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President’s Report

Special Edition of WPSJ on Small-Scale Family Poultry Farming

In addition to its regular publication of articles on small-scale family poultry farming, WPSJ will publish a special edition in June 2009 which will include the invited papers on this topic presented in July, 2008, at the 23rd World’s Poultry Congress in Brisbane. One of the eight main concurrent streams at the Congress was on Poultry Production in Developing Countries. There were some 40 papers presented in the stream and the final session within the stream involved a workshop aimed at facilitating cooperation and collaboration between all stakeholders involved in support of small-scale family poultry production.
The papers published in the special edition of WPSJ will include the invited papers in the above Congress stream as well as three invited papers from the Genetics and Breeding stream dealing with breeding for small-scale poultry production in developing countries and genetic resources and conservation. The report from the workshop is included as the final paper. It is hoped that this publication will be a useful resource for all stakeholders with interests in small-scale family poultry production.
Over the past twenty years or so, WPSA has recognized the importance of improving the efficiency and sustainability of poultry production to meet the burgeoning needs for high quality animal protein in the developing world with its expanding human population and increasing levels of affluence. This extends to the recognition of small scale family poultry production as essentially the only form of poultry production to provide meat and eggs to the rural poor in many countries. This system of production is, however, for the large part, very low input-low output. Improving the efficiency of production under this system whilst maintaining its applicability and sustainability, presents a real challenge to all those dedicated to the alleviation of poverty and improvement in household food security in rural communities in the developing world.
The commitment by WPSA to improving the efficiency and sustainability of small-scale family poultry farming was very much in evidence in the scientific and technical programme at the 19th World’s Poultry Congress in Amsterdam in 1992; this commitment has continued in subsequent Congresses. In keeping with this, at the 11th European Poultry Conference in Bremen in September 2002, the WPSA Board endorsed the proposal to include the International Network on Family Poultry Development (INFPD) as a global working group within WPSA. In that same year, the Asian Pacific Federation of WPSA established a Working Group on Family Poultry Farming; the inaugural meeting of the working group was held in March 2005 in conjunction with the 4th International Poultry Show and Seminar in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In March 2007, the working group convened a symposium on The Impact of Avian Influenza on Small-scale Family Poultry Farming in Developing Countries in conjunction with the 8th Asia Pacific Poultry Conference in Bangkok. The symposium, subsidized by WPSA, FAO and CTA was very well attended by internationally recognized family poultry researchers and supporters. As evidence for ongoing involvement, I was invited to present a keynote paper on The Role of WPSA Towards the Millennium Development Goals at the 3rd Nigerian International Poultry Symposium in Abeokuta, Nigeria in February 2009. Thus, WPSA has played and continues to play a very active role in promotion of the poultry industry in developing countries and in the publication and promotion of research in the field of small-scale family poultry production.
A key recommendation from the workshop report at the 23rd World’s Poultry Congress was that an over-arching entity “Poulet Sans Frontiers”, mooted in an AusAID-sponsored conference in Tanzania in 2005 andwith membership from all agencies and organizations supporting family poultry farming,be established. The collective desire was that this body should impact meaningfully on the level and nature of global support for small-scale family poultry farming to enhance opportunities for improved productivity and profitability and reduced endemic poverty in rural communities. It is planned that WPSA will play an active role in the establishment and operation of Poulet Sans Frontieres.

Report from the Office of the General Secretary

January 1, 2009, I started my term. From this place I thank Dr Piet Simons, who for so many years served in this position, for all his work for WPSA. We will work together on a smooth transition of secretarial tasks, continuing the work to maintain current sponsors of WPSA and to promote new Journal sponsors and advertisers.
Since the last newsletter, I attended the International Poultry Exhibition in Atlanta, GA, USA. This year WPSA will also be present at the VIV Asia Exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand.
Our next activities will be concentrated on giving WPSA more visibility and exposure at conferences. The next Branch meeting to be attended is the German Branch meeting on 17-18 March in Vechta, Germany, and the first WPSA conference that I will attend will be the Avian French Research days, 25-26 March 2009 in St Malo, France.
Board members will also be present at conferences in Nigeria (February), Bangladesh and Egypt (both in March).
A new Branch is formed in Cameroun. We welcome the 77th Branch of WPSA and look forward to working together.

From the Office of the Treasurer

Dr J.X. "Katie" Zheng of the China Branch of WPSA recently spent a week with WPSA Treasurer, Dr Francine Bradley. While at Davis, Dr Zheng immersed herself in all things dealing with WPSA (history, general operations, and future plans). Dr Zheng will be assisting WPSA Vice-President, Dr Ning Yang, as the China Branch prepares to host the World Poultry Congress in 2016.

European Federation of WPSA

The European Federation has planned a number of conferences between now and the end of 2009. The conferences are listed at the end of this Newsletter and contact information is available on the WPSA website (www.wpsa.com). News from a number of the Federation’s working groups are provided below.

WPSA European Working Group News

WG1: The 2nd European Round Table on Poultry Economics and Marketing will be held in Antwerp, Belgium on October 1-2, 2009. For information contact the chairman of WG1 Peter van Horne at peter.vanhorne@wur.nl.

WG2: 17th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition: The Symposium will be held from 23-27 August 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The scientific programme has been finalised and promises excellent speakers on a range of topical subjects. Full details along with links to registration and accommodation are given in the Symposium website: www.espn2009.com. This Symposium series is traditionally very well attended and discounts are available for early registration and WPSA members. This year's Symposium is likely to be particularly good value for delegates because of the availability on the conference site of low cost but high quality university accommodation and also the current favourable exchange rate for other currencies in relation to the GB pound.

