Cattle production is one of Oregon’s leading agricultural commodities. To maintain market access and consumer confidence, beef producers must meet evolving standards for animal health, handling and traceability. The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, helps producers adopt best practices that support food safety, animal welfare and product quality.
The public benefits from safer, higher-quality beef and stronger disease preparedness across the supply chain.
BQA certification is now required by major beef packers for feedyards and cattle transporters. However, many producers in Oregon — especially small-scale and Spanish-speaking operations — have had limited access to training. In addition, the risk of foreign animal diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease, presents a serious threat to U.S. beef markets and could cause major disruptions to production and trade. The main source of funding for BQA is the Beef Checkoff, a national program established by the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985.
The Oregon State University Extension Service leads the BQA program in Oregon. To expand access, Extension faculty formed the Oregon BQA Team, which shifted the state’s previously centralized training model to a regional approach. The team offers workshops across the state, including bilingual certification opportunities. Extension partnered with Beef Northwest to deliver Spanish-language curriculum for feedlot workers and collaborated with Washington and Idaho Extension Services to align regional training efforts.
To further support producer preparedness, OSU Extension secured a $75,000 grant from the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center to lead a multi-state effort called "Mitigating Risks Toward a Secure Beef Supply in Western States." The project brings together Extension personnel, animal health officials and cattle producer organizations in Oregon, Idaho and California to prepare for disease outbreaks and reduce risk.
Additional trainings included low-stress cattle handling workshops in Vale, developed in partnership with industry leaders and Extension faculty in Morrow and Umatilla counties.
Since 2019, OSU Extension has certified more than 150 producers through the BQA program in Oregon, including 22 Spanish-speaking feedlot workers. A handling workshop in Vale trained 49 auction barn workers, feedlot operators and producers; 100% of evaluation respondents said they would apply the techniques they learned.
Through the multi-state Secure Beef Supply project, more than 600 producers have received information on preparing for foreign animal disease risks. In addition, 175 producers across the region have earned BQA certification.
The public benefits from safer, higher-quality beef and stronger disease preparedness across the supply chain. Producers gain practical skills to meet market requirements, improve animal care and protect rural livelihoods.