Updated Beef Quality Assurance National Manual Now Available

Dec 30, 2024

NCBA, a contractor to the beef checkoff, has announced the release of the updated Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) National Manual. The manual is a resource for science-based cattle production information and is available here.

“BQA empowers beef producers to maximize their potential to make the most efficient and responsible use of natural resources by effectively producing one of the world’s most nutritious and flavorful sources of protein,” said Clay Mathis, BQA Advisory Group chair and head of the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. “This manual helps drive improvement across the supply chain through adherence to best management practices.”

The publication aims to provide technical information to help producers raise high-quality cattle that produce the wholesome beef consumers demand. It was developed to set production standards for beef quality and safety that are appropriate to an operation and that producers realistically can meet or exceed. In addition to being available online, the manual also is shared at the grassroots level through BQA state coordinators.

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Video: Managing Severe PRRS Outbreaks - Dr. Claire Mtezankuni

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Claire Mtezankuni, Swine Veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Service, discusses the growing severity of PRRS outbreaks in sow farms. She explains how respiratory disease and sow mortality are changing outbreak response, why necropsies and bacterial cultures can guide treatment, and how vaccination, biosecurity, pain management, and clear team communication support recovery and elimination. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Emerging PRRS strains can produce severe reproductive and respiratory disease simultaneously, creating substantial health challenges across sow farms during acute outbreaks.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Claire Mtezankuni / claire-mtezankuni-2529b1b3 is a Swine Veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Service in Illinois, where her work includes commercial farm veterinary leadership, herd health, disease elimination, and veterinary internship coordination. She holds a DVM from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master of Veterinary Science in Livestock Systems Health from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Learn more from Dr. Claire Mtezankuni on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.