WG3: 6th European Poultry Genetics Symposium, Bedlewo, Poland, September 30th to October 2nd, 2009.
Meetings of poultry geneticists and breeders have a long history in Europe, and the 6th European Poultry Genetics Symposium will continue that tradition. The symposium is being organized by the WPSA’s European Working Group 3 on Genetics and Breeding, the Polish Branch of WPSA and the Poznan Branch of the Polish Society of Animal Production. The keynote lecture: reasons and aims” will be given by Emeritus Professor Stanislaw Wezyk (Cracow, Poland) on “The poultry gene resource preservation programme in Poland". Three sessions will be held on: (1) Genetics of egg quality; (2) Optimal use of molecular markers, and (3) Measures for promoting poultry genetic diversity. An industry workshop is being organized and planned, and a poster session will be held in which contributors will have the opportunity to present the main results of their studies.
The symposium will be held in the Conference Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences located in Bedlewo, near Poznan (Poland). The village of Bedlewo became a property of the aristocratic family Potocki in 1694. It is worth adding that the symposium takes place in “Wielkopolska”, a region which is the historical cradle of Polish nationality.
More information on the Genetics Symposium is available on the website: www.up.poznan.pl/epgs2009.
The organizers extend a very warm welcome to everyone with interests in poultry genetics and breeding to Poznan.

WG4 and WG5: On behalf of the Finnish Branch of WPSA, we are pleased to welcome all the participants to the XIX European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat and XIII European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products in Finland 2009. The symposiums take place in Turku, 21-25 June 2009.
Both programmes consist of excellent topics and speakers, as well as technical tours, evening happenings and post-conference tours. For further information, please visit our website at http://congress.utu.fi/eggmeat2009/.

WG9: Details of the Poultry Welfare and Management Working Group’s aims and objectives can be viewed at www.wpsa.com.

WG10: The Turkey Production Working Group will be sponsoring the 5th International Symposium on Turkey Production in Berlin, Germany, on 28–30 May 2009. Contact: Prof Dr H.M. Hafez, Institute of Poultry Diseases, Königsweg 63, 14163 Berlin, Germany, Phone: +49 30-83862677; Fax: +49 30-83862690; E-mail: hafez@vetmed.fu-berlin.de.

Asian Pacific Federation

6th International Poultry Show & Seminar: The 6th International Poultry Show & Seminar in Dhaka, Bangladesh will be held 5-7 March this year. This is usually a very well attended event with a lively exhibition and interesting and practical seminar presentations. WPSA President, Dr Bob Pym, Asian Pacific Federation President, Mr. Alan Gibbins and Past Secretary of WPSA, Dr Piet Simons will be attending the meeting.

APF Working Group on Waterfowl: Progress is being made on the development of the new APF Working Group on Waterfowl. It is hoped that a meeting of its inaugural committee will take place during the first half of this year. Waterfowl are an extremely important part of the poultry industries of many Asian countries and it will be very useful to have a coordinating body such as an APF Working Group to help make a better and more efficient use of all the information available from the research and teaching effort in the countries of the Asian Pacific region.

4th World Waterfowl Conference: On 11-13 November 2009, the 4th World Waterfowl Conference will be held in India. The theme for the conference will be “Water Fowl Production for Food Security”. A comprehensive scientific programme covering all major aspects of waterfowl management, breeding and genetics, nutrition, health, processing and marketing is planned. The conference will present a good opportunity to update the participant’s knowledge on different waterfowl-related fields. Moreover, it will present an opportunity to bring together waterfowl researchers and technicians particularly from Asia but also from all other parts of the world.
This major waterfowl conference is being organised by the Centre for Advanced Studies in Poultry Science of the Kerala Agricultural University in association with WPSA’s India branch under the auspices of WPSA’s Asia Pacific Federation Working Group on Waterfowl.
The venue for this international event will be the Lulu Convention Centre in Thrissur, cultural capital of Kerala on the south west coast of India. Thrissur is particularly suitable for hosting people coming from different countries and cultures sharing a common interest for poultry science, beauty of art and good way of life. Below are pictures of the conference complex.

For more information please use the following contact details:
Prof. A. Jalaludeen, Centre for Advanced Studies in Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy, PO Box 680 651, Thrissur District, Kerala State, INDIA, Phone: +91 487 2370117 Fax: +91 487 2370019 or +91 487 2370117
E-mail: waterfowl2009@gmail.com or ajalaludeen@rediffmail.com
Website: www.kau.edu/waterfowl2009.

WPSA Programmes

Providing travel assistance for young WPSA members and students to participate in regional and global WPSA conferences

It is generally agreed that enhancing the educational, research and experience opportunities of young poultry science professional and technical people is critical to the pace of development of more efficient poultry production, whether it is in an intensive technological industry or in small­ scale, family production systems. It should also be stressed that any travel assistance we can provide should be independent of and in addition to that currently provided by World's Poultry Congresses, Regional Conferences or individual Branches. It should target and benefit additional students and young members, including young poultry producers from developing countries and students from developed countries. A scheme of open competition for such WPSA Travel Scholarships is now available. Applicants must be a member of WPSA for at least half a year before they can apply for a Travel Grant. Applications must be accompanied by a short CV.
Deadline: You must submit your application at least 3 months prior to the meeting.
Full details and the application forms can be obtained from the WPSA General Secretary’s Office or you can download the application form from the WPSA website (www.wpsa.com).

