Page 16 - Australian Pork Newspaper

2021 APSA Conference
November 15 – 18, 2021
Sofitel Brisbane, Australia (plus virtual)
A dynamic range of speakers for the 2021 APSA Conference
The eighteenth Biennial Australasian Pig Science Association Conference is shaping up to be like no other. With the ever-changing situation around COVID-19, the 2021 APSA Committee has had to be adaptive in its planning while ensuring the value for delegates, speakers and sponsors is maintained.
APSA seeks to bring together the latest pig research from around the world, and while this year’s invited speakers won’t all be able to join us in person, we look forward to their presentations and interaction over the virtual platform. The conference incorporates a blend of basic and applied research covering every aspect of pig science.
The 2021 APSA conference will be held between 15-18 November at the Sofitel Brisbane in Australia and virtually using the Pheedloop platform. For registration information, visit apsa.asn.au/conference/registration
Registrations are now open to all delegates. Visit yrd.currinda.com/register/event/1246 to complete your conference registration. Questions about registration can be directed to YRD Event Management.
Delegates should keep up to date with relevant travel restrictions within Australia by visiting the various state government COVID-19 websites. Australia’s borders are currently closed to international travellers, except for Australian citizens, permanent residents, immediate family members, or travellers who have been in New Zealand for at least the 14 days before the date of departure (subject to suspension).
Pork’s role in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Dr Mark Stafford Smith
Dr Stafford Smith will deliver this year’s Dunkin Memorial Lecture focussing on the Australasian pork industry’s role in addressing sustainability challenges. The lecture will consider the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity, and seek to bring together the industry’s commitment to global sustainability.
Dr Mark Stafford Smith is now an Honorary Fellow with CSIRO, where he continues to contribute to climate adaptation research, and interacts regularly with national and international policy issues around adaptation and sustainable development. His significant international roles include past vice-chair of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme’s Scientific Committee; co-chair of the 2012 Planet Under Pressure: New Knowledge Towards Solutions conference on global environmental change in the lead up to Rio+20; and chair (2013-17) of the inaugural Science Committee for Future Earth, which helps to coordinate research towards global sustainability worldwide, and is now a senior advisor to the Global Environment Facility’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel in Washington
Improving the performance of neonatal piglets
Dr Chantal Farmer
Newborn piglets have a great incidence of pre-weaning mortality that is not only associated with low birthweights but also with the presence of intra uterine growth-restricted (IUGR) piglets. Such IUGR piglets are commonly seen in litters from hyperprolific sows and are largely due to insufficient placental transfer of nutrients. Dr Farmer will outline the nutritional strategies which can be used in gestation to enhance fetal development, and during the transition period to reduce the duration of farrowing and increase colostrum yield. She will also cover various other approaches, such as optimising the farrowing environment, performing farrowing supervision and handling of piglets, using cross-fostering techniques, providing nurse sows, and providing artificial milk. Even though research advances have been made in developing feeding and management strategies for sows in order to increase performance of their newborn piglets, much work still remains to be done to ensure that maximal assistance is provided.
Dr Chantal Farmer is a Research Scientist in swine lactation biology working at the Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She obtained her Bachelor of Science from McGill University (1980), her Master of Science from the University of Saskatchewan (1982) and her PhD from Pennsylvania State University (1986). Dr Farmer’s research goal is to increase sow milk yield and she was a pioneer in studying mammary development in gilts and sows.
The tale of the Finnish pig tail – how to manage non-docked pigs
Professor Anna Valros
Tail biting is a serious behavioural problem in pig production, causing impaired animal welfare and economic losses. In most countries the detrimental effects of tail biting are counteracted by docking pigs’ tails. Finland is one of the few countries where tail docking in pigs is totally forbidden. Professor Valros’ review will focus on features of pig production in Finland
to understand how Finnish producers rear non-docked pigs, including larger space allowances, partly slatted flooring, use of manipulable materials, good animal health status and meal feeding from long troughs. Experiences from Finland show that even though tail biting is still a challenge, it is possible to rear non-docked pigs in intensive production.
Professor Anna Valros has a Master of Science in Zoology (1998) and a PhD in animal behaviour and welfare (2003) from
the University of Helsinki, Finland. Since 2008 she has been appointed as Professor of Animal Welfare at the Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki. Her main research area is behaviour and welfare of pigs, with a focus on tail biting prevention and aetiology.
Page 16 – Australian Pork Newspaper, October 2021 www.porknews.com.au