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November 3, 2005 NDSU 1st University in U.S. to Receive Cattle Process Verified Program Status The North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association’s (NDBCIA) CalfAID program has been certified by the USDA as a process verified program (PVP). The announcement means that the NDBCIA, through the CalfAID, program provides the verification of source and age of cattle. The North Dakota State University Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC) was the lead agency in the application. The USDA approval of the CalfAID program makes NDSU the first university in the U.S. to receive PVP status. “The process has taken nearly two years and involved a team of dedicated individuals and partners along the way,” says Kris Ringwall, DREC director. “Throughout the period, we have had a tremendous amount of interaction with beef producers and industry professionals as we worked toward this goal. The DREC, the NDBCIA and Dickinson State University collaborated in developing the CalfAID program.” Ringwall says CalfAID is one program that may give producers an opportunity to recapture some of their lost markets. Along with providing producers with detailed performance records and traceback information, feedlot and carcass data also may be part of the effort. “This is huge for beef producers,” Ringwall says. Ringwall also is executive secretary of the NDBCIA, which is one of the partners in the consortium that developed the CalfAID program. “As the beef business moves forward, beef animals that are part of the CalfAID program will be age and source verified. Knowledge of age and source is the foundation for process verification.” The USDA approved the CalfAID PVP following an on-site audit by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. “The Audit Review Compliance branch of the USDA has set forth procedures that can be logically followed to allow for the approval through the USDA’s process verified program,” Ringwall says. “The end result is a solid, defined program that meets the industry’s need to provide source and age verification of beef calves.” Ringwall says. In granting PVP approval, CalfAID was given authority to use the USDA PVP shield in its marketing efforts. CalfAID has consistently listed three points as part of its program:
“The big winners are consumers and beef producers,” Ringwall says. “Calves that are verified as part of the CalfAID program will carry with them a history of their conception, birth and origin.” Ringwall called the designation by the USDA “an anchor for producers and the CalfAID program. The designation from the USDA means CalfAID has a process to source and age verify calves that will enter the marketing stream on an annual basis. The bottom line is that producers now have an avenue for third-party verification of their annual calf production.” The PVP designation for CalfAID means cattle producers may be able to gain access to international markets. International demand for U.S. beef declined following the BSE case in December 2003. “The value of the PVP designation is unclear at this time, but CalfAID does make it possible to verify the age of animals that may enter the export market,” Ringwall says. The program is open to all beef producers in North Dakota and other states that follow the CalfAID protocol. The direct economic advantages to producers who are part of the CalfAID program could be tremendous. Indirect impacts to rural areas also could be large. Cost of the program is $5 per animal. The $5 includes the cost of the tag, the records processing and data management, and traceback efforts. The CalfAID program is designed to provide producers with a low-cost alternative to identification, data management and post-weaning traceback. Producers who want to be part of the CalfAID program need to have an up-to-date calving record book. Individuals wanting more information about the program should contact the NDBCIA at (701) 483-2045 or e-mail chaps@ndsuext.nodak.edu. ### Source:
Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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North Dakota State University |
