ASSINIBOIA, Sask. — Saskatchewan livestock producers said they shouldn’t have to pay for the paperwork required by federal transportation requirements.
Transfer-of-care documents were part of regulations that came into force more than two years ago. However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency focused more on education for the first two years. The document is to be completed each time an animal moves to reflect who holds responsibility for that animal’s welfare.
Livestock Services of Saskatchewan has developed a page to be added to the manifest producers already fill out, but the cost of that has been pegged at up to $100,000 per year.
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LSS is owned and operated by the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association, Saskatchewan Horse Federation and the Livestock Marketers of Saskatchewan. It operates under provincial legislation.
At the recent SSGA annual meeting, producers discussed who should pay.
LSS chief executive officer Jason Pollock said an extra 36 fields are required on the transfer-of-care document, which would be added to the manifests producers already use when moving animals.
“We consulted with industry and with CFIA, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and others involved and at the end of that we came up with a hybrid manifest that met all of the requirements for transfer of care,” he told the meeting.
He said the board supported the hybrid manifest with a caveat.
“Since this is a federal regulation and not held within the provincial authority…we would not be in a position to fund the additional $80,000 to $100,000 annually for the production and management of that paper,” he said.
He said between 200,000 and 230,000 manifests are printed each year and would need the extra page. In addition to the extra page cost, Pollock said LSS is anticipating more manifests would be printed.
“The hybrid manifest is no longer just a commercial document which reports the movement for commercial purposes and transaction purposes,” he said. “It also would be required for every single movement of animals regardless.”
He added LSS isn’t opposed to the additional page; it just can’t fund it with producers’ money from inspection fees.
SSGA past-president Kelcy Elford said the organization already had a resolution on the books saying the federal government should fund the cost.
