Alberta successfully advocates for national livestock traceability system
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July 10, 2009
Alberta successfully advocates for national livestock traceability system
Edmonton... Following two days of federal-provincial-territorial meetings in Ontario, agriculture ministers have committed to implement a mandatory comprehensive national traceability system for livestock and poultry by 2011.
This move recognizes Alberta’s leadership role of designing and implementing a provincial traceability system. The joint industry and government work being done in Alberta has been shared by Agriculture and Rural Development Minister George Groeneveld with his provincial and federal counterparts, including at this weeks’ meetings.
“Traceability is a critical piece of securing markets and ensuring the safety of our food system,” said Groeneveld. “Alberta is currently implementing a comprehensive livestock traceability system. I thank my colleagues across Canada for their support and Minister Ritz for his leadership in taking this important step forward.”
Traceability refers to processes allowing the tracing an animal or animal product all the way through the supply chain, from birth to slaughter. It consists of three pillars: animal identification, premises identification and animal movement tracking. A comprehensive traceability system provides necessary assurances to markets and consumers around the world that our products are safe and of high quality.
“An effective national mandatory traceability system is essential to realize gains in off-shore markets,” said Joe Makowecki, Chairman of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency. “We are pleased to see federal and provincial governments taking bold initiatives to build on what Alberta has already begun.”
Traceability is critical in gaining and reinstating market access and is fast becoming an expected and required practice. Recently, South Korea announced plans to build on its domestic beef tracing system and implement a similar system for imported beef as early as 2010.
Producers in Alberta have already made great strides in implementing these business practices:
- More than 20,000 Alberta producers have completed premises identification.
- Age verifying cattle is now mandated in legislation under the Animal Health Act (AHA), and more than 85 per cent of the 2008 calf crop is identified through age verification.
- Alberta feedlots feeding more than 5,000 animals per year are required to report animal move-in information to the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA).
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Media inquiries may be directed to:
Alberta Ag Media Line
422-1005
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
Alberta Ag Media Line
422-1005
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
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