The Pork Quality Assurance® Plus, or PQA Plus®, program helps pig farmers and their employees continually improve animal care practices. Illinois pork producer Paul Ayers says the industry reevaluates the PQA program every three years to ensure it stays relevant, science-based, and aligned with the evolving needs of producers and consumers alike. The latest version was released earlier this summer.
More than 55,000 industry professionals are PQA certified, and this unified program allows state and national pork associations to successfully share data-driven insights and build trust in the industry’s pig-raising practices.
PQA Plus is an example of the commitment that swine producers have to keep improving their production practices. The program answers the consumer’s request for significant and relevant food safety standards and improved animal welfare. Producers must be at least 14 years of age before they can complete PQA Plus training. Any producers under the age of 14 can complete the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals training found at yqcaprogram.org.
