The 2026 Congress theme, ‘Gearing Up: Animal Science and Beyond’, reflected the dynamic interconnections between animal science and the broader agricultural landscape. Like gears in a complex system, animal scientists drive progress through advances in nutrition, genetics, reproduction, physiology, health, and product science – each cog turning in harmony with others across the agricultural value chain.
The Congress invited participants to explore how animal science interfaces with allied disciplines and emerging technologies, to strengthen the links between research, production, policy, and society.
Professor Mizeck Chagunda, Director of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) was in attendance, and in alignment with the Congress objective, CTLGH reinforced its institutional mission to build scientific capacity and break down silos, directly translating complex livestock genetics into practical economic efficiencies for smallholder systems.
As a Keynote Speaker, Professor Chagunda presented ‘Innovative genomic solutions to define genotypes for disease resistance, adaptation resilience and enteric methane emissions’.
Professor Chagunda’s insights directly addressed the event’s theme ‘Gearing Up: Animal Science and Beyond’ and demonstrated how advanced data science and genetics can build livestock herds capable of resisting disease and adapting to changing environments and reducing environmental footprints.
Key sessions focused on molecular technologies, featuring cutting-edge regional studies like long-read sequencing in Bonsmara cattle and the Nguni cattle microbiome to support more resilient animal production systems.
The congress also recognised youth and academic excellence, featuring the annual Veeplaas/Stockfarm Animal Science Student Quiz, where Stellenbosch University celebrated success as the 2026 champions, followed closely by the University of Pretoria and North-West University.