Agricultural News
BQA Program Highly Regarded as Producers' Most Important Tool to Ensure Quality Beef Production
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 12:51:15 CDT
As Vice President of Production for Certified Angus Beef, Mark McCully, understands that in order to produce the best, high-quality beef - producers have to raise their cattle responsibly. He contends responsibly raised beef is not only more appealing to consumers, it also increases their trust in the product itself as well as the industry. To ensure this level of quality is maintained throughout the industry, McCully says the Beef Quality Assurance program is both a useful tool to help producers accomplish this and often something he points to when interacting with consumers to show them evidence of the industry's quality production practices.
"We do so many good things - stewardship and care of the animals, care of the land. That's engrained in what we do in cattle production, but the Beef Quality Assurance program really helps put a stamp on that," he said, adding that participants of the program can always continue to build on their care and handling skills and refresh their knowledge by staying actively engaged. "We can always learn. There's always reminders and refreshers or maybe first-time trainings. Because, there's probably always some areas we can look at in improving spots in our operation."
BQA has been so successful in fact, that it is widely being considered standard practice in the industry to become certified under the program. Based on the response from consumers who find the program reassuring, packers have actually been insistent in many cases that their suppliers become certified. McCully says the impact that the program has had is a real success story for the beef industry and strongly encourages any producer out there that has not yet been certified themselves, to do so.
"It's a program that's been built by cattlemen for cattlemen, that's the system they're adopting and we've seen a tremendous improvement in the overall quality of beef. So, I think that's a really exciting success story," he said. "It's a great thing for us to point to as a brand and really highlight the great work cattlemen are doing."
Listen to McCully speak more about the benefits of the BQA program, with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, on today's Beef Buzz - brought to you by the American Angus Association. America's breed.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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