Newsletter September 2009

President’s Report

President, Bob Pym

Since my last report in the June 2009 Newsletter, there have been a number of matters that are worthy of mention, many of them further developments of issues reported on in March and June.

WPSJ Special Edition: In September 2008, following agreement from the WPSA Secretary and the Editor of WPSJ, it was decided to publish the 15 invited papers presented in the “Small-scale Poultry Production in Developing Countries” stream at WPC2008 in a special edition of WPSJ. The papers were re-formatted, and following editing, were published in the June 2009 edition of WPSJ. This edition will be regarded as a valuable resource for stakeholders with interests in this general area.

Interaction with FAO: The long term and ongoing close association between WPSA and the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is evidenced by the inclusion in 2003 of the FAO-supported International Network for Family Poultry Development (INFPD) as a global Working Group of WPSA. Further evidence of our close association and mutual interest in the role of poultry production in meeting the world’s burgeoning needs for high quality animal protein, is provided by the request from FAO that I, through my contacts with FAO as the WPSA representative, coordinate the review on the impact of technology on poultry production globally for the FAO’s State of the World’s Food and Agriculture (SOFA) Report for 2009. The report included chapters on: genetics and breeding; nutrition and feed processing; disease prevention; housing, environment and welfare; and poultry meat and egg processing. WPSA members were involved in the preparation of most of the reports.
FAO personnel are currently revising their AGA poultry website to make it more relevant to all sectors of the poultry industry in developing countries. Its previous focus was on sectors 3 and 4 small-scale poultry production. The website will link to the WPSA website. I was asked in February this year to coordinate the ten reviews to be included on the website and to write the main overview piece. In May during a short visit to Rome, I worked on this at FAO headquarters. Since then suitable authors, many of them WPSA members, have been identified and approached to provide reviews on: feedstuff availability and nutrition, poultry health and disease, genetics and breeding, threats from poultry meat and eggs to human health, management and housing of poultry, poultry for livelihoods, poultry for income and employment, poultry welfare issues, poultry meat and eggs in human nutrition, and waste disposal and management. Drafts of most of the reports have now been prepared and it is anticipated that the information will be included on the website by the end of the year.

Poultry Think Tank Meeting: As mentioned in my report in the June newsletter, a “think-tank” meeting was held in Freising, Germany on 19th June 2009 to discuss social equity and sustainability issues relating to the present systems employed globally in the production of poultry meat and eggs. Participation at the meeting was by invitation and included representatives from the poultry industry, the poultry research community, FAO and WPSA. Representatives from WPSA were Roel Mulder (Secretary), Piet Simons (Past Secretary) and myself.
The meeting arose from an invitation issued by Dr John Hodges, an agricultural researcher with interests in ethical issues related to animal production, during the presentation of his keynote address “Emerging boundaries for poultry production: Challenges, opportunities and dangers” at the 23rd World’s Poultry Congress in Brisbane on 30 June 2008. He challenged the industry to examine its practices from social equity and sustainability perspectives. Dr Dietmar Flock, Poultry breeder and Past President of the European Federation of WPSA, subsequently initiated discussions with Dr Hodges which led to the organization of the think tank meeting in Freising. A full report on the outcomes of the meeting will be included in the next Newsletter. The draft report is presently with the meeting participants for their comments and suggestions.
One of the recommendations from the Think Tank was that better use should be made of the technical expertise in WPSA, FAO and industry as advisers to development projects involving poultry in developing countries. Frequently, poultry form part of agricultural development projects, but there is often limited poultry production expertise in the NGO team and poor advice is not uncommon. This is not limited to the smaller NGOs. WPSA needs to be proactive in establishing links with development project funders globally.

