Tweet me!
Effective July 1, 2010, all cattle must be tagged with an approved RFID tag prior to moving from their current location or leaving their farm of origin. These tags will replace the bar-coded dangle tags.
"A strong traceability system will help Canadian producers get the premium prices their top quality products deserve around the world," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "With RFID technology, we'll be better able to trace an animal, which is not only important to human and animal welfare but also key to the sustainability of the Canadian livestock industry as a whole."
"We have worked with Government to move forward on traceability and we believe that de- listing the bar-coded tag will advance traceability initiatives," said Darcy Eddleston, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) Chair. "Although this change may be an additional one- time process for some producers, the ability to easily capture information from the RFID tags will help all producers in the long run."
"RFID technology is critical to advancing the traceability system and maintaining the speed of commerce that our producers require to remain competitive in the marketplace," said Travis Toews, President of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. "The de-listing of bar code tags is an important step in enhancing our national ID and traceability system."
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) enforces national identification and movement reporting requirements for cattle and bison under the authority of the Health of Animals Regulations.
Background information
Animal identification is a fundamental component of livestock traceability. The ability to identify animals and their origins during an animal health or food safety emergency is critical to the success of the response operation and to the protection of human and animal health.
Requirements for producers
Bar-coded dangle tags have not been available for purchase since 2006 and any existing inventory cannot be applied to animals after July 1, 2010.
Producers should not remove existing bar-coded tags; they should leave the bar-coded tag on the ear and apply a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to the same animal.
- Producers must cross-reference the new RFID tag with the existing bar-coded dangle tag in the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) to retain the tag data.
- Cross-referencing the data will mean that all of the events uploaded by the producer against the tag and the history of the animal will be maintained.
If producers need assistance to cross-reference the tags, they can call the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) at 1-877-909-BEEF (2333).
Role of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
The CFIA is responsible for enforcing the identification requirements in Canada as per the Health of Animals Regulations. Violations of any of the requirements may result in disciplinary action such as fines or prosecution.
The CFIA also carries out disease investigations
- to promote a safe and sustainable animal resource base, and
- to minimize the public health risks associated with the food supply and the transmission of animal diseases to humans.
Role of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
The CCIA was initiated and established by industry and manages the CLTS. This is a trace-back system that provides valuable information for containing and eradicating animal disease. Established in 1998, the CCIA is the administrator of the mandatory national identification program for the cattle industry pursuant to a written agreement with the CFIA.
Related Links:
