Truckers who regularly deliver cattle directly to meat packers are invited to attend a free Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) training in Carroll to earn a beef transport certification. The class will be hosted at the Carroll County Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach office on Friday, Aug. 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and will cover a variety of topics, including cattle handling guidelines, best practices when loading and unloading, hot and cold weather factors, evaluating cattle prior to transport, biosecurity and much more. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2020, several major meat packers will begin requiring individuals bringing cattle to their facilities to have a BQA transportation certification. “Transportation quality assurance plays a critical role in the health and welfare of cattle,” says ISU Extension Beef Specialist, Beth Doran. “When a transporter has this certification, they demonstrate to the consumer that they are taking care to keep cattle as healthy and safe as possible.” Experts suggest the beef industry could save millions of dollars each year by using best practices in transportation. The training is offered at no cost thanks to funding from the Iowa Beef Industry Council, the Beef Checkoff, Tyson Foods and Cargill. However, preregistration is required as a meal will be provided to attendees at noon. Registrations are requested by Aug. 6, and contact information to do so can be found included with this story on our website.
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Ericka Lundy
Carroll County Extension office: 712-792-2364