock Producers
Association, is a giant step toward realizing our goal of getting
the Sheep Center monies working in the sheep and goat industries."
It was determined that
a qualified intermediary must have:(1) an interest in the NSIIC goals, mandates and the relative small size
of the grant;(2) expertise with livestock production,
processing or marketing related lending;(3) nationwide
capability in urban and rural areas; and(4) the ability to process and service loans
from all segments of the sheep and goat industries, from production
through the packer/processor/retail level.
Finding a qualified intermediary has been a lengthy process, beginning
in February 1999. Of those that looked initially qualified,
the National Livestock Producers Association (NLPA) was the only
organization that met the requisite qualifications. The NLPA is
headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo. They were founded in
1921 and have nationwide lending capabilities through their subsidiary
organizations and can process and service loans from all segments
of the sheep and goat industries, either directly or through contract
services.
The grant agreement specifies the parameters for the use
of the funds and specifies the reporting and accounting requirements
to the NSIIC Board. The grant agreement further requires formation
of an oversight "Sheep & Goat Committee" within
the intermediary that will administer the grant. It details how
the oversight committee will be formed and requires that sheep
and goat expertise be represented on the committee. NLPA has agreed
to all of these terms.
Applications for entities interested in applying for loans will
be available Jan. 15, 2000 and can be requested from the National
Livestock Producers Association at (800) 237-7193.
The National Livestock Producers Association, founded in 1921,
is an organization of livestock marketing cooperatives and credit
corporations representing more than 215,000 livestock producers
nationwide and in Canada.
