For over fifty years The New Zealand Society of Animal Production has played an important role as a forum fostering research in all areas of animal production including production systems, nutrition, meat science, animal welfare, wool science, animal breeding and genetics.
It was during the second world war when 66 animal scientists met at the first annual conference. Our first president J.M. Ranstead reported to that meeting that "a small band of enthusiasts had gathered together the previous June to consider forming a new Society along the lines of the American Genetics Association". The name they chose for this new Society was The New Zealand Society of Animal Production.
Fondly known as APS it has been a vital institution to generations of
New Zealand farmers, scientists, advisors and agribusiness leaders interested
in improving animal production.
Presentations to the Society have often provided results of work in progress or final results several years prior to their formal publication in scientific journals. A considerable amount of New Zealand research has been published solely in the conference proceedings. The proceedings therefore form a valuable record of the progress of New Zealand animal production research.
The Society presently has over 500 current members and nearly 50 of these reside overseas.
*Image courtesy of the Massey University Historical Livestock Gallery http://agimages.massey.ac.nz
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Last modified: 9th July 2008