Age verification is becoming an increasingly important part of negotiations designed to jump start beef trade with Japan.
With some fine tuning, Canada hopes its cattle identification program will give it a leg up on the Americans in the negotiations.
“Right now we are not prepared but we are more prepared than the United States,” said Ted Haney, president of the Canada Beef Export Federation.
Canada is advancing its national identification program by switching to electronic records and ear tags next January while the Americans continue to debate logistics of a national program. As well, compared to the U.S., Canada has more retained ownership agreements and contracts that can trace cattle back to their origins.
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Canadian Food Inspection Agency veterinarian Dennis Will said negotiations with the Japanese are in the early stages and require patience.
Determining an animal’s age will be a key step in these negotiations. It can be done through purebred animal records or birth dates recorded in a national electronic identification program.
Another possibility is dentition, where inspectors check the number of bottom permanent teeth for maturity, but the Japanese do not accept this method.
Regaining markets is a delicate manoeuvre because each country has distinct requirements before agreeing to trade with Canada.
“Every country has its own requirements but I would think Japan is probably as demanding as any,” Will said.
Julie Stitt, head of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency, said no one is sure how precise the Japanese expect records to be. Age verification was not a major issue until requested by the Japanese.
As well, Stitt said the federal government and cattle industry didn’t give her agency clear directions about what they wanted in terms of identification and trace back.
The agency is moving ahead with an enhanced database system to include animal movement, tracking, value-added initiatives, carcass information, zones and birth dates. It could have birth dates recorded within the next few months and the completely enhanced system ready within 11 months.
“We could potentially get it for the 2004 calf crop because most commercial guys know the first day they calved,” Stitt said.
The radio frequency tags that will be available in January allow for easy access to data such as individual identification numbers, birth dates and other relevant information.
Producers may add birth dates to the agency database on a voluntary basis. The information will not be visible on the tags but can be traced through the individual’s unique identification number and retrieved for proof of age.
Dave Moss of Alberta’s Livestock Inspection Services said his agency can also help verify age because brand inspectors record whether an animal is a calf or an adult at the time of sale.
“They can arbitrarily say it was born in 2004, which in the feeding sector inherently says it will be dead before 20 months,” he said.
This year’s calf crop could rely on brand inspector records, while the day or month of birth should be available in the agency’s database next year. However, no one knows if the Japanese will accept this.
Another problem with brand inspector records is that they would create an inequity for provinces that don’t have brand inspections services.
Moss said no one wants to create an unfair situation but because Alberta has the majority of cattle, it may have to move forward if the tools are available to gain at least initial market access.
“It gives at least a sampling into the Japanese market and everybody else can start building momentum behind that.”
