RFID tags for goats could be in use as early as May 2014 Thursday, October 3, 2013 by JOE CALLAHAN Ontario Goat announced Thursday that it is conducting field trials of two radio frequency identification tags (RFIDs) on goats on 14 farms in Ontario. According to Ontario Goat’s news release, it anticipates that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will be requiring an identification system to be in place for goats in the province by 2015. The field trial will use 500 tags from Allflex (product code 982) and 500 tags from Shearwell Data Ltd., (product code 0940). The tags from Allflex and Shearwell have already been approved by the CFIA for use on sheep. According to documents provided to Better Farming by Kevin Weaver, the project’s coordinator, the field test has two objectives: Evaluate the retention of the two RFID tags when applied to the either the ears or tail web of goats. Evaluate the ease and success of application and the readability of the tags when applied to the ears or tail web of goats. In order to be acceptable, Weaver says there must be a 98 per cent retention rate of tags on goats and the field trial needs to last a minimum of six months. “Because the tag is already approved for use on another species, then the goat industry only is required to do field trials,” says Weaver. The data from the tags will be read at the end of February 2014 and given to a statistician. From there a final report will be prepared and sent the CFIA. According to Weaver, the CFIA can take up to three months to review and approve the findings, which means that the tags could be in use as early as May 2013. BF Ontario farm organizations monitor U.S. government shutdown Sustainability certification could start with EFP: report
Looking for a heritage machine Tuesday, February 10, 2026 A Brantford, Ontario area heritage organization—the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre (CIHC)—is putting out a call to the Canadian agricultural community in hopes of locating a rare piece of machinery that helped transform grain harvesting around the world. The CIHC is preparing... Read this article online
Why farmers built their own renewable energy association Tuesday, February 10, 2026 When renewable energy developers come knocking on rural doors, farmers often find themselves staring at 40-page leases, unfamiliar terminology, and long-term commitments that could shape their land for decades. For many, the opportunity is exciting and enticing—but also... Read this article online
Food Freedom Day 2026 - What Canada’s Grocery Costs Really Tell Us Monday, February 9, 2026 The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has announced that Sunday, February 8th, 2026, marked Food Freedom Day—the date by which the average Canadian household has earned enough income to cover its entire annual grocery bill. Each year, CFA analyzes how much of Canadians’... Read this article online
Canadian Grain and Pork Sectors Join Others in Sound Alarm Over AAFC Research Cuts Friday, February 6, 2026 The Grain Growers of Canada (CGC), the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), and Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) are expressing serious concern following recently announced staff reductions and facility closures or consolidations within Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada (AAFC). The groups warn that... Read this article online
Red Tape Pushes 70% of Agri Businesses to Deter Next Generation from Farming Thursday, February 5, 2026 Canada’s food production system is under mounting pressure as agri-businesses warn that regulatory overload is discouraging the next generation from entering the industry. A new snapshot from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) reveals that almost 70% of agri... Read this article online