Beef Quality Assurance
Mississippi Beef Quality Assurance Program (MS-BQA)
Beef Quality Assurance is a national program that provides guidelines for beef cattle production. The program raises consumer confidence through offering proper management techniques and a commitment to quality within every segment of the beef industry.
Producers have embraced BQA because it is the right thing to do; but they have also gained through increased profitability. As an educating program, BQA helps producers identify management processes that can be improved.
The Mississippi Beef Quality Assurance (MS-BQA) Program identifies areas in beef production where defects in quality occur. The MS-BQA Program is a cooperative effort between beef producers, veterinarians, nutritionists, and professionals from the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, MSU Extension Service, and MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, who believe that cattle managed under BQA guidelines will be less likely to contain a violative residue, injection-site tissue damage, or foreign metal such as a broken needle. The program asks everyone involved with beef production to follow the FDA/USDA/EPA guidelines for product use and to use common sense, reasonable management skills, and accepted scientific knowledge to avoid product defects at the consumer level. After all, consumers purchase what they trust, and their confidence is the basis of our industry’s and our children’s future.
For more information on the National BQA Program
Beef Quality Assurance Trainings Scheduled
Several face to face BQA trainings are schduled will be scheduled for this spring throughout the state.
- Thursday April 19, 2018—Carroll/Leflore/Montgomery County at McEarney’s Restaurant, McCarley, MS
- Tuesday May 1, 2018—Lafayette County at Lafayette County Extension Office, Oxford, MS
- Thursday May 17, 2018—Webster/Choctaw Eupora, MS
A certification fee of $15 is required and includes manual, vaccine cooler, and bumper sticker.Certifications begin at 6:30 p.m.
Pre-registration: MSU Extension 662-325-3516 or mquinn@ads.msstate.edu.
National Beef Quality Assurance Guide for Cattle Transporters
Online training video and a downloadable guide are available for the Master Cattle Transporter Program.
Master Cattle Transporter Training
Mississippi Livestock Quality Assurance Program for Youth Producers
The purpose of the Mississippi Livestock Quality Assurance Program for Youth Producers is to increase food safety awareness by educating youth producers of their role in this process and the importance of raising their livestock in an appropriate manner. By following a quality assurance program, youth can improve their animal care and management practices in order for their animal to achieve its highest level of performance while providing a safe, wholesome product for consumers.
Mississippi Livestock Quality Assurance Program for Youth Producers Publication
MS-BQA Coordinators
For more information about the MS-BQA program, contact:
Carla Huston, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Mailstop 9825
R1128B Wise Center
Mississippi State, MS 39762
662-325-1183 (office)
662-325-4548 (fax)
huston@cvm.msstate.edu
Brandi Karisch, Ph.D.
Box 9815, Room 4010 Wise Center
Mississippi State, MS 39762
662-325-7465 (office)
662-325-8873 (fax)
brandi.karisch@msstate.edu
Publications
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture will accept applications for assistance from agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19.Sign-up for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 -- CFAP 2 -- begins Sept. 21 and runs through Dec. 11, 2020. The program is open to producers of row crops, livestock, aquaculture, dairy and specialty crop commodities.
Grilled kabobs just shout summertime! The best part about kabobs is getting to choose your favorite vegetables to include. This traditional take on kabobs includes potatoes and zucchini. But you could easily add other veggies, including mushrooms or peppers.
You may be thinking, “Potatoes?! I’ll burn up my steak before the potatoes are done!” Never fear! You will microwave the potatoes before grilling to be sure they’re properly cooked!
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Food supplies in the U.S. are abundant and safe, despite some challenges in packaging and distribution related to COVID-19.
Robert Johannson, chief economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, acknowledged “widespread worries that the disease could threaten the nation’s food production and supply systems and stoke inflation” in a statement issued April 16.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host a free webinar to discuss the impact of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, on cattle markets March 26 at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time.
Agricultural economists Josh Maples of MSU and Derrell Peel of Oklahoma State University Extension will discuss the current situation and answer questions submitted by participants.
Success Stories
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On his Rolling Fork farm, Bill Rutherford is living the life he dreamed of as a child. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)
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