Micro Beef Technology set to provide age, source verification
Sep 18, 2009 11:10 AM
The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation has teamed with Micro Beef Technologies to age- and source-verify the organization’s Integrity Beef Program.
The Noble Foundation’s Integrity Beef Program is a comprehensive management system that assists participants in producing consistent, high-quality beef cattle by addressing herd establishment, animal health and forage management. Participants are required to follow and implement specific criteria, including maintaining appropriate stocking rates; administering a veterinarian-approved herd health program; maintaining animal health and management records; and achieving Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification.
By producing healthier, more uniform cattle, Integrity Beef participants are better positioned to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Micro Beef Technologies will provide the Process Verification Program (PVP), verifying the age and source of the cattle within the program.
“Age and source verification is one of the pillars of the Integrity Beef Program because it indicates a higher level of management which can be directly linked additional value received at market,” said Hugh Aljoe, consultation program manager for the Noble Foundation. “Having Micro Beef Technologies handle the PVP provides our producers the opportunity to conduct the procedures on their schedules and be assured that that the information is recorded, maintained, and transferred easily and accurately.”
As part of the Micro Process Verified Program (PVP) for age and source,, Micro Beef Technologies will ensure that the Integrity Beef Program meets the standards required by the USDA to age and source verify Integrity Beef Program cattle, said Joe Young, manager of Integrated Beef Systems for Micro Beef.
“Meeting the USDA’s quality assurances for age and source allows producers to have their product exported into the Japanese market which can increase the value of the cattle,” Young said. “More and more, however, age and source verification is becoming a requirement by feed yards. The Noble Foundation and their producers are on the leading edge of this idea. It shows they are good managers, good cattlemen and they are teaching others the right principles.”
Additionally, the information collected by Micro Beef Technology can be used to help producers make informed decisions about managing herd health programs, culling cattle and keeping tabs on the overall economic viability of their operation. “Not many organizations or individuals gather this information, then assimilate it and use it to make decisions,” Young said. “It’s unique to the Noble Foundation. The idea of using individual or group performance data at the ranch or the feedyard and then using individual carcass data to make more informed decisions is a mindset that fits right into our way of thinking. We are excited about teaming with the Noble Foundation.”
The Integrity Beef Program is an extension of the no-cost consultation program provided through the Noble Foundation’s Agricultural Division. The consultation program offers education and assistance to more than 1,700 agricultural producers in southern Oklahoma and North Texas, enabling them to meet their financial, production, stewardship and quality-of-life goals. Producers who prove a dedication to quality stewardship are then invited to participate in the Integrity Beef Program.
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