Youth Pork Quality Assurance Plus is just one part of the pork industry’s We Care initiative and consists of two main elements – food safety and animal well-being training. The National Pork Board wants young producers to earn the trust of consumers through transparency and training – which is why the board has now made online training, testing and certification available. Iowa State University’s Jodi Sterle says consumers are paying more and more attention to how animals are raised and cared for. Sterle says all producers must be prepared to assure they are aware of the best on-farm practices available – which is why it’s important for youth swine exhibitors to understand they are part of something bigger – the overall swine industry – producing food to feed the world. She says there’s a lot of pride that comes with producing food – and a lot of responsibility – but the Youth PQA Plus program helps young farmers be more aware of that personal responsibility – and the tools available to meet this responsibility. For more information on the program’s updates www.pork.org/certification.
Source: NAFB News Service
