Iraqi sheep raisers will spend summer in Logan
Spending the summer in Logan means full-time employment and late night bonfires for some, but for three Iraqi citizens it means an opportunity to come to USU and learn about how to revive Iraq’s sheep-raising industry.
On June 1, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) will bring two Iraqi sheep-raisers and a veterinarian to USU to help them acquire knowledge and skills that will help establish a stronger sheep economy in Iraq, said Lyle McNeal, a professor in the animal, dairy, and veterinary sciences (ADVS) department.
McNeal said he was asked by the FAS to lead the two-month project, which consists of holistic instruction about sheep-raising, covering topics such as veterinary care, health, reproduction, grazing techniques and genetics.
“Sheep originally came from that part of the world,” McNeal said, “It’s exciting to help these people restore what was a big part of their life.”
He said this project could bring the industry in Iraq back to the level it was before Saddam Hussein took power.
Kristin Sittner, a senior in animal science, who is working on the project, said the sheep industry has been essentially demolished several times in Iraq.
“The sheep are being ignored more than they should be, their potential is not being explored, so we’re going to help them with that,” said Tara Roche, a senior in biotechnology, who is also involved in the project.
Sittner said sheep are a low-upkeep animal that can produce a lot of meat for the amount of feed they consume.
McNeal said sheep give humanity three important products: wool, milk and meat, all of which can help improve the economic situation in Iraq.
McNeal said he has led projects similar to this one before, helping revive flocks among the Navajo people, the Tarahumara tribe of Chihuahua, Mexico, and the people of Armenia. He said he plans on using the Navajo herds he helped revive as models for the Iraqis.
“We’re going to take them down to the Navajo reservations to help them interact with that culture,” McNeal said, “There is an obvious correlation between the two cultures.”
Both cultures traditionally raised sheep, McNeal said, and there similarities between Persian rugs and Navajo weavings.
“It would be interesting to see if they can take some of the weaving techniques from the Navajo,” Roche said.
McNeal said he also plans on taking the Iraqis to meet sheep-raisers from around the United States to help them get a variety of perspectives on the sheep industry.
McNeal said he hopes to see an extension of friendship develop between America and Iraq because of projects like this one.
“I want to see Iraq succeed,” McNeal said, “look at how many lives we’ve sacrificed, this is our follow-up in support of what they’ve done.”
Roche said she has family and friends currently serving in Iraq.
“I’d like to see the sacrifices of others culminate and become of value to the Iraqi people,” she said.
Roche said she finds it interesting that what began as a military operation is now an operation to expand the culture and economy of Iraq and establish democracy.
“It behooves all of us to help our neighbor,” said Dale Zobell, professor and associate head of the ADVS department. “Not so they can become like us, but so they can have every opportunity to become better educated.”
– keaton.reed@aggiemail.usu.edu