If you are a cattle producer in Northeast Georgia, there is an excellent opportunity for you coming on June 18th. A FREE Beef Quality Assurance Certification class is being sponsored by the Northeast Georgia Cattlemen. The session will begin at 6:00, and last until 8:00 PM. During the session, UGA Extension Specialist Jason Duggin will teach you everything you need to know to become BQA certified at the program. Upon completion of the course, there will be a short written test. Upon completion, participants will be issued a certificate and BQA Certification number. The cost of the certification is normally $25, but will be offered FREE thanks to UGA Extension and your local cattlemen! Participants have the option of eating dinner for $7.00 per person. There will also be an optional notebook available for purchase for $10 at the program. The certification is good for 3 years.
So why should you get certified? The BQA guidelines are designed to make certain all beef consumers can take pride in what they purchase. BQA Certification builds trust and confidence in the entire beef industry, as well as adding value to your locally grown product. BQA programs have evolved to include best practices focused around good record keeping and protecting herd health.
Implementing BQA practices can result in more profits for producers. When better quality cows leave the farm and reach the market place, the producer, packer, and consumer all benefit. When better quality beef reaches the supermarket, consumers are more confident in the beef they are buying, and this increases beef consumption. The efforts of BQA across the nation have been instrumental in the recent successes that continue to re-build and sustain beef demand. Through BQA programs, producers recognize the economic value of committing to quality beef production at every level. Every level is not just at the feedlot or packing plant, but within every segment of the cattle industry, including here on the farm in Northeast Georgia.
The Georgia BQA Program is a joint effort of the Northeast Georgia Cattlemen, Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, Georgia Beef Board, and the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. The guiding principles of BQA are based on these core beliefs: WE BELIEVE production practices affect consumer acceptance of beef. WE BELIEVE the BQA Program has and must continue to empower beef producers to improve the safety and wholesomeness of beef. WE BELIEVE these fundamental principles are the fabric of the BQA Program. Empowering people…because producers can make a difference. Taking responsibility…because it’s our job, not someone else’s. Working together…because product safety and wholesomeness is everyone’s business.
For more information contact your local UGA Extension Office at 706 754-2318 or 706 865-2832. You can also learn more about BQA and livestock by joining our local Northeast Georgia Cattlemen. The group normally meets on the 3rd Thursday at 7:00 PM at the North Georgia Technical College Cafeteria Annex. In May, we’ll be in the hay field enjoying the bumper crop of cool season forages the spring rains have helped bring. We hope to see not just our membership, but anyone interested in beef production at the meeting in June! Help spread the word!