Fostering local and regional conferences in the poultry sciences

During the 34th meeting of the Board of WPSA on August 20, 2000 in Montreal, Canada it was recognised that branches in low income countries often do not have sufficient financial resources to fund overseas speakers, and furthermore, expert speakers on certain topics are not always readily available in these countries.
So the Board decided to create a Speakers’ Bureau to assist branches in low income countries to cover the travel costs of expert international speakers. This measure is consistent with the key objective of WPSA to encourage and help facilitate liaison among research scientists and educators, and between those in research and education and those working in the many diverse sectors of the poultry industry. Under the Speakers’ Bureau scheme, WPSA will pay only the cost of air travel (lowest economy class). Local expenses like accommodation are to be paid for by the local organizing branch. WPSA will not pay any honorarium to speakers.
The Speakers’ Bureau is an expensive initiative and it is important that optimum value be obtained from the money spent on travel. This can be achieved by insisting that the visiting speaker provides more than just one paper at a conference. The visiting speaker could contribute in a variety of ways, e.g., present a second paper on a related topic, conduct a workshop for graduate students, have small group or one-on-one interaction, especially with students, visit industry groups, visit university groups, etc.
Unless the Branch (or group of Branches) can pay all the speakers’ costs itself, a speaker should NOT be invited until approval of Speakers’ Bureau funds is made by the WPSA Executive Committee.
Full details and the application forms can be obtained from the WPSA General Secretary’s Office or you can download the application form from the WPSA website (www.wpsa.com).

In Memoriam

Trevor Raymond Morris (1930 – 2009)

The development of poultry science in the second half of the 20th century is an extraordinary story and with the death of Professor Trevor Morris, poultry science says good bye to one of the outstanding champions of that period. Trevor’s contributions to science, to research, to teaching, to production practice and to the institutions of poultry science were quite exceptional and reflect the character and capacity of a very remarkable man. Professor Trevor Raymond Morris, PhD, DSc died on February 2nd 2009, aged 78, after a short but brave battle with colon cancer and its complications. WPSA has lost one of its great heroes.
In poultry science there can be few who have not responded in some way to his prodigious output. A long list of graduate and post-graduate students have played a significant role in the industry and many more will pay testament to the effect that discussions, arguments and debates with Trevor Morris have had on their own thinking. Always able to understand and appreciate the key points of basic science, able, above all else, to plan and interpret brilliant applied science experiments and able to transfer his findings effectively into the industry, he has influenced the course of poultry science, for good, over a long and very productive career.
He has been a guide, a counsellor and a source of wise ideas for the WPSA. He did not seek power or high position but has contributed greatly and continuously to the Association’s affairs, both in the UK and in the world body. He was a member from 1952 to 2001 serving on the UK council for 20 years and on the WPSA Council from 1985 to 2000. He re-wrote the constitutions of both bodies, a typical unsung but wise contribution. In the UK he was a leading member of a small group that kept the Poultry Science Symposium Series going after 1974 and he edited the 9th Symposium on Energy Requirements of Poultry and the 24th Symposium on Poultry Immunology. His many contributions were marked by WPSA by his election to the International Poultry Hall of Fame at its inception in 1984. Trevor was also a Council member (1962-1981) and Editorial Board Member (1971-75) of British Poultry Science Ltd and guided the scientific programme of the 9th European Poultry Conference held in Glasgow in 1994 amongst many other activities.
Born to a farming family in Gloucestershire in the UK, Trevor always honoured his roots in practical farming and this, no doubt, accords with the tremendous contribution he made to practical poultry production from a scientific base. The family farm had 2000 hens in folds which may have started an interest which led, in 1950, to Trevor starting a post-graduate diploma at Lane End Farm, Reading; a centre he later turned into a place of international importance. Apart from National Service (1955-57) and a year spent at the University of Illinois (1959-60), Reading was both his alma-mater and his home for the whole of his career, but through teaching overseas students, through writing and through extensive travelling, his influence was truly felt world-wide. His university career developed from demonstrator to a personal chair (1981) and Head of Department (1983-91) and was marked by the award of a PhD in 1960 and DSc in 1981. After formal retirement he continued work in the University fund-raising for the creation of a new building for the Faculty of Agriculture. He also continued collaboration with a former student which led to the publication of a book on ducks (Cherry and Morris) and with a former research fellow at Reading to produce a book on lighting for all species of poultry (Lewis and Morris). His association with Peter Lewis continued his lifelong work on lighting and resulted in the production of almost 30 scientific publications, including models to predict sexual maturity in laying hens and broiler breeders in response to lighting. Trevor produced his own book on experimental design and analysis in animal sciences in 1999; a testament to his success as a teacher of statistics and experimental methods.
His researches on lighting of poultry and on nutrition were the most important although there are many areas of poultry science influenced by his work. His work on light produced the first rules for lighting domestic fowl, and these are still applicable today. In many parts of the world, poultry keepers can quote, frequently ad verbatim, Morris’s golden rule for lighting egg-laying stock “Never increase day length during rearing, and never decrease in lay”. His work on light intensity also gave the world’s poultry industries their bench-mark for the amount of stray light permitted in controlled environment housing. In 1995, Trevor was jointly awarded the prestigious Tom Newman Memorial medal for his contribution to our knowledge of poultry lighting. In nutrition his work on responses to the energy and amino acid contents of the feed provided a corner stone around which many others have built strong ideas and applications. These contributions led to a Symposium in South Africa in 2005 on Poultry and Pig Modelling being held in commemoration of his work; this occasion also marked the delivery of his final paper from a conference stage.
Outside poultry science and teaching Trevor had enthusiastic interests in the Church, in music and in his garden. To his children and family we extend deepest sympathies for their loss. WPSA marks the life and work of a remarkable man.

