Contact: Tyler Bettin, State Public Policy Director
(800) 372-7675, tbettin@iowapork.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!
(CLIVE, Iowa) — The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) is partnering with the Iowa Pork Industry Center and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to offer free Pork Quality Assurance Plus® (PQA Plus®) and Transport Quality Assurance® (TQA®) programs for Iowa hog farmers.
Special quality assurance training sessions will be hosted at the 2016 World Pork Expo on Wednesday, June 8, and Thursday, June 9. All sessions will be hosted in room A-2 of the Varied Industries Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Interested individuals should pre-register by contacting IPPA at (515) 225-7675 or bmeyer@iowapork.org. Session details are as follows:
Wednesday, June 8
PQA Plus – 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
TQA – 9:30 a.m. – Noon
Thursday, June 9
PQA Plus – 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Additionally, Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) and Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) training sessions will be offered in each of the eight IPPA districts throughout the summer.
District 1
Thursday, July 21
Sioux County Extension & Outreach
400 Central Ave. NW Ste. 700
Orange City
District 2
Tuesday, August 23
Humboldt County Extension & Outreach
727 Sumner Ave.
Humboldt
District 3
Thursday, August 25
North Iowa Area Community College
203 Brantingham St, Room 108
Charles City
District 4
Tuesday, August 9
Delaware County Extension & Outreach
1417 N. Franklin St.
Manchester
District 5
Monday, June 27
Cass County Extension & Outreach
805 West 10th St.
Atlantic
District 6
See World Pork Expo special sessions
District 7
Tuesday, August 9
Mahaska County Extension & Outreach
212 N. I St.
Oskaloosa
District 8
Thursday, August 11
Johnson County Extension & Outreach
3109 Old Hwy. 218 S.
Iowa City
All district locations offer TQA from 9:30 a.m. to noon and PQA Plus from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. All sessions are sponsored by IPPA and the Pork Checkoff. Producers are encouraged to pre-register to allow adequate space and materials. To pre-register or for more information, contact IPPA at (515) 225-7675 or e-mail bmeyer@iowapork.org.
PQA Plus and TQA are part of the industry-aligned We Care responsible pork initiative, which establishes ethical principles for pork producers to produce safe food, protect and promote animal well-being, protect public health, safeguard natural resources, provide a safe work environment and contribute to a better quality of life in their communities.
“Pork producers, their employees and pig transporters continue to show their dedication to continuous industry improvement through certification in PQA Plus and TQA,” said IPPA President Al Wulfekuhle. “These programs, along with the We Care initiative, continue to show our customers the strong commitment we have to food safety and animal care.”
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