Jiglu: Farmtalking: Discussion: Re: DEFRA ANNOUNCES £1.6M RESEARCH PROJECT ON NATIONAL SCRAPIE PLAN AND BREED TRAITS

Originally from: Ron

It would save a lot of time and energy, also hell of a lot of money, if the idiots who are responsible for all this so called research asked Mark Purdey for advice.

Almost all the research we see today has a strong indication of jobs for the boys and/or an intention to 'prove' an already preconceived idea!

We the suckers, the taxpayers and the farming community, let them get away with it.

If I had any doubts about the whole so called research in to BSE, Scrapie, CJD, et al, being, to say the least, flawed; last Saturdays presentation by Mark convinced me. Our scientific bodies are increasingly 'barking up wrong trees'.

An indication of how unsure they are of their facts is that some of the rams that are considered Scrapie vulnerable will have semen taken as stored in the National Semen Bank. I have been told that this is for the event of something worse than Scrapie arising in the National Flock.

And I'm as batty as a coot. It's just as well that I am, I couldn't cope with this mad World otherwise.

Considering that this country was once a World leader in original research we have sunk pretty low!

I'm off to bed, Goodnight, Ron

----- Original Message -----
From: ...
Originally from: <...>
To: <...>
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 10:10 PM
Subject: [farmtalking] DEFRA ANNOUNCES £1.6M RESEARCH PROJECT ON NATIONAL SCRAPIE PLAN AND BREED TRAITS
Defra today announced a £1.6m research project to assess the links between breeding for scrapie resistance and economically important production and health traits.
The work will look at sheep from the major sectors, including terminal sire and hill breeds as well as sheep from rare and heritage breeds.
The four year UK study, which will get underway early in 2004, will look to provide assurances on the possible impacts that the National Scrapie Plan may
have on economically important breed traits and propose breeding strategies for
the NSP to help minimise the loss of genetic variability.
The study, "Selective breeding on PrP genotype in the UK sheep flock: evaluating the consequences and deriving optimal strategies" will be led chiefly by
scientists at the Scottish Agricultural College and the Roslin Institute.
Other organisations involved in the project include the University of Edinburgh, University of Wales Aberystwyth, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Meat and
Livestock Commission, ADAS, the Rare Breed Survival Trust and the Sheep Trust.
Defra has been working closely with the other UK Agriculture and Rural Affairs Departments to have this important work in place. The study addresses a
recommendation from the Government's Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee
and has been keenly anticipated by industry stakeholders.
An independent steering group, to be set up next year, will monitor progress of this four year project, and provide updates to stakeholders on a regular basis.
Notes for editors
1 Scrapie is a fatal neurological disease of sheep and belongs to a group of diseases termed transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). TSEs include
BSE in cattle and CJD in humans.
2 Scrapie has been present in the national flock for over 250 years, but is not transmissible to humans.
3 There is a theoretical risk that BSE could be present in sheep, masked by scrapie, but it has not been found naturally occurring in sheep.
4 Background information on the National Scrapie Plan, scrapie and genotyping
is published on the Defra internet at <A HREF="http://www.defra.gov.uk/nsp">www.defra.gov.uk/nsp</A> Further information can be found at <A HREF="http://www.dardni.gov.uk/">www.dardni.gov.uk</A> for the Northern Ireland Scrapie Plan and
at <A HREF="http://www.wales.gov.uk/">www.wales.gov.uk</A> for details of the Welsh genotyping scheme.
5 Defra will spend approximately £16m in 2003/4 on research to investigate TSEs.
6 There is no published scientific evidence to show that breeding for scrapie
resistance will have an adverse consequence for sheep performance, health or breed characteristics.
7 The need for an overall research strategy to assess possible relationships between PrP genotype and other traits was recently highlighted as an outstanding gap by the SEAC NSP Working Group.
8 The overall objectives of this research programme are to:
collect and analyse the information necessary to critically evaluate the impact of widespread selection on PrP genotype in the UK sheep population propose optimal breeding strategies for scrapie resistance in the context of an overall genetic improvement programme. 9 The programme will specifically:
investigate relationships between PrP genotype and traits of economic importance to the farm and monitor any continued impact that the NSP may have on such
traits
estimate PrP allele frequencies in sheep breeds
identify optimal breeding designs for scrapie resistance with restrictions on
the loss of genetic variability.
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