The Iowa Pork Industry Center and Iowa State University Extension are teaming up to provide training for pork producers and others who need certification in the Pork Quality Assurance Plus program.

One session is Feb. 16 in Cedar County in eastern Iowa at the Cedar County Extension office, 107 Cedar St., in Tipton, and will be taught by ISU Extension swine specialist Tom Miller.

“This PQA Plus session will begin at 1:30 p.m.,” says Joyce Coppess, Cedar County Extension director. “Anyone who plans to attend should let us know as soon as possible to ensure we have adequate materials for everyone.” 

Cost for this certification program is $25 per person, payable at the door. To preregister, contact Cedar County Extension office at 563-886-6157.

Check the IPIC online calendar for this and other producer educational opportunities. To learn more about PQA Plus, see the National Pork Board website.

PQA Plus 3.0 Advisor Certification Session
In addition to training hog producers, the Iowa Pork Industry Center also helps “train the trainers.” IPIC at ISU continues to work with industry professionals in offering Pork Quality Assurance Plus 3.0 adviser certification opportunities. A session will be Feb. 13 at Ames.

ISU Extension swine veterinarian Chris Rademacher reminds potential applicants that attendance at this all-day session and passage of an exam at the end of the session is required for certification.

“Everyone who wants to attend needs to complete the two-page application form and be approved in order to attend this session,” he says. “Application deadline is Feb. 2, so I encourage people to submit their application soon to ensure receipt in time for approval and payment.”

Application deadline Feb. 2

Rademacher is coordinating the Feb. 13 session, to be held at the Hansen Ag Student Learning Center on the ISU campus. There is a 15-person minimum with application deadline of Feb. 2 or when a 30-person maximum is reached. No walk-ins are allowed, and no individual spot is guaranteed until the application is approved and specific payment is accepted by IPIC.

Cost is $75 per person and includes all materials, refreshments and a noon meal. Registration is 8:30 a.m., instruction begins at 9 a.m.

Rademacher says veterinarians who plan to attend the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association Winter Conference in Altoona on Feb. 14-15 and want to start or continue their PQA Plus certification are encouraged to consider this Feb. 13 training session opportunity just prior to the Altoona meeting.

Those folks who qualify and are interested in the PQA program should download the application form from the IPIC website, then complete and submit it soon. The form is available as both a fillable pdf document and a word document. Applicants may use either version. The Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine has approved seven hours of continuing education credit for the Feb. 13 PQA adviser training session.

Who must meet these qualifications?
To be eligible to submit an application or recertify as a current adviser, people must meet all three of the following qualifications:

• be a veterinarian, Extension specialist or ag educator (defined for this program as a person who spends full time in adult education or at least half time in production training)

• have a DVM or bachelor’s degree in animal science (or equivalent)

• have two years of recent documentable swine production experience

Source: Iowa State University