A national system that identifies individual cattle and traces their origin is being initiated by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the dairy industry.
Cattle producers want a system that traces an animal’s health information, parentage and place of birth.
“It’s become increasingly clear that some of our trading partners and the markets we hope to expand into, traceback is going to be a requirement,”said Carl Block, who chairs the CCA animal health committee.
It is not clear whether the system will trace every animal back to its herd or to its dam.
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“There are a lot of issues that haven’t been worked out yet,” said Marta Haley, at the CCA Ottawa office.
The association is hosting a workshop May 7 where cow/calf producers, purebred operators, feedlot managers, packers, auction mart personnel and dairy representatives can discuss the merits of such a program.
“In order to get this done it’s going to involve having all the players on side and that’s why we’re starting with the workshop,” said Block.
After the workshop, the CCA wants to have a business development plan ready for the semi-annual meeting in August.
The Canadian dairy industry has agreed on a voluntary program with identification for each animal, said secretary manager Keith Flaman.
At birth each dairy animal will receive a number on a tamper-proof ear tag. The number will be the same as the animal’s registration number in each dairy breed’s herd book.
A central agency will likely handle distribution of the numbered tags and ensure there is no duplication, said Flaman.
“Many farmers recognize the value of having some form of identification on their farm for management purposes.”
Even after slaughter, a traceback system has advantages for the beef and dairy industries. When animals come into a plant with carcass damage caused by bruising or injections in muscle tissue, the sellers can be identified. And those delivering blemish-free carcasses can be rewarded.
“People in the slaughter houses and packing houses, instead of using the pooling method to pay for cattle, need to reward the person who is producing quality,” said Flaman.
Such rewards are an incentive for producers to endorse the identification program, he said.
