As in previous years, the WPSA meeting will be held in conjunction with the British Society of Animal Science and for this year, it will be joined by Agricultural Research Forum of Ireland. The meeting offers the opportunity for science and industry to get together and share ideas and experiences across all livestock disciplines.

For WPSA delegates, the meeting starts promptly at 08.45 with the Hammond Memorial Lecture from Professor John Oldham who will consider future challenges for animal science – a topical subject bearing in mind the current focus on self sufficiency and need to dramatically increase food production throughout the world.

Present at the formal opening of the WPSA meeting will be Professor Bob Pym, president of the WPSA. During the meeting, there will be sessions on nutrition, behaviour and welfare, meat quality and eggs and genetics. All these will contain papers submitted from UK and overseas authors representing current research from academic and commercial workers.

Continuing the practice of having a session dedicated to speakers from industry, there are to be two experts in their respective areas: Dr Tom Scott from Provimi and Stephen Lister from Crowshall Veterinary Services who will illustrate the application of science in the field and the further challenges to be addressed.

The Spring Meeting is chosen as the occasion of the Gordon Memorial Lecture. This year, the trustees have invited Professor Eddy Decuypere of the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium to speak on 'The broiler breeder paradox from the physiological, genetic and ethical viewpoint together with suggestions for solutions'.

The WPSA (UK Branch) annual general meeting starts the second day of the meeting at 08.30.

For more information on the WPSA UK Spring Meeting, e-mail [email protected] or go to the web site [click here].