Certification Courses in Spanish and English Offered
US - The University of Minnesota Swine Team, in partnership with the Minnesota Pork Board, will be offering a special Spanish-language session for both Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) and Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) trainings and certification on 9 March at the Heintz Center located on the Rochester Community Technical College campus in Rochester, Minnesota.
The PQA+ program will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, while the TQA program will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Spanish sessions will be held in room HB 113, while English sessions will be held in room HA 102.
The PQA+ training sessions will certify adults in that program, covering ten on-farm good production practices that affect pork quality, while also discussing the current issues affecting animal welfare and describing the PQA+ site assessment process. The TQA training sessions educate individuals in pig behavior, animal handling and transport, and involve passing an open-book exam for certification. Both programs are being required by most hog packers, and certification lasts for 3 years.
There is no cost to attend any of the sessions, but pre-registration is requested.
The impact of mycotoxins — through losses in commodity quality and livestock health — exceeds $1.4 billion in the United States alone, according to the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. This guide includes:
- An overview of different types of mycotoxins
- Understanding of the effects of mycotoxicoses in swine
- Instructions on how to analyze mycotoxin content in commodities and feeds
- Innovative ways of combatting mycotoxins and their effects