Colin Fisher and Peter Lewis

John Barnett, Australia

The tragic loss of Associate Professor John Barnett and his wife Jenny Barnett in the Victorian bush fires in Australia in early February, has deeply affected all those who knew and loved them.
John’s main area of expertise was stress physiology and its application to the study of domestic animal welfare. This research over 30 years provided a timely balance on discussions within science and the livestock industries on welfare methodology and interpretations and this impact will continue to improve animal welfare methodology in the future. John’s research on poultry and pigs have also made a critical contribution to our understanding of the welfare risks associated with confinement housing, highlighting the major risks of confinement that arise from spatial and social restriction. He has worked extensively with the livestock industries in developing welfare components of livestock industry QA programmes and in assisting to achieve improvements in awareness and practices to safeguard animal welfare standards. His outstanding scientific efforts have been highly acclaimed nationally and internationally by both science and the livestock industries and animal welfare science will greatly miss his important contributions.
John was major contributor to the WPSA jointly sponsored annual Australian Poultry Science Symposia and triennial Australian Poultry Conventions, and was an active contributor to symposia and meetings of the WPSA European Federation Working Group 9 on Poultry Welfare and Management. He led the Australian Poultry Cooperative Research Centre’s Welfare programme since 2003. John was also a major contributor to the Animal Welfare Science Centre’s research and teaching programmes at the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. His wise counsel on matters of science as well as life will be sadly missed.

Congresses / Symposia

Update on the planning for the 24th World's Poultry Congress to be held on 5-8 August 2012, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Organization work for the 24th World’s Poultry Congress (WPC) to be hosted by the Brazilian Branch of WPSA during August 5-8, 2012 is well under way. The 24th WPC will be held in the city of Salvador, state of Bahia in the North-Eastern region of Brazil.
The Brazilian Branch of the WPSA currently has 260 members, and it is the fourth largest WPSA Branch. The Branch is certainly very proud to serve as the host of the 24th WPC. Poultry science and production has everything to do with Brazil, since our country has several internationally renowned poultry research groups from academia, research centres and industry. Currently Brazil is the world’s largest poultry meat exporter and is second worldwide in overall poultry meat production. In accord with our traditions the Brazilian Branch has been very active in disseminating sound and reliable technical/scientific information on Poultry Science through the production of textbooks, manuals and organizations of major congresses, seminars and workshops.

The venue: Salvador, the first capital city of Brazil and cultural heritage of humanity, is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Brazil due to its beaches, its weather, and its unique historic richness. The city pulses with energy and joy in sacred rituals like capoeira, candomblé, and carnival. To live in Salvador is to live in a perpetual state of grace. In addition, there is a large hotel network, where you will always be warmly welcomed. A place to find an excellent set of basic information on Salvador is the internet site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador,_Bahia.

The congress: The timing of the 24th WPC is most auspicious as it presents an opportunity to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the World’s Poultry Science Association (founded in 18th July 1912). One hundred years of dedication to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of all aspects of poultry science and the poultry industry worldwide. The 24th WPC will most certainly and properly acknowledge this remarkable achievement.

The organizing committee is gearing up for the heavy work that lies ahead for such a large task as the organization of a worldwide Congress in order to accomplish it in a thorough and timely manner. The Congress Chairman and President of the Brazilian Branch, Dr Edir Nepomuceno da Silva and the Brazilian Branch’s executive secretary, Dr Luiz Sesti will provide the leading roles for the organizing committee. They will have invaluable help from their colleagues from the Brazilian Branch’s holding organization FACTA (Apinco Foundation for Poultry Science & Technology).
A series of committees has been put together in order to cover all necessary technical and organizational areas. Professor Marcos Macari will serve as the overall Scientific Committees Chairman. Scientific subcommittees have been developed for the following areas: Nutrition and Feed Technologies; Poultry Health and Biosecurity; Breeder and Broiler Production; Commercial Egg Production and Processing; Poultry Slaughter and Processing; Poultry Welfare and Environment; Food Safety; Economics, Marketing, Family Poultry Production, Education and Extension; Other Poultry Species and Production Systems; Genetics and Breeding; and Youth Programme.
Dr Luiz Sesti will serve as the overall Chair of the following Support Subcommittees: Advertising and Marketing; Social Program and Logistics; Industrial Partners Scientific Program; Exhibition Organization.
Each scientific subcommittee will be chaired by one of the Branch’s members who will be responsible for appointing and inviting a small number of colleagues from Brazil and abroad to aid in the organizational work. A great deal of advice and help will be sought from international colleagues in order for the scientific program to express the needs of the world’s poultry industry.

