| Universiti Putra Malaysia

UPM, APQA of South Korea collaborate in the examination of agricultural products

By Noraida Ahmad Zaimi

Photo by Marina Ismail

SERDANG, Dec 10 – The Institute of Bioscience (IBS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA), South Korea, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in quarantine inspection of the agricultural products, livestock, dairy and forestry products.

The cooperation is intended to strengthen the research collaboration in the field of prevention and control of various animal diseases of global interest through joint research and exchange of expertise, ideas and innovation between both parties.

Director of IBS, UPM, Prof. Dr. Abdul Rahman Omar, said that following the success of UPM in implementing the collaboration project with APQA in 2016-2018, APQA intends to expand research collaboration with IBS, UPM.

“This collaboration will also intensify the exchange activities of staff and postgraduate students, joint research grant application, research materials exchange, and joint publication”, he said.

Also present were the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), UPM, Prof. Dr. Zulkifli Idrus, APQA Director General, Yong An, APQA Veterinary Researcher, Salmonellosis OIE Expert, Dr. Min-Su Kang, and APQA Veterinary Researcher, Dr. So-Youn Youn.

APQA is a government agency in South Korea that is responsible in implementing policies in the agriculture sector in general, as well as enforcing the quarantine inspection of the agricultural products, livestock, dairy products, forestry products, and establishing prevention measures through the implementation of quarantine.

APQA is recognised as the OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis in 2009, Newcastle Disease in 2010, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Rabies in 2012, Japanese Encephalitis in 2013, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in 2016, and Salmonellosis in 2018. - UPM

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