CURRENT RESEARCH PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Research Areas

There has been and is a wide array of research areas addressed by our program. All major types of goats produced in the US are considered, i.e., ones raised for meat, milk, and(or) fiber, both cashmere and mohair. The increasing demand for goat meat and decline in the mohair industry in recent years have resulted in an expansion of research topics with meat goats, but because the future is unknown, all goat industries will continue to receive attention. The Institute has and will in the future conduct research to increase levels and efficiencies of goat production, enhance utilization of goat products, and improve use of goats for specific purposes such as vegetation management. There is intent to increase economic returns to those raising goats or processing their products, as well as providing other benefits such as enhanced sustainability of livestock production systems.

A large proportion of the Institute's research program is made possible by grants, many of which are through USDA programs. Although dissemination of information generated from all of these projects occurs, some entail strong extension components. Likewise, there are projects listed in our international section that entail significant research components.