BIVI will pick up the $25 to $50 certification fee for beef or dairy producers who are interested in becoming certified or recertified during this period. Visit the BQA website to take advantage of the open certification period.

The BQA program is important to the cattle industry because it gives producers a set of best practices for producing a safe and high quality beef product. And for dairy producers, this offering is also beneficial as a large percentage of dairy calves and market cows make their way into the food chain.

The BQA certification modules are customized to fit the specific needs of each segment of the cattle industry – cow-calf, stocker, feed yard and dairy operations. The program covers best management practices such as proper handling and administration of vaccinations and other products, eliminating injection site blemishes and better cattle-handling principles.

“One of the challenges that beef producers face is having all of their employees become BQA certified,” says Dr. Jerry Woodruff, professional services veterinarian with BIVI. “Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica’s partnership with BQA helps offset some of those expenses, and we encourage producers and their employees to use the web-based training programs.”

More than 11,000 producers have taken advantage of BIVI’s BQA certification partnership. BIVI’s partnership also includes financial support of the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University, which developed the certification module.  

—From Cattlemen's Beef Board news release