XIIIth European Poultry Conference

Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the French Organizing Committee, the International Scientific Committee, & the French branch of WPSA, we would like to invite you to the XIIIth European Poultry Conference in Tours, France. The conference will take place on 23-27 August 2010 and will include such subject matters as recent scientific findings progress where technical experience and solutions to help the poultry industry face its future will be shared.
The European Poultry industry is being challenged by rapidly developing countries, drastic changes in world economic conditions and by new constraints and regulations that range from environmental issues to production methods that need to be continuously debated on the availability of feedstuffs, layer cages, stocking densities, waste reduction and greenhouse gas emissions. All of these need to be discussed alongside the reduction of medication.
European and worldwide excellence in Poultry Science must find ways to assist the industry to solve these challenging issues to guarantee the sustainability of poultry production in the context of continuous international market developments.
The multidisciplinary programme of the XIIIth European Poultry Conference in 2010 will address a wide range of subject matters such as: economics, education, nutrition, environment, production systems, product quality and safety, genetics, reproduction, welfare, behaviour and bird health, all while looking forward toward a more sustainable poultry production.
The XIIIth European Poultry Conference will be an occasion to demonstrate that the Loire Valley, well known for its past important role in French history and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, can contribute to the construction of the future of the European poultry industry.
We look forward to welcoming you to Touraine and offer attendees the perfect blend between the opportunity to enjoy the sights of this fascinating area and take part in a conference that will be an event to remember.

8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare

This key event in the 2009 poultry welfare calendar will be held in the superb seaside conference and accommodation facilities of the Club Hotel Dante, Cervia, Italy from 18th to 22nd May. It has already attracted global interest and will be opened by the European President and closed by the World President of the WPSA.
The symposium, organised by WPSA WG9 and Italian branch, provides an opportunity to receive and discuss reports on the latest poultry behaviour, welfare and management research and to enjoy social activities and also professional poultry tours in the nearby heart of the Italian poultry industry.
Experienced scientific referees from the 36 member WPSA working group 9 on poultry welfare and management have carefully selected over 100 papers and posters from the 150 abstracts offered. There will be 9 scientific sessions covering welfare aspects of breeding stock, pullets, laying hens, meat producing poultry of all kinds - under conventional or organic management, transport, nutrition, diseases and parasites. The quality of the material to be presented is very high and represents recent cutting edge research carried out at institutes and on farms in 32 counties worldwide. The presentations will be supported by 7 invited papers from world authorities in their respective specialist fields covering most of the above aspects of poultry welfare.
The opportunity to attend this 8th quadrennial symposium of a series that has contributed much to this important discipline should not be missed by those interested and/or involved in basic or applied poultry welfare. Immediate   registration is therefore strongly recommended. Full details can be found by visiting www.wpsa.it/cervia2009.

We look forward to welcoming you to Cervia
Valentina Ferrante, WPSA local organiser & Arnold Elson, chairperson of WG9

2nd Mediterranean Poultry Summit

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

On behalf of the Organising Committee and the Turkish branch of the WPSA, I would like to extend to you all a warm invitation to the 2nd Mediterranean Poultry Summit, which will be held in Antalya, Turkey from 4 to 7 October 2009.
After the success of the 1st Mediterranean Poultry Summit in Chalkidiki, Greece, it was decided to hold these meetings on a periodic basis. Thus we will have the honour of not only hosting this summit, but also the opportunity to cement it into a successful series that will provide an international forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas, on all aspects related to poultry in the Mediterranean region.
The Scientific Programme of the 2nd Mediterranean Poultry Summit will focus on the main issues currently related to poultry research and production in the Mediterranean countries to add to and improve knowledge in a world where information and innovations are spread rapidly.
The summit will take place at the Akka Antedon Deluxe Hotel in Beldibi, which is located 25km from Antalya. Antalya is the gateway to the Turkish Riviera, the most stunning part of Turkey's Mediterranean coast, including more than a thousand kilometres of shoreline. The Turkish Riviera is strewn with historical sites and incredible scenery.
The social programmes will provide opportunities for the participants to interact with each other to exchange ideas and make new friendships.
We believe Antalya is a wonderful location for the 2nd Mediterranean Poultry Summit and has much to offer to the visitor.
We look forward to welcoming you to Antalya, Turkey in October 2009. See you soon!

Prof. Dr Rüveyde Akbay
President of the Turkish branch of WPSA
Head of the Organising Committee

For Details Contact:
Prof Dr Servet Yalcin, Ege University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 35100 Bornova - Izmir, TURKEY
Phone: +90 232 388 4000/1449 (ext.)
Fax: +90 232 388 1864
E-mail: servet.yalcin@ege.edu.tr
Website: www.mcps2009.org

XVII Baltic and Finland Poultry Conference

Due to the bankruptcy of the Laulasmaa Resort the organizers have had to transfer the XVII Baltic and Finland Poultry Conference to the Waide Motel, Tartu county, Estonia. The conference will be held in the Waide Conference Centre on 10-12 September, 2009.
Please send your presentation papers in English or in Russian on a print-out and on computer disk 3½ 1.44 MB or CD-R or E-mail before 15 June, 2009 to:

Special Symposium on “Global Views of New Agriculture: Food, Energy, and the Environment” to be Held During the Poultry Science Association’s 2009 Annual Meeting

As those who attended the closing session of the World Congress in Brisbane are aware, Dr Jason C.H. Shih from North Carolina State University was the recipient of WPSA’s Research Award for the work he has done over the past 15 years on the development of a heat tolerant enzyme that is being marketed under the names Versazyme (to improve feed utilization) and Valkerase (to digest feathers). The WPSA prize money for that Award is normally used by the researcher to further develop his/her technology. However, since Dr Shih will be fully retiring from NC State at the end of June, 2009, he has chosen to donate the funds he received to sponsor a symposium on Global Views of New Agriculture: Food, Energy, and the Environment that will be held during the 2009 Poultry Science Meetings that will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, North Carolina (for programme and registration information see: www.poultryscience.org). BioResources International, the company that was formed to develop and market the Dr Shih’s enzyme, and Novus International, Inc., the company who procured the marketing rights for the enzyme, are co-sponsoring the Symposium.
The Symposium will be held from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, 2009, and will be Chaired by Dr Sam Pardue, Head of the NC State Department of Poultry Science. The speakers and their topics include: W.H. Danforth, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, The Promise of Fundamental Agricultural Research; P. Haling, Biofuels Novozymes, Franklinton, NC, The Ethanol Debate from a Supplier Perspective; W.E. Tyner, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN, What is Driving Food Prices; and Z.I. Chen, Vice-Chairman, People's Government Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Former President of China Agricultural University, Transgenics and Biofuels in China. An open discussion period will be held following the last paper.

