NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
September 2, 1999
North Dakota beef producers who want their calves to receive beef quality assurance certification must receive training by the end of the year, according to the program's coordinator.
"We've seen a lot of interest in the beef quality assurance program in North Dakota," says Lisa Lee, beef quality associate with the North Dakota State University Extension Service. "The beef producers here take pride in their product and they're interested in continuing that tradition."
Lee says more than two dozen one-day training sessions are being scheduled around the state beginning in October. To receive the certification for their calves in the year 2000, producers must attend a session by Jan. 1. Cost for the training will be $15.
The sessions will include information on management and herd health techniques that improve beef quality. Emphasis will be given to minimizing damage to beef cuts by giving injections ahead of the front shoulder.
"Most of the things we'll outline will not incur expenses. They simply require a change in thinking," Lee says.
Lee says the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program has been promoted on a national scale by the National Cattleman's Beef Association in response to declining customer demand for beef. Two beef quality audits in the last decade identified a series of beef quality problems that influenced consumer buying patterns.
Lee says cow-calf producers in Nebraska and the southwestern United States receive up to a $7 premium per calf for having it BQA certified. "Those kind of premiums aren't going to develop overnight here, but I believe we'll see a trend in that direction. Producers who chose not to have their cattle certified may eventually see their stock discounted."
For more information on the BQA program and for a schedule of training sessions, contact your county agent of the NDSU Extension Service or call Lee at (701) 328-5134.
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Source: Lisa Lee (701)328-5134
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629