Research alliance puts Roseworthy at forefront

The Southern Star Poultry Alliance has been established between the University of Adelaide and SARDI, based at the University's Roseworthy Campus.
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Thursday, 20 September 2012

South Australia's role in promoting sustainable livestock production systems and best practice in animal health and welfare will come to the fore at the University of Adelaide's Roseworthy Campus.

The Southern Star Poultry Alliance has been announced today, cementing the education, research, development and extension collaborations between the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).

Professor Iain Reid, Executive Dean of the Roseworthy Campus, said the establishment of the University's School of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Roseworthy has opened many education and research opportunities for South Australia, including this new Alliance.

"The Southern Star Poultry Alliance will further enhance the research capability at the Roseworthy Campus, which is already well known for animal science and now veterinary sciences," Professor Reid said.

"The application of our research will have direct benefits to poultry industries in the State and the nation as we address a range of key issues, such as poultry health, production, welfare, food safety and nutrition. This will also broaden the student experience at the Roseworthy Campus at undergraduate and postgraduate levels."

Australians consume more poultry than any other meat (44kg per person per annum), and 213 eggs per annum; by 2050 the poultry industry will require 500 million more meat chickens and 15 million more laying hens per year.

The challenge facing poultry research scientists and educators is to help the State and national poultry industries achieve sustainable and welfare friendly poultry production as the population increases with a commensurate increase in demand for affordable, high -quality food, the Poultry CRC said.

Professor Alan Tilbrook, SARDI's Research Chief of Livestock and Farming Systems, said SA had been identified by the Primary Industries Standing Committee to take the lead in R&D in the meat chicken, egg and pig industries.

"SARDI and the University, with their expertise, research and education faculties and facilities at the Roseworthy Campus, have an opportunity to lead poultry and other intensive livestock systems R&D in Australia.

"SARDI has long been involved in ensuring poultry, pig and other farming enterprises meet farmer and consumer expectations for sustainable livestock production," Professor Tilbrook said.

"Already, we have strong ties with the national Poultry and Pig Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs), with the need for new environmental and production solutions ever present.

"We also look forward to increasing our affiliations with industry and the University of Adelaide's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences."

Chief Executive Officer of the Poultry CRC, Professor Mingan Choct, said South Australia is a "very important State for the Australian poultry industry".

"Much of the growth and expansion in the industry is occurring in South Australia," Professor Choct said.

"The formation of the Southern Star Poultry Alliance is an important step in the future sustainability of the industry as it helps build capacity in terms of research and extension."

South Australia is a net exporter of poultry products to the thriving national market, with thousands of jobs directly and indirectly tied up in production.

Production of chicken meat in SA has doubled since 2004, with about 80 million birds or 130,000 tonnes of poultry meat produced every year. SA produces about 7,000 dozen eggs from about 330,000 layers.

Today's Poultry Industry Day at Roseworthy will give local chicken meat and egg producers an insight into some of the R&D and education activities coming together under the new poultry alliance.

The poultry alliance brings together the resources of the new vet school with PIRSA-SARDI's expertise in animal health and welfare, product quality and safety, incubation and embryology, nutrition and molecular diagnostics.

The aims of the Poultry R&D and education alliance are to:

• Provide research capability and infrastructure to support research services for the poultry industry issues in SA, Australia and internationally to fulfill our role as a key member within the National Primary Industries Research, Development and Extension Framework in Australia;
  
• Assist Government and industry funding bodies to develop and execute their respective research policies and 5-year plans.
  
• Meet the education needs of veterinary and animal science undergraduate and post graduate students from Australia and overseas, and conduct poultry training courses for local and overseas groups.

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