African Poultry Network Workshop: As mentioned in the June newsletter, arrangements are now firming up for the inaugural one-day workshop meeting of participants in the proposed web-based African Network. That workshop will take place in Tours, France, following the European Poultry Conference (EPC), on Friday 27 August 2010. It is planned that poultry industry personnel from all sectors of the industry, researchers, government representatives and educators, from countries in sub-Saharan Africa will attend the meeting to discuss the constraints to development of a sustainable and productive poultry industry in the region. The EPC provides an opportunity for assembling the participants who will hopefully become active participants in the web-based poultry network to be established. Funding for attendance by identified participants has been requested from a number of agencies. It is important to note that the workshop and network are focused on ALL sectors of the poultry industry.

WPSA Board Workshop in Edinburgh: A workshop and meeting of the WPSA Board were held in Edinburgh over two days on 21-22 August, prior to the European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition. The workshop was convened to allow the Board time to work through a number of proposed revisions to the WPSA constitution, last revised in 2001. A number of matters had been brought to the Board’s attention over the past couple of years that argued for some significant changes to the constitution. A constitution review sub-committee was established at our last meeting in Brisbane, and members of the subcommittee were allocated sections of the constitution to review, based on inputs from all Board members and others. This was completed two weeks before the Board meeting when all Board members were provided with the proposed alternative revisions. Agreement was reached at the Workshop on the proposed changes required to the constitution, and the original and revised constitution will shortly be sent to the WPSA Council, asking each Council member to vote on the proposed changes. Adoption of the changes, as stated in the present constitution, will be based on a simple majority postal vote. The major changes relate to a restructuring of the constitution, with a significant expansion of the By-laws (which will contain operational matters) and the constitution itself, which will be reduced quite markedly. There was a very large agenda to get through at the workshop plus Board meeting, but by extending the sitting time on both days, we were able to complete the task in two days. My sincere thanks to the members of the Board for their efforts and diligence in completing the task so successfully.

Conferences: It was my great privilege and pleasure to attend the 19th European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat and the 13th European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products in Turku, Finland from 21-25 June, and the European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition in Edinburgh from 23-27 August. I was kindly asked to provide some closing remarks on both occasions. Both were very well organized meetings with excellent presentations from the speakers.

Piet Simons: I would like at this time to acknowledge the enormous contribution made by Piet Simons to WPSA as President and then Secretary over the past 17 years. Piet’s term as Secretary came to a close in December 2008 when Roel Mulder took over the General Secretary’s position. WPSA certainly owes Piet a great debt of gratitude for his enduring commitment and hard work for the Association over the years.

I would like to conclude by expressing my particular thanks to our Treasurer, Dr Francine Bradley over the past twelve months and to our Secretary since the beginning of the year, Dr Roel Mulder, for their tireless work on behalf of WPSA. Their dedication and willing assistance has made my job as the incoming President, very much easier than it might otherwise have been.

Report from the Office of the General Secretary

General Secretary, Roel Mulder

The Presidents Report includes several items that have been introduced in previous newsletters and that were discussed in detail at the recent Board Meeting in Edinburgh. The following items should also be of interest to the membership: 1) The Board discussed in detail as to how we might be able to change the constitution and by-laws, especially with regard to such items as general voting procedures, the number of votes allowed per Branch, voting procedures during the meeting of Branch Councillors at the World Congresses, procedures for votes that need to be taken between the World Congresses, etc.). The proposed changes will be sent to the WPSA Council for a vote on their approval; 2). A Network of Mediterranean Branches/Members, as part of the European Federation Working Group on Education, has been formed. The 2nd Mediterranean Poultry Summit will be held in Antalya Turkey, 4-7 Oct 2009; 3). With regard to the Development of an African Network or Federation, there will be a special meeting to be held during the European Poultry Conference in Tours in August 2010; 4) Beginning 2010, all paper submissions for the World’s Poultry Science Journal will be on-line; and, 5) A special centennial celebration is being planned for WPSA during the World Congress in Salvador, Brazil in 2012. Special activities will be developed, and suggestions and ideas that members would like to see developed can be forwarded to the General Secretary.

