Veterinary leaders launch agro-security conference

Fargo, N.D. - 1/7/08 - International animal agriculture security is the topic of a new conference being promoted by North Dakota State University (NDSU) and sponsored by the Extension Disaster Education Network.

Beyond Borders kicks off June 4-6, 2008, at the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D. The conference's focus will explore what would happen in the event of a disease outbreak involving an international border, says Dr. Charlie Stoltenow, conference official and extension veterinarian with NDSU's Department of Animal and Range Sciences.

Speakers include producers, commodity representatives as well as industry, federal provincial and state officials. Stoltenow confirms the following presenters: Dr. John Clifford, deputy administrator of the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Dr. Francine Lord, deputy chief veterinary officer for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; Dr. Paul Kitching, director of Canada's National Center for Foreign Animal Diseases; Dr. Elizabeth Lautner, director of the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

For more information, contact Lisa Pederson, conference coordinator, at lisa.pederson@ndsu.edu.