Purdue News

March 10, 2000 IQ+Beef training program offered via satellite WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Producers, veterinarians and trainers have the opportunity to become certified in the Indiana Quality Plus Beef program, also known as IQ+Beef, during a training session to be offered via satellite from 7 to 10 p.m. March 30 at various locations around the state. According to W. Mark Hilton, doctor of veterinary medicine at Purdue University, the IQ+Beef program was developed last summer and has proved both successful and profitable for those who have become involved. "We launched the IQ+Beef program eight months ago, and its success has exceeded our expectations," Hilton said. "We have trained over 150 producers, 60 trainers and 45 veterinarians. Our goal was to sell 1,000 IQ+Beef-certified tags to certified veterinarians in the first year, and we have already sold nearly 5,000 tags in the first eight months." This training session will allow producers and veterinarians the opportunity to become IQ+Beef certified, which means they must comply with specific program criteria. The program establishes guidelines for producers concerning vaccinations, weaning, castration and dehorning. Veterinarians also must become certified if they want to be able to verify that producers have met all of the specific IQ+Beef requirements. "Producers are earning premium prices for cattle that have passed through the IQ+Beef program," Hilton said. "We want to get as many people involved as possible so that they can reap the benefits of enrollment in this program." Downlink sites for the March 30 training session are: County Location Adams 313 W. Jefferson St., Suite 213, Decatur Bartholomew 1971 State St., Columbus Clark Suite 1, 9608 State Road 62, Charlestown Greene State Road 54 W., Bloomfield Hamilton 2003 E. Pleasant St., Noblesville Lake 2293 N. Main St., Crown Point Marshall 304 Marshall County Building, Plymouth Orange 205 E. Main St., Paoli Porter 155 Indiana Ave., Suite 301, Petersburg Putnam 205 E. Market St., Cloverdale Ripley 525 W. Beech St., Osgood Tippecanoe Purdue Stewart Center Tipton 101 E. Jefferson St., Tipton Vigo 275 Ohio St., Terre Haute The program, created by the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association, Indiana Beef Cattle Association and the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, is designed to reduce risk and health problems while improving profitability for cow-calf producers and cattle feeders. CONTACT: Hilton, (765) 494-8559, wmh@vet.purdue.edu Compiled by Beth Forbes, (765) 494-2722, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page