First BQA Producers' Forum Convened
Forum reviews history and goals of BQA Program and looks to the future of producer education within new committee structure.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 5, 2014) — The first-ever Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Producer Forum was convened Feb. 5 during the 2014 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn. BQA is a nationally coordinated, state-implemented program that provides systematic information to U.S. beef producers and consumers about how scientific knowledge and commonsense husbandry practices can be applied to cattle production.
“BQA is not about regulation. We provide education and guidelines,” said Oklahoma veterinarian Bob Smith, a member of the national BQA Advisory Board.
“We are outcome-based,” added Smith. “It’s interesting that foreign countries that try to regulate every step of production don’t have outcomes as good as here, in this country.”
Fellow veterinarians and advisory board members Dee Griffin of Nebraska and John Maas of California also helped review the history and goals of BQA. They explained how BQA has evolved into a program of sound, science-based production practices aimed at improving consumer satisfaction and confidence, and enhancing marketing opportunities for beef. Proactive producers trained and certified in BQA keep detailed records to assure that their management and husbandry practices meet regulatory and industry standards.
Much of the forum’s question-and-answer session focused on how cattle feeders can respond if beef packers call for audits of suppliers. Griffin said BQA feedlot assessment guidelines could be obtained from state BQA coordinators or accessed through www.bqa.org, and third-party assessments may be conducted by local veterinarians or state cattle association and university personnel.
In response to questions about this hastily scheduled forum, John Maas, who chairs the BQA Advisory Board, explained that it was created in the wake of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) committee restructuring and elimination of the Joint Producer Education Committee.
“I think that committee was valuable, and others seem to think so too,” Maas said, encouraging producers in agreement to get involved trying to “reinvent” an avenue by which producers readily provide input, not just to the BQA program, but to all producer education efforts.
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