June 14, 2019
Youth Livestock Quality Assurance Requirement for State Shows
All exhibitors are required to have quality assurance certification for the 2019 state shows. Youth who state nominate livestock projects MUST have a current and valid Youth PQA+ certification number or Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) number at the time of nomination. A copy of each child's YQCA certificate or Youth PQA+ card must be attached to the Declaration Form. Certification(s) must be valid through October 1, 2019 to be accepted.
Any nominations received without the appropriate YQCA or Youth PQA+ number will be considered incomplete. The Youth PQA Plus program was discontinued on May 31, 2018. So, youth who need quality assurance certification will need to complete YQCA training. The National Pork Board and the two state shows in Kansas will honor Youth PQA Plus numbers until they expire. Youth only exhibiting purebred, registered females will submit their certification information at the time of entry.
There are several methods through which youth may obtain their certification. They may take a $3.00 instructor-led class, complete the $12.00 online course, take advantage of the test out option if they were 12 or 15 years old by 1/1/2019 ($36 or $48), or use their valid Youth PQA+ number. This program is only for youth 8 and older, so 7 year olds participating in KJLS will be exempt for this year. All participants must sign up through the YQCA website prior to training in order to receive their certificate and official number. Contact the local extension office for information on local opportunities available.
After completing the training, families will need to sign in to their YQCA user account, using the same method they did to register for a class, in order to view and print their YQCA certificate. While families will use their 4HOnline credentials to sign in and create an account, they must go through the YQCA website in order to successfully complete the certification process. There are resources on the program, signing up, and printing certificates on the Quality Assurance tab of the KSU Youth Livestock Program website (https://www.asi.k-state.edu/research-and-extension/youth-programs/YQCA.html). For more information, please contact the local extension office or Lexie Hayes adhayes@ksu.edu or 785-532-1264.