A backlash against the national cattle identification program remains a concern among some producers.
Some say they are worried about an invasion of privacy if they accept the program so more information is needed to explain what the system does for them, said Phil Fazikos, an Alberta Cattle Commission delegate.
“Producers in my area are afraid this is a done deal and there’s nothing they can do about it. They want to have a say in how it’s implemented,” Fazikos said at the recent cattle commission annual meeting in Calgary.
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The commission defeated a resolution that proposed a national referendum on whether to implement the national identification program. However delegates agreed producers in the field need more information to bring them on side and support the program.
“They fear this program is being shoved down their throats” said Ron Bullick of Coronation.
Some people think it replaces branding, which is not true. It is a health and food safety traceback program where a producer places unique eartags in every animal that leaves the farm.
Larry Sears of Stavely said some producers take a narrow-minded approach because they don’t care what happens to their animals once they are sold.
However, Canada is a major beef exporter, selling more than 50 percent of its production, so it must take responsibility for food safety, said Sears, who is also chair of the Canada Beef Export Federation.
Len Vogelaar of Pincher Creek pointed out there was a national identification program to trace tuberculosis and brucellosis in herds in the 1970s that helped clear up these costly diseases.
“We had a mandatory system and I don’t recall that anyone complained,” said Vogelaar.
Canada eliminated bovine brucellosis in 1985 and since then the traceback system has fallen from 95 percent to 10 percent of the national herd. If a disease outbreak were to occur right now, it would be almost impossible to trace the origin of the animal.
The pressure to individually identify animals comes partly from the World Trade Organization that insists all members upgrade their diagnostic and surveillance capabilities to reduce health risks when animals are imported or exported.
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency board has representatives from the major cattle groups, veterinarians, dairy, government, Canadian Meat Council and Livestock Marketing Association of Canada.
The program asks that all animals leaving a farm receive an ear tag that carries a unique visible number, bar code, country code and the identification agency’s logo.
