The national hog identification and traceability system is preparing for full implementation by 2008, but plenty of work needs to be done.
Canadian livestock groups have agreed traceability is needed to reduce the impact of a foreign animal disease outbreak, reduce the size of a food recall and improve international trade.
“The main driver is foreign animal disease but we can’t ignore the other goals,” said Dennis McKerracher, chair of the Canadian Pork Council’s identification and traceability working group.
“Canada relies on export and in today’s environment, quality by itself isn’t good enough. You have to have infrastructure in place to back up that quality,” said McKerracher, a High River, Alta., pork producer who travelled across the country to explain the proposal to swine producers.
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“The blueprint that we are laying out to the producers adds on to what we have,” he said.
The pork council is working on a national tattooing numbering scheme to ensure no duplicate numbers are used.
Provincial associations will ensure all producers are registered and tattoo numbers are allocated.
All Canadian slaughter hogs receive a shoulder tattoo before slaughter. Traditionally the five digit tattoo number was linked to the person who gets paid. That will change to linking the tattoo to the premise.
Producers will be required to individually identify breeding animals with a visual ear tag carrying a unique identification number. These animals tend to move more, so their activities need to be reported.
Another major step is mandatory premises registration that includes any place where livestock or poultry are kept. A premise is a parcel of land defined by a legal description or geo-reference co-ordinates where animals are kept, assembled or disposed of.
“There will be one unique number assigned to that premise and that will cover all the livestock that are on that premise,” said McKerracher.
As well as traditional swine farms, zoos, universities, boar studs and hobby farms must be registered.
All movement will be reported to a provincial or regional database within two days of actual movement. It would be mandatory to report all animal movement including shipping and receiving to plants, auction barns, commingling barns, testing stations, shows or any other movement.
All hog mortalities during transport must be reported.
Government or veterinarians may only see data in the event of animal health emergencies, food safety crises or disease simulation trials.
Alberta Pork is reregistering all producers and premises for this program to make it compliant with the national one starting this winter.
All persons who are producing hogs or wish to must be registered with Alberta Pork, said association assistant general manager Paul Hodgeman.