WPSA Branch News

Croatia

The annual meeting for the Croatian Branch was held December 5, 2008 along with a Symposium entitled: "Facing the New Era in Poultry Production. Two invited speakers were supported by WPSA. This year’s symposium served as an interface between science, technology and practice, and it dealt with specific issues. Topics and speakers included: Salmonella Control in European Poultry Production (Achille Franchini, Italy); Managing Safety and Quality of Poultry Meat (R.W.A.W. Mulder, The Netherlands); Outcomes of an European comparative study on Campylobacter Occurrence and Subtypes in Poultry Production (Alessandra De Cesare, Italy); Poultry Meat and Eggs as Functional Foods (Gordana Kralik); Poultry Welfare in Croatia (Mario Ostovic); and, Avian Influenza – Models of Control (Zeljko Gottstein). During their stay in Zagreb, our invited speakers also provided lectures to the students and Faculty at the University of Zagreb.
Attendance at the annual meeting and symposium was excellent, and the participants included veterinarians, agronomists, technologists, university professionals and producers.

Helga Medic, Secretary WPSA CRO

Denmark

The leading operators of the Danish poultry industry meet annually, and the 2009 Denmark Branch Meeting and conference was held from February 4-5, 2009 at the Pejsegaarden Hotel in Braedstrup. Approx. 150 individuals representing all aspects of the industry participated.
In Denmark, poultry meat production is relatively small, amounting to approximately 110 million broilers annually, of which approximately 1/3 are exported. The annual production of table eggs comes from approximately 3.5 million laying hens, and all of the eggs are sold on the domestic market.
The Danish egg product industry is internationally oriented with a production based on eggs purchased on the open market and the finished products exported worldwide.
The Danish poultry industry is a well organised body representing a large number of organisations, including the WPSA.
The three main topics for this year’s meeting were: 1) Challenges for Danish poultry production in a globalised market; 2) Current technical challenges; and 3) Marketing trends and marketing strategy in Denmark. Mr Cesar de Anda, President of Union Nacional de Avicultores in Mexico, was invited as the Keynote speaker. Other conference speakers were Danish specialists within the above mentioned fields.

Thorkil Ambrosen, Branch Secretary

Finland

The Finnish Branch of WPSA will host the XIX European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat and XIII European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products, Turku, Finland on 21 -25 June. For further information on the topics and speakers, please visit http://congress.utu.fi/eggmeat2009/.

France

The French Branch will serve as one of the co-sponsors of the 8th Avian French Research Days meeting that will be held on March 25th and 26th, 2009 in St Malo, France. This French Congress is organized by ITAVI, INRA, and AFSSA, with the support of the French braches of WPSA and WVPA. All themes of aviculture will be treated: Economics and Prospects, Raw Materials / Nutrition / Feeding, Rearing systems and their sustainability, Pathology and Prevention, Product Safety and Quality, Genetics / Selection / Reproduction.
Contact: Angélique TRAVEL ITAVI - Unité de Recherches Avicoles – BP, 37380 NOUZILLY – Télephone +33 (0)2.47.42.76.84; E-mail: secretariatJRA@journees-de-la-recherche.org. Registration online on JRA website www.journees-de-la-recherche.org (Clic on "Inscription” and “Formulaire” ". Programme, accommodation and plan of access are available on this website.
For this 8th edition of JRA, a simultaneous translation (French into English) will be available for foreign participants in plenary sessions and workshop “Raw materials, feed and nutrition”.
Each session will be introduced by an overview, allowing a review of current issues in the poultry industry.
The overviews will be followed by short communications. Workshops will be organized, allowing 60 authors to explain briefly the objectives and conclusions of their study, and to allow discussions and debates. Posters will be displayed and can be viewed by the participants at break times. All slides and posters will be in the French language.

Germany

The annual meeting of the German Branch will be held from 17th to 18th March 2009 at the University of Vechta, in the centre of the German animal and poultry industry. We are looking forward to an interesting programme. Seven invited papers will cover a wide range of interests, including Avian Influenza, food quality, economy of egg production and animal welfare. The programme will be rounded off by visits of two commercial companies and the possibility to join two sight-seeing tours.
Several symposia of WPSA Working Groups are planned in 2009, and the German Branch will again support the participation of young scientists with travel grants. Berlin will be the venue for the 5th International Symposium on Turkey Production (WG 10) from 28th to 30th of May this year.
After the highly appreciated tour to the Baltic States in 2007 the German Branch is planning a 4-day-tour in autumn 2009 to Austria and Slovenia.

