Poultry Research Foundation

Poultry@Sydney Newsletter

#3, September 2023

Welcome to another edition of Poultry@Sydney!

In this Edition, we will feature Dr Shemil Macelline's work on nutrient digestibility, an interview with the CEO or Egg Farmers Australia, Melinda Hashimoto, and a profile piece on the backbone of the PRF, Mrs Joy Gill.

In addition, I would like to kick things off with an insight on discussions that took place in a think-tank meeting hosted at the University of Sydney early this year.

Key challenges facing the poultry industry over the next 20 years and beyond.
The poultry industry is the No.1 supplier of quality animal protein sources for human consumption. It does not matter whether you focus on the ethics of food production or the essence of food production, from a global food security and sustainability point of view, it is essential have a prosperous and advanced poultry industry.

Recently, the Poultry Research Foundation of The University of Sydney, supported by AgriFutures Australia and BEC Feed Solutions, organised a poultry industry think thank meeting to discuss the key challenges that will shape the poultry industry during the next 20 years. It was well attended by leaders of industry and academia in Australia.

The three key challenges identified are: people, collaboration and communication.

In this Issue of Poultry@Sydney, I will discuss the No.1 challenge: people and will discuss the other challenges in subsequent Issues of our newsletter.

Looking at nutrient digestibility beyond the traditional view

Any gain in nutrient digestibility in animals can result in big gain in feed efficiency. Feed efficiency gain is a big win for sustainability because there will be less extra ending up in the environment and less land used to grow crops. Indeed, a reduction of feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 3 points, ie., from 1.53 down to 1.50 at market weight, would save the Australian chicken meat industry approximately 56,000 tonnes of feed per year, the monetary value of this alone is staggering even for small country like Australia. Read the article in full...

A shining example of service and dedication - Mrs Joy Gill

The success and sustainability of an entity depends on the efforts of individuals who have the capacity to learn and apply, care for the people they work with, and know the essence of duty and dedication. The ongoing success of the Poultry Research Foundation (PRF) and its 65 years of sustained service to the Australian poultry industry are due to many people. This article profiles one of those dedicated individuals, Mrs Joy Gill. Find out more...

Kylie and Melinda from Egg Farmers of Australia

Melinda Hashimoto Interview

It was an honour for us to chat with Melinda Hashimoto, the CEO of Egg Farmers of Australia. Melinda is a farmer’s daughter from a small beef property (Brahman cross) in Queensland. Having attended university in Rockhampton with a Bachelor of Education she remained in the area and then travelled to Japan spending 5 years teaching there. Upon return to Australia, she completed an MBA at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba. Former career roles include Adviser to Ministers for Agriculture at Federal and State Levels and QLD Department of Trade and Investment. Read the full interview...

Notices

Paper Submissions for APSS 2024 are OPEN between 1st July & 30th September, 2023. If you plan to submit a paper for next years conference, make sure you don't miss the deadline.
WPSA Membership Applications for 2023 are available to download here.
Pre-Registration for APSS 2024 is available until the end of September. You will recieve a 10% Early-Bird Discount code if you preregister by the end of the month.

Upcoming events

19-21 Feb, 2024: 35th Annual Australian Poultry Science Symposium @ Sheraton Grand, Sydney Hyde Park - www.apss2024.com.au

Fab Facebook Feed...

Faculty of Science, University of Sydney -

In collaboration with our partners, we are proud to officially open the new Centre of Crop and Digital Agriculture at Narrabri. Our mission is bold: to push the boundaries at the intersection of world-leading technological and scientific advances. And to transform food security, environmental sustainability, and economic resilience.

As the global population increases and arable land shrinks, great challenges lie ahead. In Australia and beyond, the University of Sydney is educating the next generation of plant geneticists, growers, breeders, agronomists, digital scientists, and policy makers in how to use the most advanced and emerging technologies to shape the future of agriculture.

Research at the Centre of Crop and Digital Agriculture focuses on adapting crops for drought and heat tolerance, providing sustainable food security solutions and boosting productivity of farmers. We are connected to the land, and regional communities, and committed to the sustainable development goals.

Centre of Crop and Digital Agriculture at Narrabri

Keep in touch

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