Agricultural News
Oklahoma Beef Council Challenges Producers to Become BQA Certified
Thu, 25 Sep 2014 12:18:26 CDT
The Oklahoma Beef Council is challenging all Oklahoma beef and dairy producers to become certified through the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. For those who need to go through the program or need to become re-certified they can have the program paid for them. Oklahoma Beef Council Executive Director Heather Buckmaster said for the third year Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica will cover the cost of becoming BQA certified for producers who enroll before October 31st.
"Essentially what they are doing is they are picking up the $25 - $50 tab, a certification fee for beef and dairy producers who are interested in becoming certified and we encourage everybody to take advantage of this," Buckmaster said.
Farm Director Ron Hays of the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network talked with Buckmaster about BQA certification. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for the full interview.
Nearly 11 - thousand beef and dairy producers, educators, veterinarians, students and allied industry representatives became BQA certified this past winter. Buckmaster said the program has been designed to meet the needs of the individual. The BQA certification modules are customized to meet the needs of the specific producer whether they are a cow-calf producer, stocker-backgrounder, a feedyard operator or a dairy producer.
"I think it's very important that we are able to provide that information that is really relevant to that particular producer as far as producing safe wholesome beef," Buckmaster said.
Buckmaster said today more than ever our customers and our consumers are asking more questions about how the beef they feed their family was raised. That further reinforces the need for producers to become BQA certified.
"So this give us a wonderful opportunity to be able to document the education and the learning of the producers that we have here in Oklahoma," Buckmaster said.
Buckmaster said the BQA program is important to the cattle industry because it gives producers a set of best management practices producing a safe, high quality beef product and most important it allows us to document that training.
The first 30 Oklahoma beef producers that complete the online Cow-Calf BQA or Stocker-Background BQA program by September 30, 2014 will win a BQA gate sign.
Find more information on becoming BQA certified free of charge by clicking here.
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