INTERVIEW ▶▶▶ Dr Fernanda Almeida
IPVS president for another two years
Dr Fernanda Almeida was an undergraduate student when the International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) congress was held in Brazil in 1988. Three decades later, she is the proud IPVS president who was preparing for the return of the Congress to Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. Covid-19, however, means that she will be president for two more years.
BY TREENA HEIN, CORRESPONDENT T
he 1988 edition of the International Pig Veterinary Soci- ety (IPVS) Congress in Rio de Janeiro for now remains the only edition to be held in Brazil – for at least another two years. Like virtually all other international events,
this year’s IPVS Congress in Rio de Janeiro was cancelled because of Covid-19. In fact, it was cancelled twice, as the original date in June was pushed back to November 2020 – to no avail. President of the 2020 IPVS Congress was Dr Fernanda Almeida – and she will remain in charge to plan the entire event for June 2022 instead. Dr Almeida reflects on the reasons and effects of the Congress postponement, as well as veterinary and pork industry develop- ments in Brazil.
Pig Progress: When did you realise that IPVS would not be able to be held in June 2020? How fast was the decision made and what was involved? Dr Fernanda Almeida: “It was in March that we decided to post- pone it to November. We thought that things might have been cleared up by then. International travel was a big issue and our main sponsors were concerned, even if international travel was allowed, about sending representatives. We had a virtual meet- ing in June with our board members and sponsors and we all decided it was best to postpone to 2022, as the same conditions due to Covid-19 may be present in 2021. It was a tough decision, very tough, but it was a quick decision aiming for the safety of all involved in our event (delegates, sponsors and local organis- ing committee). The IPVS edition in Leipzig, Germany, that would have been held in 2022 will also be postponed two years.”
Will you continue as president to 2022? “Yes. Everyone supported that, and I will gain more experience. We are in standby mode now, and we still have housekeeping items to finish up the cancellation of IPVS 2020. In November, we will have a simple online event when we will announce a few de- tails for the Congress in 2022, and we will also publish abstracts and manuscripts of all those who would have presented at the 2020 Congress.”
How did you come to be in the swine industry? “I graduated in veterinary medicine in 1989, and when I started the course my focus was on pets. But I realised I would not be a good pet vet as a lot of emotion would be involved. I started to read about pigs and their importance as a food source and during the second-last year of my undergraduate degree, I started work- ing with them. It did not take much to fall in love with this species.”
After 32 years, are pigs are still fascinating for you? “Yes, definitely. The industry has changed so much and that keeps it interesting. Of course, there has been a large amount of change with diseases and animal welfare, especially around the year 2000, when the breeding companies introduced the hyperprolific sows. That has meant a lot of challenges for producers and a lot of research questions to answer. That still continues and is currently the main focus of my research area.”
Do you feel the outlook is good for Brazil’s swine business in the next few years? “Definitely. We have an outstanding position in the world and we are free from many diseases. This is very important for export and to grow production.”
▶PIG PROGRESS | Volume 36, No. 7, 2020 15
PHOTOS: VINCENT TER BEEK
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