A commitment to continuous learning is one thing that separates the best from the rest. And pork production is no exception. That’s why the National Pork Board launched PQA Plus Version 5.0 this summer – to provide producers an opportunity to continually improve and build on their knowledge base while setting the U.S. pork industry apart from its competitors.
The PQA Plus program serves as a reminder for experienced personnel while providing uniform basic training for new personnel on the critical elements for how to ensure the pork we produce is safe for consumers, and animal well-being is optimized, explains professor and Extension specialist Robert Knox of the University of Illinois.
Jan Archer, a North Carolina pig farmer and PQA Plus advisor, says Version 5.0 has a lot of perks to offer.
“I truly believe every version is an improvement over the previous one. This version is not only clearer and more concise, it’s significantly more interactive. The opportunity to talk, use critical thinking and interact with the program helps the students embrace and remember what they have learned,” Archer says.
An advisor for 13 years, Archer says the voluntary PQA Plus program, arguably the flagship certification program of the Pork Checkoff, provides proof of, and accountability to, the ethical principles pork producers follow. Because of the success of the program, most packers require PQA Plus certification from the farms that supply animals to them.
Although any adult can be certified in PQA Plus, it’s most often animal handlers and some office staff who go through certification, she adds. Participants can attend classes in person or online, followed by a 25-question test. A site assessment also takes place in which the farm itself undergoes a 93-point inspection. The certification for both the handler and the farm lasts for three years.
“It’s a great way to invest in staff and make sure all animal handlers are on the same page and have the same expectations,” Archer adds.
Why a New Version?
Each time a new version of PQA Plus is rolled out, work immediately begins on the next iteration. Archer says this makes the program dynamic and current.
“This 5.0 version has had a few tweaks to the site assessment (a definition of animal scratches for example), but the biggest change people will see is improved examples, better photography and clearer messaging,” she explains. “This version is clearer and more specific. As we are training handlers, it is important we provide clear, consistent direction and this version provides that.”
A task force of veterinarians, academics and producers worked together to make the science applicable to farms, Archer explains.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing we can do is create a program that is understandable to the people who are on the frontlines of animal care and producing a safe and healthy food supply,” Archer says.
Knox, a PQA Plus state trainer, has been involved in PQA Plus since version 1.0. He says version 5.0 has expanded to allow recertification for advisors for online. The previous version (4.0) was the first to allow online producer renewal training. Both were and are very helpful, he adds.
“The online materials are very good and interactive. The program is focused on food safety and animal well-being with additional education on worker safety, environment and resources to help with foreign animal disease monitoring,” Knox says.
For PQA Plus state trainer Tim Safranski, a professor and state swine Extension specialist at the University of Missouri, version 5.0 offers balanced training with clear ties to each of the six ethical principles, some lessons touching more than one of the principles.
The training is well designed with a version for first-time trainees, a general re-certification and the opportunity to focus the training to the audience. For example, if training is for caretakers working on sow farms versus finishers, it can have different emphasis.
Is It All Review?
Version 5.0 is a good review of why we treat our animals, people, environment and communities the way we do, Safranski says.
“I know most of you have been through PQA Plus training, and I recognize a lot of it is review. The opportunity to incorporate interactive portions into the training will help make this rewarding and help reinforce why we need to keep doing the right things as we work to provide safe, affordable and tasty protein for consumers,” Safranski says.
PQA Plus is a vital part of the U.S. pork industry. The program is envied by many other countries because it is a valuable program paid for by Pork Checkoff dollars that gives U.S. producers an impressive return on their investment, Archer says.
“That’s a result all farmers can appreciate,” she says. “It’s one way we can demonstrate our commitment to ‘walk the talk.’”
It is also a great tool for those people who ultimately sell U.S. pork whether at a restaurant or a grocery store, Archer adds.
“Being able to say a product is sourced from farms and people who have made the commitment to become PQA Plus certified helps to answer questions consumers have about how we treat and care for our animals. It’s also an important part of our export story. The U.S. PQA Plus program is one of the things that makes our pork sought after in the rest of the world,” she says.
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