| 1. The SADC-SRNET
A Regional Workshop was organized
in Malawi in 2000 by the University
of Malawi and Heifer Project
International with the support of
Land O'Lakes. The main purpose was
to set up a Regional Network of
communication between people
involved in goat production,
research and development in the SADC
Region. This concept was widened at
the Workshop to include sheep as
well as goats, and the Network will
be known as the SADC-SRNET (Southern
African Development Community -
Small Ruminant Network). Each
country will have its own local
Network, and these will be linked
across the Region. The objectives of
the Workshop are summarized in the
paper:
SADC-SRNET paper 2000
2. Representatives in South
Africa
Prof E.F. Donkin was nominated as
the co-ordinator for South Africa.
This is intended to be an interim
position, and the ideal is that the
people themselves involved in each
country will decide how best to
achieve the objectives of better
communication and sharing of
information about production,
research and development projects
involving small ruminants.
At present the " back-up" people
are:
* Heleen Els, who is also at the
Faculty of Veterinary Science at
Onderstepoort
Address:
heleen.els@up.ac.za
* Gavin MacGregor, who is a
Director of Heifer Project in South
Africa, which is a major NGO
internationally, managing
development projects involving
livestock.
Address:
hpsagm@mweb.co.za
3. Communication
The easiest means of
communication is via e-mail. A list
of some of the people involved in
small ruminant production, research
and development projects are
gathered and e-mail messages send to
them. Please feel free to discuss
this initiative with colleagues, and
let me know of other people whom we
should include. The objective is to
be as inclusive as possible.
* Join the SA SRnet by completing
the
application form. It can be
submitted electronically or can be
faxed/posted.
* If you wish your name NOT to be
included, please let me know.
* If a person does not have
e-mail, it will still be possible to
communicate by ordinary post, but
there may be a cost involved, which
will have to be budgeted for and
provided for.
Initially we want to include
those people within South Africa,
but if you are aware of others in
neighbouring SADC countries, their
names can be passed on to their own
country co-ordinators.
4. Information: Foot-and-Mouth
Disease (FMD)
Official reports about the FMD
outbreaks in South Africa:
SR1 Report: ANIMAL HEALTH
FOLLOW-UP REPORT (number 5)
SR1 Report: ANIMAL HEALTH
FOLLOW-UP REPORT (number 8)
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