World Sheep & Wool Congress Draws Large Crowd

September 2004 -- More than 650 participants from 12 countries convened in Quebec City, Canada, July 17-24, 2004, for the 7th World Sheep & Wool Congress.

The eight-day event provided international allies with an opportunity to learn about their global counterparts? successes and challenges. Attendees also could participate in a wide array of activities, ranging from conferences, workshops, exhibits and shows and sales to industry tours ? all geared toward the international sheep industry.

?It was exciting to see such a large delegation of producers and industry affiliates from the United States participating in this world event,? stated American Sheep Industry Association President and Ohio sheep producer Guy Flora.

?Quebec was an excellent host for this international event,? added ASI Secretary/Treasurer and North Dakota sheep producer Burdell Johnson. ?We really appreciate the involvement of the U.S. breed associations that supplied literature for the ASI booth, as well as the efforts of those individuals who stayed in the booth to speak with visitors.?

Those individuals and the sheep breeds they represented include Kelly Ward, Romney and Blueface Leicester; Jozi Best, Tunis; Sharon and Dwight Tisdale, Polypay; and Jim Morgan, Katahdin. Other individuals who worked the ASI booth included Judy Lumis, Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Concerned Sheep Breeders Society; David and Nancy Greene, Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival; and Kathy Kark, The Shepherd Magazine.

Marketing quality products; combining productivity and profitability; managing nutrition and the environment; and genetics, health and reproduction, were just a few of the topics presented.

Joining ASI President Guy Flora as American speakers were:

• Dr. Yves Berger, Spooner Agriculture Research Station, University of Wisconsin-Madison - study of three weaning systems for optimal commercial milk production;
• Dr. Chris Lupton, Wool and Mohair Research Lab, Texas A&M University System - animal nutrition and selection to have quality and quantity with wool;
• Dr. Brad Freking, research geneticist, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service/U.S. Meat Animal Research Center - meat quality and the callipyge gene, consumer acceptance and final product;
• Angus McColl, Yocom-McColl Testing Laboratories ? micron wool testing;
• Dr. Ron Lewis ? sire reference schemes for selection in the sheep industry;
• Dr. Linda Detwiler ? methods for controlling scrapie in various countries;
• Dr. Raluca Mateescu - use of genetic markers in ovine production;
• Dr. Marlon Knights, Division of Animal and Veterinary Sciences/West Virginia University - use of ram effect to induce out-of-season breeding;
• Dr. Woody Lane, ruminant nutritionist - mineral nutrition in sheep;
• Dr. Michael Thonney, Department of Animal Science/College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Cornell University ? control of Johne?s Disease in sheep by vaccination; and
• Dr. Ray Kaplan, Department of Infectious Diseases/College of Veterinary Medicine/University of Georgia

ASI Research and Education Council Chair, David Greene, said of the event, ?It was beneficial to hear comments from other parts of the world on topics such as BSE and scrapie. Other countries are starting to put together scrapie-eradication programs similar to the one U.S. producers have been executing since 2001.?

The World Sheep & Wool Congress is an international event held every three years. After Australia, Morocco, the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand, Canada welcomed the Congress this year for the second time in its history.

A vast delegation from Mexico arrived in Quebec prepared to have their bid for the next congress accepted ? and it was. The 8th World Sheep & Wool Congress will be held in Queretaro, Mexico, in 2007.

ASI was a major sponsor of the 7th World Sheep & Wool Congress.