Page 32 - Executive Board Meeting 14 July 2021

RESEARCH Bursaries
Ms Chantel Pennicott is still the only current SAPPO bursary holder for her work at Baynesfield. However, the contract with UP makes provision for the funding of a masters student. She is Kayleigh Marcus who is conducting a study titled “Interventions for improved and safe pork production in informal settlements/smallholder pig production in South Africa”.
Research Projects
African Swine Fever
The project by the ARC (Onderstepoort) titled "Multi-locus sequence typing of African swine fever viruses (ASFV) from outbreaks to establish an ASFV Virus bank” is running. A progress report is expected before the next Research Committee meeting scheduled for 17 June 2021. The same applies for the project titled “Development of a regionally-specific peptide ELISA for enhanced ASF risk assessments as an alternative to recombinant tick salivary protein ELISAs”.
The project of Kayleigh Marcus under supervision of Prof Esté Von Marle- Köster, titled “Interventions for improved and safe pork production in informal settlements / smallholder pig production in South Africa” at UP has started. A suitable questionnaire is currently being developed. Progress will only be reported at the next meeting.
The study at Stellenbosch University (Prof Phillip Strydom) titled “Characterisation of small holder pork value chain in the Cape Metropole District of the Western Cape Province, South Africa” has commenced after the ASF restrictions. Some meat quality analyses on meat bought at vendors have been done in the laboratory. Questionnaire surveys have been done with farmers, vendors and consumers. A full report is expected before the next meeting.
Antimicrobial resistance
Dr Mokoele of the Veterinary faculty at Onderstepoort receives partial funding of a PhD project on “The prevalence, perceptions and mitigation of antimicrobial resistance in pig farms of Gauteng province and surroundings in South Africa”. A progress report will be discussed at the next meeting.
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