Mid-Atlantic Sheep - Goat Marketing Project

Mid-Atlantic Sheep - Goat Marketing Project

Summary

While demand for sheep and goat meat in the Eastern U.S. exceeds current production levels, many producers do not know how to take advantage of the opportunities that the ethnic/religious markets present. The Mid-Atlantic Sheep and Goat Marketing Project (MASGMP) will build upon the accomplishments of the Northeast Sheep and Goat Marketing Program (NESGMP) to improve the marketing infrastructure for sheep and goat producers in the twelve northeastern states and expand the impact of the program further south. The MASGMP will redesign and expand the web site created by the NESGMP to emcompass all states in the mid-Atlantic region.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Of the 400 sheep and goat producers participating in the workshops or obtaining information from the directory and educational materials (web site, etc.):

a. 20% will change their breeding, feeding, and/or marketing programs to target the ethnic/religious markets.

b. 10% will pool their sheep and/or goats for transport to a regional livestock auction.

c. 5% will increase their net market price by marketing their sheep and/or goats in a through local livestock auctions or special graded sales.

d. 10% will direct market their sheep and/or goats to consumers, slaughterhouses, live markets, restaurants, and/or meat markets.

e. Of the producers which allow on-farm slaughter, 90% will implement humane slaughter practices on their farm and dispose of offal in an environmentally safe manner (e.g., composting).

Accomplishments/Milestones

• New domain names were purchased for the web site: sheepgoatmarketing.info and sheepgoatmarketing.com.

  The web site was transferred from Cornell University to the University of Maryland.

  A web master was hired and has begun redesigning and updating the web site.

  Twelve posters depecting humane (halal) on-farm slaughter of sheep and goats were requested.

  PI gave two presentations on the ethnic/religious marketing of sheep and goats at the Small Ruminant Expo (Virginia) and Value Added Livestock Production (Maryland), and participated in a discussion on marketing goats at the Cornell's Caprine Outing (New York).