Premise ID Mess Drags Down Livestock Traceability

Agovernment -imposed 2011 deadline for livestock traceability in Canada looks increasingly unattainable because of “dysfunctional” premise identification. Provinces are all over the map on premise ID, which pinpoints the locations of livestock farms and is one of the three key elements in livestock traceability. Some provinces are making headway while others have hardly begun. “If

Producers Must Now Register Livestock

Attention Manitoba livestock producers. Tell the government where your animals are. A new program launched this month requires producers to register the land on which their livestock are kept with the province. Called premises identification, it’s part of a national initiative to develop a livestock traceability program which identifies farm animals, spots their location and


On-Farm Vet Visits Supported

Farmers can still tap into a federal-provincial program that pays the cost of an on-site consultation with a veterinarian to assess and improve their on-farm food safety, traceability and biosecurity strategies, a Manitoba government release says. More than 150 Manitoba beef producers have already participated in the project, Beef Herd Biosecurity Assessment program, in which

Industry Fails To Deliver Traceability Promise – for Sep. 23, 2010

Years ago, I was invited to a conference designed to look at long-term strategies for Canada’s ag sector. Representatives were there from most major farm groups, as well as stakeholders in the agribusiness and processing sectors. One break-out session in particular that stuck in my mind was on the meat sector. I listened rather intently


Meeting 2011 Traceability Deadline Unlikely – for Aug. 19, 2010

The odds of meeting the 2011 deadline for implementing a nationwide gate-to-plate traceability scheme don’t look good. Industry sources say problems with hardware and software are hindering progress in developing an effective system to scan RFID tags on cattle moving through auction marts, and generally, government has been slow to provide the money to back

Letters – for Jun. 17, 2010

Horses, not breeders, need protection With all due respect, I will continue to convince the government that action is needed to protect horses, not horse breeders as proposed by Betty Coulthard in the June 10 opinion article “Government action needed to protect horse breeders.” She wants compensation from the government for the losses she will


Study Suggests Livestock Traceability Deadline Unrealistic

“This could be the demise of livestock marketing as we know it today.” – BOB PERLICH, LETHBRIDGE Ever since the federal government announced 2011 as the deadline for a national livestock traceability system, Canada’s cattle industry has insisted the technology at auction markets isn’t up to the task. A new study agrees that radio frequency

Swine Traceability Gets Financial Boost

The Canadian pork industry is on track to meet a 2011 deadline for a national livestock traceability system, thanks in part to a $3.3-million federal cash injection. The money is part of a $15-million industry package announced by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at a news conference last week. The program will also spend $9.5 million


Cervid Industry Receives Federal Funding

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has announced an investment of over $1 million to the Canadian Cervid Alliance to help the cervid industry capture new market opportunities and respond to the growing consumer demand for full traceability in livestock and poultry. The Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative (CIFSI) is funding two projects that will help producers

Traceability Target Date Unchanged

Canada remains committed to national livestock traceability, even though Canadian cattle producers want some slack and the United States is backpedalling on its own traceability program. Plans for a traceability system in 2011 are unchanged, despite recent developments in the U. S., Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said. “Our government remains committed to working with industry