Auction markets want to know if snow, rain, heat or gloom of night can stop them from identifying animals as they move from trucks to the sales ring.
A national research project is testing commercially available electronic identification technology under Canadian conditions to learn whether scanning cattle affects the speed of commerce and whether it adds additional stress to the animals or causes safety issues for auction mart employees.
The project started in September at 11 auction yards in four provinces, said Rick Wright, steering committee chair for the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency’s auction market research project.
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Electronic readers from several companies will be used to scan the radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags that all Canadian cattle must wear to see if they can be read and if the information is transferred properly. The project is part of a larger scheme to introduce national food traceability by 2011.
Few tests have been done in Canada on existing technology. Those trading cattle need to know if the equipment works in extreme cold and can identify large numbers and various sizes of animals.
The research will also analyze the RFID tags, which include an embedded chip with a unique identification number that scanners can read.
Auction markets are trying a variety of technologies. A small volume yard may only need a single panel reader while a busier centre may need a full line of panel readers and wands.
“In each of the markets it’s a little bit different,” Wright said.
“We want to get a really good cross section of the auction markets across Canada.”
The plan is to install scanners in auction markets across the country, but costs are a major factor.
“Nobody including the federal government knows what it is going to cost to equip the industry,” said Wright, a private livestock broker from Manitoba.
He said he understands the Livestock Markets Association of Canada’s concern about costs and whether there is a financial benefit to the cattle industry. Auction operators also want to know who is going to pay for the technology because most of the cost has been borne by producers who buy the ear tags.
“They support traceability in principle, but if the technology is not there to read the cattle at a rate that is acceptable to the government at a particular time, then we are wanting to wait until the technology catches up with the government’s wishes,” he said.
The markets volunteered their space and each offered different volumes of cattle, yard size and location.
Phase one of the project is to test existing technology and phase two may include more value-added components. A report is expected early next year.
CCIA employees will monitor the equipment, while Agriculture Canada’s Growing Forward program will fund the research.
The auctions are scanning only beef and dairy cattle, but the market in Cookstown, Ont., handles a lot of sheep and lambs so these systems could be tested later on smaller animals.
“CCIA will be working with all the other species in the future to accommodate their needs in traceability,” Wright said.
The test markets include the Ontario Livestock Exchange in Waterloo, Ont., Ontario Stockyards Inc. in Cookstown and Ottawa Livestock Exchange in Greely, Ont.
In Manitoba, tests are underway at Ste Rose Auction Mart Ltd., Gladstone Auction Mart Ltd., Winnipeg Livestock Sales and Killarney Auction Mart.
Saskatchewan is testing at Saskatoon Livestock Sales, Whitewood Livestock Sales and Spiritwood Livestock Sales.
An existing system at the British Columbia Co-op Livestock Sales in Kamloops, B.C., is being tested with amendments.
The largest auction market volumes are seen in Alberta, where separate research is underway. The Alberta project was set up before the national study was announced and ends in March. It is also studying the costs, benefits and efficiency of the technology.
“The industry has asked us to look at a phased in approach as we move into traceability and tracking animals and go as technology enables us so we don’t negatively impact on the speed of commerce,” said Rick Frederickson of Alberta Agriculture’s traceability initiative.
That project has scanned 30,000 animals in six markets at Lethbridge, Drayton Valley, Stavely, High River, Provost and Stettler.
The Alberta research is using one style of panel on alleys and a wand reader. The goal is to install readers across the province because auction markets are a key commingling point for cattle.
“As the animals move in, we are also hooked up to the CCIA database in real time so we can verify that they have got their birth dates,” Frederickson said.
Screens will eventually be set up at the ring so buyers can see birth dates and other value added information such as health programs.
Quebec already has a system in place using electronic button tags and readers from a single company. Each animal wears two tags.
