WORKSHOPS

(Claire Souchet, project administrator, MLURI, UK)

The organisation of workshops is an important part of the network' concertation activities. The aim is to involve researchers, producers' groups and manufacturers. The objective is to further the introduction of OFDA measurement technology into fibre quality measurements on a pan-European basis for the specific areas of genetic selection and quality control schemes.

The first workshop on "The development of European standards for the objective measurement of genetic selection parameters, based on quantity and quality fibre traits" will take place in Villaviciosa in Spain, on 10 and 11 October 1997 by kind invitation of Dr Koldo Osoro, of the Centro of Investigacion Agraria y Tecnologia Agroalimentaria.

On 9-10 March 1998, the second workshop, will be held on "The establishment of common European protocols for the recording of genetic performance data for speciality fibre producing animals", in Toulouse (France), co-organised with Dr Daniel Allain of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique.

The third workshop will be held in June 1998 in Aachen, Germany, on "Quality assessment and the requirements of the fibre manufacturing industry"; it will be co-organised with Dr Ho Phan of Deutsches Wollforschungsinstitute and der Technischen Hochschule.

The last workshop, on "The development of breeding schemes for European-produced speciality animal fibres", is planned for 1999, and will be held in Scotland.

A publication will be produced from each of these workshops as a mean of assisting in the dissemination of information.

Details on the 3 first workshops:

• Workshop I (Villaviciosa, Spain): 10-11 October 1997

This workshop will involve those concerned in breeding programmes for the 4 species dealt with, that is, angora goats (mohair), angora rabbits (angora), cashmere goats and fine wool sheep. The main objective of this workshop is to agree on a set of common fibre measurements for each species across Europe. The workshop will start with two papers on measurement techniques. Two working sessions will be held in parallel; sessions for angora rabbits and cashmere goats, followed by sessions for fine wool and angora goats. A reporting back session will allow a discussion of the outputs of each working group, and the drawing ups of action plans for fibre measurement for each fibre.

• Workshop II (Toulouse, France): 9-10 March 1998

This workshop is likely to include predominantly the same participants as in workshop I. The objectives are 1) to agree on selection criteria and method of measurement for a common set of fibre and non-fibre traits for each species, and 2) to agree on a genetic parameters' database structure and its management. As for the first workshop, two working sessions will be held in parallel; sessions for angora rabbits and cashmere goats, followed by sessions for fine wool and angora goats. A reporting back session will allow a discussion of the outputs of each working group, and the drawing ups of action plans.

• Workshop III (Aachen, Germany): 5-6 June 1998

Processors, manufacturers and producers' groups will be invited, as well as the scientific community, to the workshop. The objectives are 1) to discuss how their requirements could be met by the European fibre industry and how quality criteria can be standardised and 2) to outline a proposal to use OFDA methodology as a standard method for cashmere and mohair.

Anyone wishing further information about these workshops should contact the project administrator, Miss Claire Souchet. email: c.souchet@macaulay.ac.uk

back to issue 1

back to newsletter