European Federation of WPSA

The European Federation has planned a number of conferences between now and the end of 2010. 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: Report on Meetings of Working Group 2 and the 17th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition, Edinburgh, Scotland 23-27th August 2009

Prof Colin Whitehead in traditional kilt

The 17th ESPN was attended by 567 registered delegates from 54 countries. At the Opening Ceremony, tribute was paid to Dr Tom Acamovic, President of the UK Branch and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, who died from cancer two weeks prior to the start of the Symposium. This Ceremony, also involving traditional Scottish entertainment, was followed by a Welcome Reception where delegates were able to meet each other under relaxing surroundings. The Symposium comprised 6 sessions. The first 5 sessions were carried out along lines traditional in this symposium series, with 3 or 4 plenary presentations followed by group discussions of the papers and then a final plenary discussion. These sessions were on the topics of: Phosphorus, Phytate and Phytase; Litter Quality; Feed Additives; Nutrition and the Environment and Nutrition of Breeding Birds. The final session was along more traditional lines with 6 presentations on various topics under the title Future Prospects for Nutrition. 176 posters were submitted and there were 3 Short Communication sessions in which a total of 36 posters were previewed. There was lively debate during the sessions and also at lunch times within the exhibition area where there were 17 exhibitors. Social events during the Symposium included an evening at the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle, one of the events of the Edinburgh International Festival, and a Gala Dinner featuring a traditional Scottish ceilidh at which the delegates expended commendable energy in participating in the Scottish dancing. Tours were available for accompanying persons to the city of Edinburgh, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and Stirling Castle. The Symposium was considered a great success and many kind remarks were received from delegates.

The Working Group held 2 meetings during the Symposium. The Chairman, Prof Colin Whitehead retired after 10 years in the position and was replace by Dr Sanna Steenfeldt of the University of Aarhus, Denmark. The Working Group also agreed to set up a working party to review and clarify the position regarding available phosphorus and requirement recommendations.

The 18th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition will be held in Cesme, Turkey in 2011.

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.

Steffen Weigend - Chairman of Working Group 3 “Genetics and Breeding ” WPSA
Tomasz Szwaczkowski – Local organizer of the 6th EPGS

WG9: 8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare: This key event in the 2009 poultry welfare calendar was held in the superb seaside conference and accommodation facilities of the Club Hotel Dante, Cervia, Italy from 18th to 22nd May. It attracted global interest, and was attended by 149 delegates. The conference was opened by the European President and closed by the World President of the WPSA. The symposium, organised by WPSA WG9 and the Italian branch, provided an opportunity to receive and discuss reports on the latest poultry behaviour, welfare and management research and to enjoy social activities and also a professional poultry tour in the nearby heart of the Italian poultry industry.
Eleven experienced scientific referees from the 36 member WPSA Working Group 9 on poultry welfare and management carefully selected 41 papers and 52 posters from the 150 abstracts submitted. There were 10 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, parasites and economics. The quality of the material presented was very high and covered recent cutting edge research carried out at institutes and on farms in 32 counties worldwide. The paper and poster presentations were supported by 8 invited papers from world authorities in their respective specialist fields covering most of the above aspects of poultry welfare.
During the symposium tributes were paid to Dr N. O. Lindgren from Sweden, the inaugural chairman of WG9, Prof J. L. Barnett Australia and Dr S. M. Haslam UK, both valued contributors to European Poultry Welfare Symposia; all had passed away during recent months and will be greatly missed.
The paper and poster abstracts and full invited papers have been published as the WPSJ 8th Symposium on Poultry Welfare Book of Abstracts. They will also be available on the WPSA website (www.wpsa.com) in due course.

The 9th Quadrennial European Symposium on Poultry Welfare, the next of a series that has contributed much to this important discipline, will be held in Uppsala, Sweden during June 2013.

