ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — From now through Nov. 20, producers and those affiliated with the cattle industry can take advantage of free Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) online certification at www.BIVI-BQA.com. This opportunity is possible through a partnership between Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) and the check-off funded BQA program.

BQA helps increase consumer confidence in the beef industry by demonstrating that the industry responsibly raises a safe, wholesome and healthy beef supply. Now is a critical time to reinforce industry best practices for cattle production, as consumers are more interested than ever in where their food comes from.

“We recently asked consumers in a major metropolitan area questions about beef production, and they overwhelmingly wanted greater transparency and more information about how we are treating animals,” said Dr. Scott King, director of marketing for the U.S. Cattle Business Segment at BIVI. “BQA certification gives producers an opportunity to talk about their commitment to raising a better quality product.”

“Consumers care about where their food comes from and we need to give them that information,” agreed Scott Niess, a cow-calf producer and feedlot operator in northern Iowa who serves on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association federation board of directors. “There are a lot of protein choices and I believe that if we as producers become BQA certified we will give consumers confidence that our beef products are high quality and nutritious, and that our animals are treated and processed well.”

All segments of the industry can benefit from becoming BQA certified, including producers from cow-calf, dairy, stocker and feedlot operations, and anyone affiliated with those segments. With an overall focus on animal handling and disease treatment and prevention, online certification modules are customized to meet each segment’s needs.

More than 22,000 have enrolled in the BQA free certification program since BIVI partnered with BQA in 2013 — an impressive number that reflects both beef and dairy producers’ commitment to producing a quality beef product.