Traceability service gets boost from feds

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Published: October 16, 2014

A single national database that houses livestock and poultry information has received a $7.5 million injection from the Canadian government.

Canadian Agri-Traceability Services was created in 2012 to combine the animal identification information of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency and Agri-Tracabilite Quebec to reduce costs and make data reporting simpler.

Its system, Trace Canada, is mainly intended to provide trace-back information during a food safety situation, animal disease outbreak or natural disaster when livestock must be quickly located.

“Consumers place a higher value on products that can be traced throughout their lives. A sound, responsive system will give Canadian producers an economic edge in the marketplace,” said federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz at an Oct. 9 news conference in Calgary.

The announcement came during the animal traceability advisory committee’s semi-annual meeting, which was held in Calgary Oct. 8-9.

The committee represents industry and government.

About the author

Barbara Duckworth

Barbara Duckworth

Barbara Duckworth has covered many livestock shows and conferences across the continent since 1988. Duckworth had graduated from Lethbridge College’s journalism program in 1974, later earning a degree in communications from the University of Calgary. Duckworth won many awards from the Canadian Farm Writers Association, American Agricultural Editors Association, the North American Agricultural Journalists and the International Agriculture Journalists Association.

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