Farmscape for June 27, 2013

The National Pork Board is confident a new testing component of the PQA Plus program will help ensure U.S. pork producers are fully aware of their responsibilities under the program.
Just under 59 thousand U.S. pork producers and their employees representing 75 percent of U.S. pig production, have been certified under the PQA Plus program.
In order to ensure producers are fully aware of the key components of the program the National Pork Board has introduced a new test which must be passed for a producer to be recertified.
Bill Winkelman, the vice president producer industry relations with the National Pork Board says, the change is in response to packer requests for a testing component introduced into PQA Plus.

Clip-Bill Winkelman-National Pork Board:
The testing goes over all ten good production practices but the testing is heavily weighted towards the two pieces of the program that have always been the bell weathers or the most important components which are really around animal handling, animal welfare as well as the pork safety component, so making sure we're doing the right things on the farm to make sure that the pork that is produced is safe for consumption.
Those are still the primary areas but we test over all ten of the good production practices.
When the producer takes the test for the first time it's an open book test so you have your manual that you received during the training with you.
You can actually take the test up to three times.
If you don't pass within those three times and you can miss up to three of the 25 questions, then you'll actually have to come back with your advisor again and go through the education component again to retake the test.

Winkelman notes producers who have previously been certified under the PQA Plus program can now be re-certified on line for the first time.
He says those previously certified can reach out to their PQA plus advisor, be directed to a web site to review updated educational material, take the test and become recertified under the program.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council