Valentina Ferrante, Chairperson of the organising group, Italian branch of WPSA
Arnold Elson, Chairperson of WPSA WG9 on Poultry Welfare and Management

Asian Pacific Federation

The Asian Pacific Federation’s Waterfowl Working Group is working with the India Branch to organize the IV World Water Fowl Conference. The Conference is scheduled to be held in Thrissur, Kerala, India from 11-13 November, 2009, and will be held at the Lulu International Conventional Centre. For more details see the India Branch report.

Alan M. Gibbins

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 development of more efficient poultry production, whether it is in an intensive technological industry or in smallscale, family production systems. WPSA offers a Travel Scholarship scheme of open competition to facilitate this. It should be stressed that any travel assistance WPSA provides under the scheme is independent of and in addition to that currently provided by the World Poultry Congresses, by Regional Conferences and/or by individual Branches. Its aim is to target and benefit students and young members, including young poultry producers from developing countries and students from developed countries. Applicants must be a member of WPSA for at least six months before they can apply for a Travel Grant. Applications must be accompanied by a short CV.
Deadline: Applicants must submit their applications at least 3 months prior to the meeting.
Application form: 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).

Send the application form (preferably by e-mail) to the General Secretary of WPSA, Dr Roel Mulder, PO Box 31, 7360 AA Beekbergen, The Netherlands, e-mail: roel.mulder@wpsa.com or wpsa@xs4all.nl, fax: +31 207508941.

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

Thomas Acamovic LRSC, MRSC, PhD FRSC
1952 - 2009

Thomas Acamovic
1952-2009

Tom Acamovic was born on 17 February 1952 in Edinburgh. His passing deprives the animal science community of one of its outstanding individuals. A scientist respected by nutritionists in academia and the commercial sector alike. A scientist whose legacy stretches far beyond his native Scotland.
Tom entered employment as a Scientific Officer with SAC in 1968 and immediately started to work at what were to become the two main themes of his professional life – chemistry and animal nutrition. He moved from the SAC site in Edinburgh to the Aberdeen site in 1989 to take up a position of Research Scientist and Lecturer. Over the next ten years Tom developed his interest in farmed animal nutrition and in particular the roles of anti-nutritional factors in ruminant and monogastric diets, building, in the process, an extensive network of international collaborators. In 1997 he moved to SAC’s Ayr campus to take up the post of Senior Research Scientist at the SAC Avian Science Research Centre. Credited with over 260 publications, Tom was one of the UK’s leading poultry nutritionists.
Tom’s passion for his work was obvious to all who met him. What may have been less obvious was the strength of character that underpinned his love for his work, a strength which defined Tom as an individual. If he didn’t understand Tom would ask, if he disagreed Tom would stand up and discuss. Where others may hold back, concerned at looking foolish or stepping out of line, Tom would step forward. In themselves these are admirable but not necessarily unusual traits. What marked Tom out was his lack of ego. He believed in a team approach to work and in developing the skills and careers of those around him. Nowhere was this more evident than in the supervision of the more than 20 postgraduate students that worked with him – students whose research and futures were as important to Tom as his own career.
Tom was diagnosed with cancer over four years ago, but it was something that the casual acquaintance could have been unaware of. He was no respecter of his illness and carried on working with the same passion and enthusiasm that had characterised him before his diagnosis.
Tom was elected as President of the UK Branch of the Worlds Poultry Science Association, in 2006. Within months of his appointment he initiated and drove the UK Branch’s bid to bring the World Poultry Congress to Glasgow in 2016. At the same time he was chairing the group that was organising the 17th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition (ESPN) which was held in August in Edinburgh. Neither event was, in Tom’s mind, about Tom. They were about a team bringing together mutual friends to discuss science in what, as Tom would never tire of telling people, was the best country in the world. Sadly he did not live long enough to attend the 17th ESPN but the success of this meeting will be one of his many legacies.
Another of Tom’s legacies will be the application of his research. There are a handful of scientists working in institutes and universities across the world with whom the commercial sector chooses to work. In this respect Tom’s ability to apply his knowledge to the practical problems facing companies that manufacture feed or feed additives placed him at the forefront of his field. Working with the leading companies he has made a major contribution to the way in which poultry are, and will be, fed in the future.
Tom collaborated with scientists across the world and counted many as personal friends. Within SAC he worked at Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Ayr. All who worked with him will have many memories of time spent together. He will be remembered as a scientist who challenged and innovated but most of all it will be Tom the man who is missed – for his friendship, support and sense of humour. He will be remembered with great affection.
Tom remained enthusiastic about his work until the very end and did not allow his final years to be defined by his illness. But those who knew him well knew that, above all, Tom’s first and main love was not his science but his family and that he took far more pride in the achievements of Fiona, Euan and Eilidh than he ever did in his own successes. We acknowledge and celebrate the contribution which he made to science, education and humanity and trust that his family will be strengthened and encouraged by the many happy memories of Tom.

