Membership
After a rather mixed start to the year, I am pleased to report that the number of new members joining the Branch has now reached twenty six since the beginning of January. We are now delighted to welcome the following new members, who have joined since the last Newsletter:
- Dr Evangelos Grammenidis, SAC Auchincruive
- Dr Tony Hall, Cherry Valley Farms Ltd
- Dr Louise Hammond, British United Turkeys Ltd
- Miss Heather Morris, Silsoe Research
- Dr Kristin Sorensen, British United Turkeys Ltd
We are sad to wish goodbye and good luck to Dr Kingsley Smith, lately of SAC Auchincruive, who has returned to his native New Zealand. For those who would like to keep in touch with him, his temporary email address in Taranaki from 1 October is kingsleymonique@uk2.net. A permanent address will be available later. In the meantime, Kinsley assures me that he is continuing work on his book on the poultry breeders of the World - he says "Two companies completed and only 59 to go!"
XII World's Poultry Congress, 8-13 June, 2004 Istanbul, Turkey
Every fourth year sees a World's Poultry Congress, the highlight in the WPSA
calendar. The final announcement for WPC 2004 has been released and we hope
that as many members as possible will go to Istanbul to take part and to listen
to the very wide variety of high quality papers which are on offer. The particular
attention of students is drawn to the Youth Program on page 18 of the announcement,
which offers accommodation and travelling expenses within Turkey together with
a three-day post Congress excursion tour of the poultry industry in Northern
Turkey, on acceptance of a successful abstract submission. However, time is
short and applications have to be submitted by 31 October. In addition, the
UK Branch has historically provided the costs of travel to and from the Congress
for one or two students to take part in the Youth Program. This will be discussed
at the Branch Council Meeting on 15 October when a final decision will be made.
Therefore, any student who is thinking of applying for this Program should
contact the Branch Secretary, John Parsons, after this date for further information.
Updated information on WPC 2004 can be found on the Congress website: www.wpc2004.com
New biology and genomics website
Dave Burt at Roslin Institute has asked us to tell members about a new website
devoted to chicken biology and genomics. ChickNET at www.chicken-genome.org contains
much useful information on genomic resources, avian biology, news and events,
organisations and societies as well as contact details and relevant and useful
search information.
Why not have a look at it now?
Please keep me informed!
When members change employer, address, telephone or email, please let me know
as soon as possible. This will ensure the continuity of your receipt of Newsletters
and WPS Journals. Please remember that I am not clairvoyant!
Also let me know if you wish your WPSA mail to be delivered to a different
address - home/office.
Change of WPSA Bank
The UK Branch is about to change its bank accounts for a number of reasons,
primarily because the Royal Bank of Scotland have closed the Premium Accounts
Centre in Edinburgh, where our accounts were held. However, this will give
us the opportunity to open a treasurer's account, allowing us to handle credit
card transactions - especially useful for collecting registration fees for
future Symposia. Unfortunately this will mean that it is necessary for us to
ask members who pay their subscriptions by Banker's Order to sign new forms
to pay the new account.
Letters will be going out to all these members shortly and I beg you all
to respond at the first attempt. I do not wish to have to send out yet more
reminders at the expense of the Branch!
Thank you.
WPSA UK Branch Undergraduate Summer Vacation Scholarships 2004
Please follow this linkfor information on these awards which are worth up to £800 per student. In order to promote them, we are also sending a poster to those whom we believe are in a position to make students more aware of this opportunity. Please display it on a prominent and appropriate Notice Board and draw the attention of any eligible students to it. Thank you.
New publications from Agra Europe
- World Poultrymeat
A new fortnightly report containing international market and regulatory news. Costing £550 per year, including current issue on line and an on-line archive.
- EU Food Law
EU food law in print every month, 12 issues per year with weekly updates, email alerts, current issue and archive on line. This publication monitors and analyses the implementation of EU Directives in the Member States, the latest progress in Brussels and the implications these hold for the food industry. The price is £649 per year.
- Eurofood Monitor
The only source of the complete and consolidated texts of European Union legislation on foodstuffs in English. A four volume loose-leaf set with regular updates, this is priced at £580 per year.
Further information on these and other Agra Europe publications is available
on www.agra-net.com, by email from marketing@agra-net.com or
by telephoning 01892 533813.
Also a free sample copy of many Agra Europe reports is available by visiting www.agra-net.com/sample.