Israel

The Israeli Branch held its 3 day Annual Conference in November 2008 in the city of Ashkelon. The 450 participants were farmers, representatives of commercial companies, veterinarians, nutritionists, extension service experts, and scientists. The programme consisted of 12 sessions covering various disciplines: Poultry disease and prevention, physiology, nutrition, different aspects of broiler production, egg production, reproduction and special discussions in round table on important topics concerning the Israeli poultry industry.
Four overseas scientists attended the conference. Dr Irenilza de Alencar Nääs from State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil was the Israeli Branch invited scientist. She gave 2 lectures entitled: "Mitigating heat stress in broiler houses" and "Building up knowledge from poultry industry data." A student competition for excellent study took part during the conference as well, where 3 students from different poultry disciplines shared the research excellence prize. Twenty companies also displayed the development of their unique products during the conference.
During 2009, the Israeli Branch will organize three one-day seminars on current issues. The first one will be held in February in memory of Dr Nisan Rand who passed away in December 2008. Dr Rand was a prominent nutritionist who contributed to the Israeli poultry industry as well as to WPSA for many years. During his career he was honoured as a distinguished member of the WPSA Hall of Fame for his international and national contribution to the poultry industry. During this meeting lectures on the following topics will be discussed: Healthy meat production, feed additives and the effect of probiotics fibres on the GIT development.
The Israeli Branch is represented in most of the European working groups. This year the Branch will give its support to members who will attend the Nutrition, Genetics, Turkey production, Physiology, Egg and Meat quality working groups.

Japan

The Japan Poultry Science Association (JPSA) has organized two semi-annual meetings for 2009. The Spring meeting is will be held on the Shonan Campus, Nihon University, Kanagawa Pref. on March 28th, and the Fall meeting will be held in Okinawa Pref. on September 26-27. The JPSA publishes the Journal of Poultry Science (JPS) quarterly. Issues are available online at http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/jpsa. The JPS has been selected for coverage in the Science Citation Index Expanded from 2008 issues and this journal will acquire an Impact Factor in 2010. Submission of review and original papers are invited. The JPS is now receiving and processing ~140 manuscripts each year of which 80% are submitted from outside of Japan. The countries of the corresponding authors are distributed all over the world. The percentages of the submitted manuscripts by the continents are: Japan (21%), Asia (excluding Japan) 44%, Africa 17%, Europe 9%, North America 6%, South America 2%, and Oceania 1%. To select articles with high content quality and significance of findings, the average acceptance rate of total unsolicited manuscripts is 34%. To provide timely and valuable information to the readers in academic, governmental and industrial institutions, review articles of various aspects of poultry science are published based on suggestions of the Special Advisory Board. For instance, the article entitled “Developments in Avian Influenza Virus Vaccines (JPS, 44:238-257, 2007)” is regarded very informative, because this subject is important to maintain the sustainable management system in Asia where the infectious disease has occurred frequently. The JPS Outstanding Paper Award is given to the authors of the original papers that showed the most outstanding research outcomes in a year. The awardees and the titles of the papers in 2008 are as follows. Shibata. T., Kawatana, M., Mitoma, K. and Nikki, T. (2007) Identification of heat stable proteins in the fatty livers of thyroidectomized chickens, 44 (2), 182-188; and, Naito, M., Minematsu, T., Harumi, T. and Kuwana, T. (2007) Intense expression of GFP gene in gonads of chicken embryos by transfecting circulating primordial germ cells in vitro and in vivo, 44 (4), 416-425.

Dr Kiyoshi Shimada, President of JPSA
Dr Tamao Ono, Secretary of Japanese Branch WPSA

Romania

The Romanian Branch organized “The Poultry Industry Show” that displayed poultry breeds and up-to-date poultry production technologies in November 2008. Planning for the next “Poultry Industry Show” that will be held in November, 2009, is currently underway.
During 2009, the Branch will also organize quarterly symposia on poultry health involving experts from research, education, and poultry health specialists from poultry farms and from animal veterinary services.
During February 2009, a round table about layers was held with guests from abroad where different aspects about battery cages, egg processing and salmonella in layers farms were discussed.
During June - July 2009, the Branch will hold a symposium, in cooperation with The National Institute for Animal Nutrition and Biology Research, about poultry nutrition in which many experts from research, education and production will take part.
The Branch also publishes a quarterly poultry magazine “Avicultorul” for poultry production experts. It also publishes a monthly bulletin “Buletinul Informativ Avicol” for commercial poultry farmers.