Congresses / Symposia

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

The Brazilian Branch of WPSA is working intensively on the planning of the 24th World’s Poultry Congress in 2012. A lot of effort has been placed on the lodging arrangements and in finalizing the contract details with the congress’ venue in Salvador – the objective being to have everything running as smoothly as possible during the WPC 2012. The sales of WPC EXPO2012 booths are going quite well – about 25% of the currently available space has already been booked. Also, scientific subcommittees with Brazilian and non-Brazilian members have been created in order to assist with the scientific programme. With this we hope to put together an attractive and comprehensive scientific programme.

In October, Brazilian branch representatives will attend the 21st Latin American Poultry Congress, in Cuba. Dr Robert Pym and Dr Rüveyde Akbay have also generously offered to assist with the promotion of the 24th WPC at the 2nd Mediterranean Poultry Summit, which will take place in Turkey concomitantly with the Latin American Congress.

For more information visit the website at http://www.wpc2012.com or http://www.wpc2012.com.br.

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 & 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 implication in French history & 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 & take part in a conference that will be an event to remember.

Pierre-André Geraert,
President WPSA France

Yves Nys,
President Organizing Committee EPC 2010

WPSA Branch News

Australia

The South Australian Sub-branch of the Australian Branch of the World’s Poultry Science Association (WPSA) has organized and hosted a joint meeting with the Adelaide group of Nutrition Society of Australia (NSA). This meeting entitled “Food for thought” was focused on the new perspectives in animal nutrition and challenges ahead. Approximately 130 people attended the meeting, and approximately 100 animal science and veterinary science under-graduate students were also in attendance. By all accounts the event was a resounding success, with many people providing strong positive feedback on the day. The NSA, WPSA and academic staff of the University of Adelaide will consider holding a similar meeting next year. Congratulations to Dr Margaret Saxton, Dr Bob Hughes, Dr Mark Geier, Belinda Rodda and all other sub branch committee members for organising this successful event.

The Australian Branch of WPSA, together with the Poultry Research Foundation of Sydney University are organizing The Australian Poultry Science Symposium that will be held on the 1st - 3rd February, 2010 at the Veterinary Science Conference Centre, University of Sydney. The information regarding the sessions, speakers, registration deadline and venue can be found on the website, http://www.vetsci.usyd.edu.au/apss/program.shtml. Please contact Jo-Ann Geist, jogeist@camden.usyd.edu.au.

The Australian Branch of WSPA has a new website which is up and functioning. Please visit http://www.poultryhub.org/index.php/WPSA_Australia.

Julie Roberts, Branch President
Kapil Chousalkar, Bransch Secretary

Brazil

Our branch has also been busy with the planning of the Workshop “Current Situation and Future of Infectious Bronchitis in the Brazilian Poultry Industry” which will be held in Campinas on December 2-3, 2009. The aim of this workshop is to carry out a broad review on the current epidemiological situation of this important poultry disease worldwide with specific focus on the circulation of variant strains in the Brazilian poultry industry.

