Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Traceability measures prompt fears of spiraling costs

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

by SUSAN MANN

The federal government should ensure mandatory livestock traceability doesn’t cost farmers a lot of money to implement before putting the system in place, says a beef industry spokesman.

Travis Toews, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, says farmers are concerned the system will include protocols that will add significant costs to the production system. “We share those concerns and have communicated that to our federal government.”

Even though the government has set a deadline of this year for the national livestock and poultry traceability system to be in place, Toews says the beef industry hasn’t stipulated a deadline for implementation.

Toews says while they recognize the merits of the traceability system, the association wants the federal government to pay attention to its recommendations. He says he thinks it will because there’s an underlying recognition by the federal government that it can’t bring a significant regulatory burden into the industry through mandatory traceability.  

The cattlemen’s association recommends the next step in implementation include the installation of standardized premise identification across Canada. Toews says the identification systems in each province don’t have to be identical but “we certainly need an adequate, standardize premise identification across the country before we can start doing any meaningful movement tracking.”

Another request the association made is for farmers to have access to cost-effective, readily-available software.

When those two recommendations are in place, Toews says a reasonable next step would be that feedlots receiving more than 1,000 head a year could start recording the cattle moving into the feedlot.
 
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz recently announced up to $20 million would be available during the next three years as part of a program to allow auction marts, assembly yards, feedlots, backgrounders, fairs and exhibitions, privately-managed community pastures and other high-risk, high-volume, co-mingling sites to update their facilities to buy equipment that would help identify and track individual animals. The program, called Livestock Auction Traceability Initiative, is accepting applications for projects starting April 1.

Agriculture Canada spokesman Joe Fishman says by email it’s a voluntary program that is available before regulations are introduced. It’s for anyone who sees a business opportunity in using traceability information or those who want to get a head start before regulations are in place. BF
 

Current Issue

April 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

New Alcohol Trade Freedom in Ontario

Thursday, April 17, 2025

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has welcomed Ontario’s bold step in eliminating trade barriers and allowing direct alcohol sales to consumers. This new legislation aims to ease internal trade across provinces and support small businesses. One of the key changes... Read this article online

New board members for Ontario Pork

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Ontario Pork, an association representing the 1,898 pork farms that market 5.9 million hogs in the province, has announced its new board lineup for 2025. As a Guelph, Ontario-headquartered organization, Ontario Pork is engaged in the areas of research, government representation,... Read this article online

You know you want it…

Monday, April 14, 2025

On April 28, 2025, Aumann Auctions, Inc. is set to auction what is being called the GOAT (greatest of all time) John Deere sign of all time. This recently discovered will be one of the featured highlights of the . See... Read this article online

Health Fair Supports Migrant Workers

Monday, April 14, 2025

A community-driven Health and Information Fair dedicated to supporting migrant and temporary foreign workers was recently held in Leamington, Ontario. Organized by the Migrant Workers Community Program (MWCP), the event took place at the Roma Club on April 13th and welcomed hundreds of... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top