4H/FFA PRV Q& A
PRV and FSQA Questions and Answers Concerning 2006 Iowa 4-H/County Fair Shows
For 2006, the exhibition rules are substantially the same rules as those for 2005. All of Iowa is Stage 5 status for psuedorabies (PRV.) Remember that the 30-day quarantine and testing rule is still in place for this year. See pages 3 and 6 of the 2006 Exhibition Rules for more information.
James McKean, Iowa State University Extension swine veterinarian and Iowa Pork Industry Center associate director, can provide answers to your questions. For more information, contact him by e-mail at x2mckean@iastate.edu or phone at (800) 808-7675.
New information added 4-27-06.
Q. If a youth is 18 on January 1 but will be 19
by fair time, should he or she certify as youth or adult?
A. The operative date for PQA certification is the date
of sale not the calendar year of the birth date. This means that if
a person is 19 by the date of the county fair/sale, he or she should
certify as an adult.
The following five questions and
answers are provided courtesy of Iowa's state 4-H office.
Q. Who needs to certify in the Iowa FSQA program?
A. Beginning in 2006: any 4-H’ers exhibiting beef, swine,
sheep and dairy (both dairy cattle and dairy goat), meat goat, rabbit and
poultry
at the Iowa Sate Fair must be certified. All other food animal exhibitors
are encouraged
to attend to learn more about their responsibility to produce safe food.
Q. Will 4-H’ers still be able to sell pigs if they attend
the FSQA program?
A. Youth who attend the FSQA training will be certified in both
the Iowa FSQA program (making them eligible for participation in the Iowa
State Fair and other county fairs), and the national PQA or Iowa BQA programs
(thereby meeting the demands of the meat packing industry). The Iowa FSQA
has been recognized by the National Pork Board as meeting their quality assurance
training requirements.
Q. Can 4-H’ers just go to the vet to get their PQA card
signed?
A. No, National Pork Board guidelines now require all youth to attend
an approved YOUTH training program to become certified. No youth between the
ages of 9 and 18 will be included in the adult PQA database, or certification
process.
Q. What is the certification/recertification process?
A. All youth ages 9-11 on Jan. 1 need to attend an approved training
each year. Youth ages 12-14 on Jan. 1 have the option of attending a training
every year, or completing a test which will certify them until they turn 15.
Youth ages 15-18 on Jan. 1 have the option of attending a training every year,
or completing a test which will certify them until they turn 19. At the time
youth turn 19, they will need to certify in the adult Quality Assurance programs
according to the adult rules.
Q. If a youth is 19 before January 1 and is a senior in high school,
how is he or she certified?
A. They need to certify through the adult program.
4-H questions and answers from 2005 (This page is for reference only. Not to be used for answers to 2006 questions on exhibition and testing.)
Ask more questions for posting on this page
(Requests can be sent to Sherry Hoyer, shoyer@iastate.edu)
