11/16/06 WSU Beef Quality Assurance

WSU Beef Quality Assurance A Western Regional Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is being developed. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back after this with some comments. Washington State University Extension and Department of Animal Sciences along with other land grant universities and the Washington Cattlemen's Association, Washington Cattle Feeders Association, and Washington Beef Commission is developing A Western Regional Beef Quality Assurance program. The program will be patterned after the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Beef Quality Assurance guidelines with emphasis on production standards relevant to the western states. These guidelines include proper vaccination techniques, handling procedures, feeding recommendations, and other health related objectives. The production of high quality, wholesome beef products is every beef producers business. It is the right way to produce beef and it could provide new marketing opportunities. WSU already has a cow/calf production certifiable BQA pilot program operating in Whitman County, Washington and is planning a feedlot pilot program for this November. Within a year WSU and other partners hope to have a Washington BQA manual for use at educational training sessions. The Western Regional BQA should be completed soon after that. It looks to me like the records and identification needed for this program would overlap guidelines for the National Animal Identification System proposed by the USDA. I'm Jeff Keane. Ketch Pen November 2006