Organiser expects 1,000 delegates at AAAP Congress 2018 in Kuching

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Dr Abdul Rahman (right) points at the AAAP Congress 2018 poster after the unveiling ceremony. Also seen is Loh (centre). — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: The state will be hosting the 18th Asian Australasian Animal Production (AAAP) Congress for the first time at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), from Aug 1 to 5.

Some 1,000 international and local delegates are expected to attend the key event, aimed at exploring the strategies for aiding the applications of modern technologies by smallholding and medium-scale farmers to enhance the productivity of the livestock industry in the region.

The speakers for the congress will include associate professor of biometry at University of Sydney, Peter Thomson who will present ‘The Digital Future: The Role of Big Data for Agricultural Development in the Region’; and Prof Hsia Lang Zhou of National Pingtung University of Science and Technology Taiwan with his talk on ‘From Practical Monogastric Animal Management to Greenhouse Gas Production’.

According to organising chairman Prof Dr Loh Teck Chwen, the first AAAP Congress took place in Malaysia back in 1980 – the August event would mark the nation’s third time hosting of the global event.

“The second time that Malaysia hosted the AAAP Congress was in 1990. It will be the first time for Kuching to host it,” he announced during a press conference at BCCK yesterday, where Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail attended in representing Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development.

The AAAP Congress is a biennial event that includes a conference, exhibition, workshops and technical visits after the conference. This time, it is organised by Malaysian Society of Animal Production (MSAP).

Loh, who is MSAP vice-president, said it is hoped that the event would be able to engage more local livestock industry players towards learning more about animal production industry.

He recalled that the last congress in Fukuoda, Japan registered about 1,500 delegates – the highest number of participants recorded so far.

To date, the congress has been hosted by various countries including Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, India and Japan.

AAAP is a consortium of animal societies founded in 1980 with eight charter members representing the animal production societies of Australia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand.

Also joining as member countries later on were Taiwan, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, India, Vietnam, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka and China.

Interested participants for the AAAP Congress 2018 themed ‘Global Livestock Production in a Challenging Environment’ are advised to submit up to two originally-written 350-word abstract before June 15.

Early bird’s registration fees of RM800 per student and RM1,200 per participant are offered till April 30. After this offer period, students have to pay RM1,000 each and participants, RM1,500 each. The organiser is also offering day registration fee of RM500.

For more information on abstract submission and registration fees, browse www.aaap2018.com or send emails to [email protected].