Mariana Castrillon, Communications Assistant, FACTA/ WPSA Brazilian Branch

Cameroon

The Cameroon Branch of WPSA was created on August 14th, 2008 with 9 members. The branch now has 32 members that have been registered by Dr Zambou Henri Réné, Treasurer of the Branch. The headquarters for the branch has been established in Dschang. The executive bureau’s main actions to date have been the registration of the Branch as a recognized association by the administration, and the organization of three association meetings to attract more members. We intend to encourage poultry farmers and scientists to come together and support the poultry industry in Cameroon. In this regard, a seminar has been scheduled for October 15th, 2009 in Bafoussam,, the West Region of Cameroon and one of the main poultry production areas. The theme for the seminar will be: "Maximizing profit in chicken production." The primary objective of the seminar is to offer chicken farmers, researchers and university lecturers an opportunity to exchange information on poultry production, and to create conditions for future collaboration. This seminar will be presided over by Pr. Teguia Alexis, President of the new Branch.

Dr FOTSA Jean Claude, Secretary WPSA-Cameroon

India

The Centre for Advance Studies in Poultry Science, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala, India, is organizing the IV World Water Fowl Conference in association with the India Branch of WPSA, under the auspices of Asia Pacific Federation of WPSA. The Conference is scheduled to be held in Thrissur, Kerala, India from 11-13 November, 2009, and will be held at the Lulu International Conventional Centre, Thrissur, Kerala. The Conference is intended to create a platform for the exchange of knowledge, to share useful information and newer concepts which would make tremendous improvement in sustainable water fowl production.
The theme for the Conference is “Water Fowl Production for Food Security”. Productivity enhancement of ducks and geese is important in this scenario and it can be achieved through strategic and applied research, technology transfer and capacity building. The main focus of the conference will be on the main issues currently related to research and production of water fowl. The technical programme is structured around a plenary session and concurrent symposia on a wide variety of topics with invited speakers from all over the world. There will also be an insightful poster presentation of relevant papers and brief discussions of the same on the days of the Conference.
The arrangements for the Conference are proceeding well, and good number of abstracts have been received. Speakers from Germany, France, Poland, UAE, The Netherlands, and New Zealand will present Theme and Lead Papers. A Souvenir is also being published.
Kerala is a popular tourist destination filled with natural beauty, historical monuments and a rich biodiversity. We look forward to hosting many of you at the Conference. A large number of delegates will make this event a grand success.

For more detailed information, please visit our website: www.kau.edu/waterfowl2009.

Malaysia

WPSA Malaysia will participate in the 5th Asian Livestock & Feed Industry Conference 2009 at the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Convention Centre from 27th-29th of October 2009. The first day’s seminar on Poultry & Egg Production & Processing Technology will be chaired by WPSA Malaysia Branch President Dato' Dr Vincent Ng In Hooi. Three other speakers from the Malaysia Branch will deliver their presentations during the initial seminar programme, including: Dr Richard Chong: “Staying Alive: The future of the Poultry Industry”; Prof. Dr Mohd Hair Bejo: “The Threats of Immunosuppressive Diseases in the Health and Production of Chickens”; and Prof. Dr Zulkifli Idrus: “Organic Acids as Alternatives for an Antibiotic in Promoting Performance and Health of Broiler Chickens.”

Russia

The Russian Branch hosted its XVI Poultry Scientific Conference on May 19-21, 2009. The conference theme was: “Achievements in Current Poultry Production: Research and Innovations”. The Conference was organized by the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (RASKHN), the Russian Poultry Union, the All-Russian Poultry Research Institute (VNITIP), and the German Agricultural Society (DLG). Major sponsors included Big Dutchman, Lohmann Tierzucht, Aviagen, Alltech, Evonic-Degussa, Stork, Agrovo, MOBA, Impextraco, PROVET, HIPRA.
The Conference lasted three days with its main venue in the All-Russian Poultry Research Institute in Sergiev Posad near Moscow. About 400 participants from 12 countries attended. The President of the Russian Branch and President of the Russian Poultry Union, Professor Vladimir Fisinin opened the Conference which included 160 papers that were published in a 423 page proceedings.
Professor Fisinin provided a keynote presentation entitled: “Strategy of Innovative Development of World and Domestic Poultry Production”. He summarized the current status of the poultry industry in Russia and worldwide, emphasizing the role of science on the general progress of poultry production.
A second plenary presentation was made by another well known poultry expert Gordon Butland of G&S Agriconsult Co. He provided an overview of the world market for eggs and broiler meat including some of the trends and situations that have impacted the current economic crisis for the industry.

