By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A group of Michigan State University (MSU) veterinarians are helping Iraqi farmers and veterinarians rebuild the country’s livestock food industry and educate its producers.

Iraq’s animal husbandry sector has been devastated for more than 30 years by drought, wars and isolation. In 1980, there were 44 percent more sheep, 86 percent more camels, 11 percent more cattle and 20 percent more buffalo in Iraq than there are today, according to the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS).
Funded by the USDA, MSU is working with two Iraqi associations – the Iraqi Red Meats Association and the Iraqi Veterinary Medical Syndicate – to educate farmers and veterinarians about best practices in animal husbandry, veterinary medicine and other related topics. The Iraqi Red Meats Association is a nongovernmental organization seeking to develop, organize and safeguard activities in regard to red meat production. The Iraqi Veterinary Medical Syndicate is a nationally-organized professional veterinary organization in Iraq.
MSU’s team is lead by Robert Malinowski, acting director of the Information Technology Center in MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Other members include Ann Rashmir, an associate professor with the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Will Raphael from the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Much of Iraq is in disarray, and its people are in desperate need to rebuild their infrastructure,” Malinowski said. “While most people think of roads, sewers and communications when it comes to infrastructure, what is equally important is a vibrant livestock food and animal science industry.

“There are so many issues over there,” he said. “This is an opportunity for us to leverage the university’s resources and do something useful and productive for another country.”

Two Saturdays per month, experts provided by MSU connect with representatives from the Iraqi groups in Baghdad via videoconferencing technology for two-hour sessions. Topics range from animal nutrition and diseases, modern breeding techniques, recordkeeping and animal marketing, drug selection and other farm management topics.

Malinowski said the team of experts prepare their presentations in advance and send them to Iraq for translation. During the Saturday sessions, the Iraqi group watches the video presentation, discusses the information and then connects with officials at MSU by videoconference.

“During that time, we have live discussion and a time for questions and answers,” Malinowski said. “They have a chance to converse with the content experts.”

Malinowski said in addition to experts from MSU, the team has incorporated people from across the country in its efforts.
“We have the best of the best in topic areas from around the country that are contributing to the effort,” he said.

Rashmir said the project is an important example of MSU’s global outreach. Because of the program, she said three Iraqi veterinarians have visited MSU and have helped the team better understand the situation in Iraq, which, in turn, helps them better address the country’s educational needs.
“We have the knowledge and resources to help a country rebuild, improve the welfare of its animals and its people,” she said. “We have learned things about what was happening to them, to their animals and to agriculture in their country.

“A lot of our students have shown interest in the program. It’s a great opportunity,” she said.

The project, which began in September 2010, was initially funded for 12 months, and Malinowski said he hopes to secure a six-month extension.
“We’re really helping to move an entire population forward, to help them improve their quality of life,” Malinowski said. “It feels good that MSU is so far reaching and we can make the impact in a country that is several thousand miles away.”