Togo

The Togo WPSA Branch was established in 2007, and has since organized seminars and a national meeting. Both have been successful and attracted many participants. Motivations of those involved in poultry production in Togo as well as in Benin (neighbouring country) suggest that the poultry production sector in these countries needs scientific and technical support. This support may be possible through WPSA activities.
One seminar entitled: The Effects of Climatic Conditions on Chicken Performance: Thermoregulation in Chickens, was held August 10, 2008 at the University of Lome (UL), Togo. Speakers were Prof. Decuypere (KU Leuven) with assistance from Dr Bruggeman both from Laboratory of Physiology and Immunology for Domestic Animals, Katholieke University of Leuven, Belgium. Almost 80 participants attended this seminar. The participants were from different areas such as poultry farmer (60%), feed millers (25%), day-old chick traders (8%), veterinarians, researchers (5%) and others (2%).
The organization of this seminar was financially possible because Prof. Decuypere and Dr Bruggeman were on a visit in Togo in the framework of an inter-university project between KU Leuven and UL (VLIR Project).
The second symposium was held on April 14, 2008, also at the University of Lome, and was entitled: Stop High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Spread Through Adequate Chicken Containment. This seminar drew almost 65 participants from Benin (10) and Togo (55), including poultry farmers, veterinarians, researchers, feed millers.
Four topics were covered including: 1) Outbreak of Avian Influenza in Togo: Management and Chicken Containment. This presentation was made by Dr Hounkanli, an FAO expert on Avian Influenza attached to “Direction de l’Elevage et de la Pêche”. He provided a detailed overview of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in terms of the types of virus, clinical signs and symptoms, sources of contamination, diagnosis, biosecurity control and measure to be considered in case of outbreak occurrence. Secondly, he reminded the HPAI outbreaks in Togo in June 2007, the number of chickens concerned. He also explained how the occurrence of HPAI was managed in Togo through a partnership of together with those involved in the poultry industry, NGOs, USAID, and Togolese government. This presentation was followed by an interesting debate. 2) Outbreak of Avian Influenza in Europe: Management and Animal Containment. Mr Alami provided this presentation He provided an overview about animal containment in three different European countries where HPAI had occurred. His presentation showed that there is no standard method containment of chicken in case of HPAI in Europe. 3) I.C.S Bag with demonstration. Mr Alami presented all available models of I.C.S Bags along with their importance. He also explained the installation process for I.C.S Bags for culling chickens and how to clear the poultry house. To finish, he covered the motivation for usage of I.C.S. Bag system. At the end he provided a demonstration with ten (10) live layer hens using an I.C.S. Bag (shipped to Togo few days ago) and a CO2 bottle provided by Air Liquid Togo. 4) Scientific view of I.C.S. Bag system (CO2-culling in Influenza Containment System Bag). This presented was made by Ing. Bram Kamers from the Laboratory of Physiology and Immunology for Domestic Animals, KU Leuven. He provided an overview of previous scientific report of OIE/FAO and National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease about containment of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus. Then, he focused his communication on: a) Ethics, animal welfare, stress and killing of animals; and b) Ethical and societal analysis of the I.C.S. Bag; The seminar ended with a very important debate.
These seminars by WPSA-Togo were the first ones provided for those involved in poultry production, veterinarians, feed millers, etc. in Togo and so far in Benin. Through them, an indication was gained such seminars could motivate the people involved in the poultry sectors of Togo and Benin to improve the poultry industry in these two neighbouring countries. More seminars will be organized in the near future. We will invite people from Benin and maybe Ghana and Burkina Faso.

United Kingdom

The annual meeting of the UK Branch will be held 31 March - 1 April 2009 at the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, Southport, United Kingdom
Contact: WPSA, c/o BSAS, PO Box 3, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0RZ, UNITED KINGDOM; Phone: +44 131 445 4508; Fax: +44 131 535 3120;E-mail: bsas@sac.ac.uk
Website: www.bsas.org.uk or www.wpsa-uk.com

Ukraine

The Ukrainian Branch of WSPA together with the Poultry Institute of Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Science are organizing the III Ukrainian Youth Poultry Conference that will be held on the 4-6th August, 2009 at the Biological Station of Kharkov National University by V.N. Karasin, Gaidary, Zmiiv, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Sessions will be held on Feeds and Nutrition; Pathology and Prevention, Economics and Outlooks, Genetics and Selection, Technology and Reproduction. The participation deadline is 15th June. Participation fee: 50 USD; Tel: +380574778058, +380636610104; E-mail: otrufanov@yandex.ru
Website: www.avian.org.ua/data/news/1-ua.htm.

The Ukrainian Association of Poultry Organization “Ptitseprom of Ukraine” with support of the Ukrainian Branch of WPSA will hold the IX Ukrainian Poultry Conference with International Participation on the “Actual Problems of Modern Poultry” in Alushta, Autonomous Republic Crimea, Ukraine, on the 15-18 September, 2009. Contact: Ionov I.A., Riabokon Y.O., Association of Poultry Organization “Ptitseprom of Ukraine”, 27 Nauchnyi per., Birky, Zmiiv, Kharkiv, 63421, UKRAINE, Phone: +380 (5747) 7-86-70, +380 (5747) 7-87-08, +380 (5747) 3-27-08, E-mail: ukrainianpoultryconference@yahoo.com.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, The Poultry Farmers Union of Ukraine and Poultry Institute of Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Science will hold The V International Poultry Conference in Sudak, Autonomous Republic Crimea, Ukraine, on 22-25 September 2009. Contact: Karpenko S. M., UKRAINE, Phone: +38044 4944930, +380667229874; E-mail: karpenko@ptaha.kiev.ua; Website: www.ptaha.kiev.ua/

Oleg Trufanov, Secretary of Ukrainian Branch of WPSA

USA

The USA Branch will again sponsor its WPSA Lecture during the annual Poultry Science Association Meetings that will be held at the new Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, North Carolina on July 20-23, 2009. The PSA Meetings are being hosted by the Association and by the Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University. The WPSA Lecture will be chaired by Dr R.E. Buresh, and will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2009, in Room 301 A & B. Dr G.C. Weigel, BASF, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, will present the lecture entitled: The Private Sector and GMO’s: Current Realities and Near Term Objectives. Registration and program information for the 2009 PSA Meetings can be found on the Association’s Website: www.poultryscience.org.

WPSA sponsored and other poultry related symposia and conferences

A number of WPSA sponsored and other poultry meetings have been planned for 2009 and 2010 (see the WPSA Website Calendar for contact and registration information), including:

We hope that many of you will consider participating in one or more of these poultry educational meetings. See the WPSA website Calendar for further details and registration information.