Beef Quality Assurance training set for Oct. 14 in Albany
Free AgriLife Extension program to cover best beef production practices; certification offered
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host a Beef Quality Assurance, BQA, training on Oct. 14 at Collins Creek Ranch Cookshack, 173 County Road 185, Albany.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. with the program held from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided at noon.
The training is free, but preregistration is required. To register or learn more, contact Kelsey Bell, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Shackelford County, at [email protected] or 325-762-9435.
Participating producers can earn a BQA certification.
About BQA and the training
Beef Quality Assurance is a national program that informs U.S. beef producers on good husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge to raise cattle under optimum management conditions.
Producers must attend a BQA training to become certified, and certifications must be renewed every three years.
A BQA certification ensures producers’ commitment to food safety, cattle well-being and beef quality, instilling retail and consumer confidence in beef. Major beef packers require producers to have a BQA certification before buying cattle.
Ron Gill, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension specialist in Chico and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Animal Science, will lead the training on the following topics:
- Residue avoidance.
- Vaccine handling.
- Proper injection technique.
- Genetic selection.
- Environmental stewardship.
- Cattle handling and welfare.
