CENTENNIAL, Colo. – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, announces the release of the updated Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) National Manual, which serves as a resource for science-based cattle production information. The manual is available for free at www.bqa.org/resources/manuals.

“BQA empowers beef producers to maximize their potential to make the most efficient and responsible use of natural resources by effectively producing one of the world’s most nutritious and flavorful sources of protein,” said Clay Mathis, Ph.D., Texas A&M University and BQA advisory group chair. “This manual helps drive improvement across the supply chain through adherence to best management practices.”

The goal of the publication is to provide technical information to help producers raise high quality cattle resulting in the wholesome beef that consumers demand. It was developed to set production standards for beef quality and safety that are appropriate to an operation and that producers can realistically meet or exceed. In addition to the publication’s availability online, the resource is also shared at the grassroots level through BQA state coordinators.

More than 30 cattle producers, industry leaders and stakeholders from across the country spent the last year updating the manual based on the latest science-based research, including the most recent National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA). The NBQA, conducted approximately every five years, continues to drive continuous improvement in the cattle industry.

An abbreviated “Field Guide” version of the manual will be updated and available for cattle producers and on-farm/ranch workers in summer 2025. For more information, visit www.bqa.org/resources/manuals.