To help pork producers and employees gain certification in the Pork Quality Assurance Plus Program and/or the Transport Quality Assurance program, several training sessions will be available at 22 locations across the state Aug. 4, 5, 11 and 12.

The Nebraska Pork Producers Association, the Nebraska Soybean Board and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension are sponsoring the PQA Plus and TQA producer certification sessions.

Two major packing plants recently announced that hog suppliers will be required to have these certifications, says Duane Reese, UNL Extension swine specialist.

Hormel Foods recently announced that all the hogs that they purchase will be raised by pork producers and their employees who are certified in PQA Plus and have completed well-being assessments on their farms and have TQA certification by at least Dec. 31.

Tyson Foods announced it will ask that all hog suppliers to the company become certified in the PQA Plus program by June 30, 2010, and complete a site assessment by Jan. 1, 2011.

PQA Plus certification is required before site assessment can be conducted. There are about 44 PQA Plus Advisors in Nebraska trained to perform those assessments.

PQA Plus is a workable, credible and affordable solution to assure food safety and animal care. It will help meet the needs of customers including restaurants, food retailers and consumers.

TQA is a program that helps swine transporters, producers and handlers understand how to handle, move and transport pigs and the potential impacts of those actions on pig well-being and/or pork quality.

Reese will conduct the sessions in Lincoln and locations across the state will receive the training via satellite. There will be two-way audio to address any questions.

More information is available at www.nepork.org or by contacting a local UNL Extension office. To register, visit www.nepork.org or call 1-888-627-7675 at least one week in advance of the session.

Times, dates and locations of PQA Plus sessions include:

Aug. 4, 7 p.m. CDT/6 p.m. MDT: 222 S. Fourth St., Albion; Extension Office, 1115 W. Scott, Beatrice; Great Plains Veterinary Education Center, Clay Center; North Education Center, Room 906, Central Community College, Columbus; APS/Vet Tech Building, Conference Room, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, Curtis; Dodge County Extension Office, 1206 W. 23rd St., Fremont; Agriculture Research and Development Center near Mead, 1071 County Rd. G, Ithaca; Lifelong Learning Center, Northeast Community College, Norfolk; Valley County Fairgrounds, Ord; Extension Office, 105 Loofborrow St., Rushville; Cuming County Extension Office, Courthouse, West Point; Saline County Extension Office, Wilber.

Aug. 11, 7 p.m. CDT/6 p.m. MDT: 4-H Building, Fairgrounds, Auburn; Extension Office, 1115 W. Scott, Beatrice; Public Library, 626 S. D St., Broken Bow; Haskell Ag Lab, 57905 866 Rd., Concord; College Park, 3180 W. Highway 34, Grand Island; Ag Center, 1308 Second St., Holdrege; Dawson County Extension Office, Fairgrounds, Lexington; West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte; Lifelong Learning Center, Northeast Community College, Norfolk; 128 N. Sixth, Suite 100, O'Neill; Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff; County Extension Office, Fairgrounds, 2345 Nebraska Ave., York.

Times, dates and locations of TQA sessions include:

Aug. 5, 7 p.m. CDT/, 6 p.m. MDT: 222 S. Fourth St., Albion; Extension Office, 1115 W. Scott, Beatrice; Great Plains Veterinary Education Center, Clay Center; North Education Center, Room 906, Central Community College, Columbus; APS/Vet Tech Building, Conference Room, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, Curtis; Dodge County Extension Office, 1206 W. 23rd St., Fremont; Agriculture Research and Development Center near Mead, 1071 County Rd. G, Ithaca; Lifelong Learning Center, Northeast Community College, Norfolk; Valley County Fairgrounds, Ord; Extension Office, 105 Loofborrow St., Rushville; Cuming County Extension Office, Courthouse, West Point; Saline County Extension Office, Wilber.

Aug. 12, 7 p.m. CDT/6 p.m. MDT: 4-H Building, Fairgrounds, Auburn; Extension Office, 1115 W. Scott, Beatrice; Public Library, 626 S. D St., Broken Bow; Haskell Ag Lab, 57905 866 Rd., Concord; College Park, 3180 W. Highway 34, Grand Island; Ag Center, 1308 Second St., Holdrege; Dawson County Extension Office, Fairgrounds, Lexington; West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte; Lifelong Learning Center, Northeast Community College, Norfolk; 128 N. Sixth, Suite 100, O'Neill; Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff; County Extension Office, Fairgrounds, 2345 Nebraska Ave., York.