Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist, offers herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Peel, Mark Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Johnson talks about the Beef Quality Assurance Program.
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a nationally coordinated, state-implemented program that provides systematic information to U.S. beef producers and beef consumers of how common-sense animal husbandry techniques can be coupled with scientific knowledge to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA guidelines are designed to make certain all beef consumers have confidence in the entire beef industry. The BQA program is a producer-driven certification program designed to assure consumers that cattle from all industry segments (cow-calf, stocker, feedlot) are healthy, wholesome and have been produced under the best management practices in the cattle industry. When beef producers become BQA certified it sends a message to consumers that they are willing to take the management steps necessary to produce a quality product.
The BQA program is voluntary. There is no requirement for cow-calf or stocker operations to be certified unless they sell calves into a premium or branded program that includes BQA certification as a requirement. The Oklahoma Quality Beef Network (OQBN) does require producers to be BQA certified. Accordingly, while certification is not required for cow-calf or stocker operations, it can open the door to increased profit potential. Most packers require fed cattle they purchase be sourced from BQA-certified operations, not surprisingly, nearly all feedlots are BQA certified.
The newest version of the BQA program focuses on the following management areas:
- Behavior and Handling
- Biosecurity
- Herd Health Management
- Transportation
- Record Keeping
- Nutrition
- Environmental Quality Control Points
- Worker Safety
- Emergency Action Planning
Producers interested in becoming BQA certified have two options. The certifications process can be completed on-line at http://www.bqa.org where the process will include several modules followed by short quizzes. In-person certification is also available. The in-person training consists of a presentation followed by a short quiz. If you are interested in the in-person certification, contact your local OSU Extension office to find out when in-person certification is available in your area or visit the link below. Certification is valid for three years. At the end of three years, producers can re-certify by going through the same process as the initial certification. Dr Barry Whitworth is the Oklahoma BQA Coordinator. Dr Whitworth can be reached by email at barry.whitworth@okstate.edu.
Reference: Beef Quality Assurance Field Guide funded by the Beef Checkoff