Peter Surai

The third plenary presentation was provided by Professor Peter Surai of the Scottish Agricultural College. It was dedicated to a discussion of the importance of correctly feeding chicks during their first 5-7 days after hatching. This period is critically important, particularly in the modern broiler, because their general life period is getting shorter. He described the role of special pre-starter diets and their effects on subsequent performance. His presentation was excellently illustrated and made a deep impression on the audience.
The plenary session presentations were completed by Dieter Hempellmann and Igor Kotov of BIG DUTCHMAN GMBH. They told about new trends in systems for poultry housing, and relevant climate control, feeding and watering equipment.
Other sessions were held on: Poultry Genetics and Breeding; Poultry Nutrition and Feeding; Production Technology & Housing; Poultry Products Processing; Veterinary Aspects of Poultry Production and Biosecurity. Excellent speakers and topics were included for each of these topic areas.
On the third day, the Conference moved to Moscow’s Russian Exhibition Center, where another plenary session was held. The Managing Director of the Russian Poultry Union, Galina Bobyleva, described the current state of the Russian poultry industry and the measures that the Poultry Union is taking to diminish the negative impacts of the global economic crisis on domestic poultry production. She told about cooperation between industry, science and governmental bodies, aimed to improve efficiency of the Russian poultry sector. Her session was followed by many questions and an intensive idea exchange.
A representative of the German Agricultural Society (DLG), Professor Michael Grasshorn, then described the structure of the German poultry industry, its relations with governmental bodies and scientific institutions. After that the Heads of the sections reported about the results of their work.
All of the participants came to the conclusion that the Conference of the Russian National Branch of WPSA is a very useful event for fruitful communication, for gaining new information, and for the exchange of ideas.

Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Branch had the following activities during the past year, The compost training programme was continued with two training sessions for small poultry farmers. Participation was good. Two additional training sessions were held on feed formulation for broilers and layers. Dr Susil Silva, a nutritionist from the Veterinary Research Institute was the lecturer. He lectured in the local Sinhala language, and the participation by the local farmers was also very good. Participants can now apply their knowledge to their day-to-day feed mixing activities. Since feed ingredient costs are very high, most farmers are now changing to self mixing rather than purchasing mixed feed from the commercial feed mills.
On 27th August 2009 another well attended Lecture was provided by Dr Paul Rose at the Institute of Continuing Education, Peradeniya. The Lecture topic was "Dietary Modifications for Broiler Production in Hot Climates." This lecture was very useful at the current time since poultrymen are faced with a lot of difficulties in maintaining cost effective feed production under our climatic conditions. Fifty participants, mainly from the commercial broiler sector, attended.
The 11th Annual General Meeting of the branch is scheduled for the 26th of September 2009, which will be official Branch Business Meeting for appointing the new Branch officers for the year 2009/2010.

