What is Traceability?
The ability to follow an item or a group of items – be it animal, plant, food product or ingredient – from one point in the supply chain to another, either backwards or forwards.
Traceability systems are important, effective tools that can be used for many things, including the protection of animal health, public health and food safety. They can help reduce response time, thereby limiting economic, environmental and social impacts of emergency situations such as disease outbreaks and environmental disasters such as floods, fires and pipeline bursts.
Who does what?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) creates and enforces the National Livestock Identification Regulations under Part XV of the Health of Animals Act.
Industry administers the program. There are three responsible administrators in Canada: Agri-Traçabilité Quebec (ATQ), PigTrace, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA).
CCIA supports industry by managing the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database and providing tools and information for data capture.
Current and proposed regulations
Current regulations
ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION – All cattle/sheep/bison must be tagged with an approved indicator prior to moving from their current location or leaving their farm of origin.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ABATTOIRS – Cattle and bison: Mandatory reporting of the identification number within 30 days of the animal’s death or slaughter.
Expected proposed regulatory amendments
MOVEMENT REPORTING (animals leaving a premises) – Animals would travel with a movement document.
The document would include: Premises Identification (PID) of departure and PID of destination, time and date of loading, license plate or conveyance identification and number of animals and species.
MOVEMENT REPORTING (animals arriving at a premises) – The destination site would be responsible for reporting the arrival of animals: including individual indicator numbers. Note some expected exemptions: Auction Markets, Assembly Yards, Community Pastures.
How to Prepare for proposed regulatory amendments
- Get a PID – Consult our website for the provincial listing. Inform CCIA of your PID. A PID will be required under future regulations and is necessary to purchase animal indicators.
https://www.canadaid.ca/traceability/premises-identification/
- Visit your CLTS account – Include your PID number, submit retirements, practice animal move-in and
download the CLTS MOBO app. It is important to get familiar with your CLTS account now to save time later. Your CLTS account = CCIA account.
- Stay tuned for proposed regulation publishing (Canada Gazette) – Offer comments during the comment period. Draft regulations targeted for 2020 publication.
Tags – Choices and How to Purchase
Tags may be purchased directly on-line, https://tags.canadaid.ca or by calling CCIA Client Support toll free at 1.877.909.2333. A retail catalogue of products is posted on the CCIA website www.canadaid.ca.
Do goats need a CCIA tag