Dr Mrs. Godwin

Tanzania

The Tanzanian Branch of WPSA will be holding its 2nd Conference on September 30 2009. The venue of the conference will be held at the Central Veterinary Laboratory CVL TEMEKE. The 2nd Conference theme will be: “Biosecurity and Poultry Development in Tanzania.” All WPSA members, Industry members, Interchick, TanPride, Mkuza, Private Farmers, and Private Practitioners are invited to attend.
The purpose of the Conference and Annual General Meeting is to review progress made so far towards fulfilling the objectives of the WPSA Tanzania Branch, and to inform members and others on the activities carried out and achievements reached so far by the Branch. The other purpose is to strengthen the Association and to promote the Poultry industry in Tanzania.
Presentations during the conference will include: 1) The Poultry industry in Tanzania; 2) Safe poultry production and Biosecurity in all Poultry Sectors ; 3) Transmission and control of Poultry Diseases with emphasis on hatchery-borne and vertically transmitted diseases; 4) A retrospective study of poultry diseases diagnoses at CVL Dares Salaam; 5) Prospects for Making a National Poultry Improvement Plan for Tanzania; and 6) Poultry keeping as business in Dodoma and Singida regions: An example to other poultry keepers in Tanzania.
After the conference the Branch Members will proceed to the 3rd Annual General meeting of the Branch which among other activities will conduct general elections.

Amandus Muhairwa, WPSA Tanzania Branch Secretary

Turkey

Only a few weeks are left before the 2nd Mediterranean Summit of WPSA will convene in Antalya! The Turkish Branch will host the 2nd Mediterranean Summit of WPSA in Antalya from 4 - 7 October, 2009. As our preparations are coming to an end, our excitement is increasing. The Scientific Programme for the 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.
We look forward to welcoming you to this meeting, which will be an excellent opportunity for the participants to exchange ideas, renew old friendships, make new friends, and to enjoy Antalya.

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

18th European Poultry Nutrition Symposium to be held in Turkey: After the successful 17th European Poultry Nutrition Symposium, which was recently held in Edinburgh, we are glad to inform you that next symposium will take place in Turkey in 2011. The 18th European Poultry Nutrition Symposium will be held in Çeşme from 31 October until 4 November 2011.
The venue of the symposium is Çeşme, a coastal town situated on a peninsula at the most westerly tip of Turkey and surrounded on three sides by the Aegean Sea. Çeşme is a prominent centre of international tourism in Turkey, famous for its excellent holiday accommodations, restaurants and entertainment facilities. This symposium will provide a platform for the exchange of new ideas and information on the subject and for building and strengthening professional relationships.

Prof. Dr Rüveyde Akbay, President of the Turkish branch of WPSA

Ukraine

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

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:

22-26 September 2009	XVI Congress of the World Veterinary Poultry Association, Marrakesh, Morocco Contact: S. Hajji
30 September - 2 October 2009	6th European Symposium on Poultry Genetics, Bedlewo (near Poznan), Poland Contact: Prof Dr Tomasz Szwaczkowski
30 September - 2 October 2009	XLVI AECA Poultry Scientific Symposium, Zaragoza, Spain Contact: Ramon Porta i Escolà
1-2 October 2009	2nd Roundtable on Poultry Economics and Marketing, Antwerp, Belgium Contact: Ir P.L.M. van Horne
4-7 October 2009	2nd Mediterranean Poultry Summit, Antalya, Turkey Contact: Prof Dr Servet Yalcin
6-9 October 2009	21st Latin American Congress on Poultry Farming, Havana, Cuba
19-21 October 2009	VIV China 2009, Beijing, P.R. China
11-13 November 2009	4th World Waterfowl Conference, Lulu International Convention Centre, Thrissur, Kerala, India Contact: Prof. A. Jalaludeen, waterfowl2009@gmail.com or ajalaludeen@rediffmail.com

2010
1-3 February 2010	VIV India 2010, New Delhi, India
1-3 February 2010	Australian Poultry Science Symposium, Sydney, Australia Contact: Jo-Ann Geist
20-22 April 2010	VIV Europe 2010, Utrecht, The Netherlands
23-27 August 2010	XIII European Poultry Conference, Tours, France Contact: scientific@epc2010.org
21-23 September 2010	VIV China 2010, Beijing, P.R. China
21-23 October 2010	FIGAP/VIV América Latina 2010, Guadalajara, Mexico
16-19 November 2010	EuroTier 2010, Hanover, Germany Contact: Dr Karl Schlösser

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.