Language selection

Search

Livestock Identification and Traceability Program (TRACE) newsletters

The TRACE newsletters provide an overview of progress on proposed amendments to Part XV of the federal Health of Animals Regulations (the "Regulations") that pertains to livestock identification and traceability.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is dedicated to safeguarding food, animals and plants to enhance the health and well-being of Canadians, the environment and economy.

Livestock traceability is the ability to follow an animal or group of animals during all stages of its life. There are 3 main pillars to livestock traceability systems:

The objective of the livestock traceability system is to provide timely, accurate and relevant information to reduce the impacts of a disease outbreak, food safety issue or natural disasters originating from and/or affecting livestock.

The Livestock Identification and Traceability Program (TRACE) has been administered jointly by CFIA and industry since 2001. The program is regulated and enforced under Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations, made under the authority of the Health of Animals Act.

Newsletter 6 – Information accompanying animals

This sixth edition focuses on one of the key elements of the regulatory proposal: information accompanying animals.

Why are amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations being proposed

The CFIA is proposing amendments to the Regulations to strengthen Canada's livestock traceability system. Under the proposed amendments certain information will be required to accompany a load of animals and/or animal carcasses being transported.

Why is it important to require information accompanying animals

Under the proposed regulations, when ruminants are moved from a departure site to a destination site, the operator of the destination site would be required to report, among other things, the premises identification number of the departure site and the date and time at which the animals were loaded in the vehicle at the departure site. The main objective for information accompanying animals is to support the operator of the destination site being compliant with this requirement.

Secondly, a record of an animal's movements from one point to another throughout the supply chain would support compliance for the proposed requirement of animal movements being reported to Responsible Administrators (as described in regulatory update 5). The recording of this information also supports accurate and timely disease investigations.

What information related to the movement of animals and carcasses would be required to accompany them

For each load of animals transported from one departure site to a destination site, the transporters of the animals would be required to provide the following information to the operators of the destination site:

  • the premises identification number of the departure site and of the destination site
  • the date and time the animals or carcasses were loaded at the departure site
  • the quantity and species of animals loaded, and
  • the licence plate (or other identification) of the conveyance

There is no required template and the information could be provided in an electronic or paper format. The information would need to be in a form that can be read without delay by any inspector and the operator of the destination site.

People that are required to ensure the information accompanies an animal or carcass, will also need to retain a copy of the document containing the information for two years.

There are already similar requirements in some provinces

British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba currently have provincial requirements for information to accompany animals. These existing provincial requirements would continue to be valid and complement the Federal proposal. In fact, the proposed Federal requirements not only align with the existing provincial requirements and documentation requirements, but also with the existing requirement for information to accompany pigs or pig carcasses under Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations; and, with Part XII of the Health of Animals Regulations respecting the humane transportation of live animals.

When would this information not be required to accompany animals

The proposed requirement would not apply to:

  • animals and carcasses of animals transported for import and export (import permits and export certificates already apply)
  • ruminants and their carcasses transported within a farm (as their movements would not be required to be reported)
  • pigs or pig carcasses that are transported between contiguous parts of a farm (an exemption is already in place)

Supporting compliance for proposed requirements

The use of a livestock manifest is required by the four Western provincial governments. However, to support transporters with compliance in provinces that do not currently require any movement documentation, a movement document template will be made available on the CFIA website.

When can I comment on the proposed regulations

Following the publication of the proposed regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette, stakeholders will have 75 days to provide comment. CFIA will review and consider all comments received prior to finalizing the regulatory amendments and publishing them in Part II of the Canada Gazette.

Definitions

Animals

means a bison, cattle, caprine, cervid, pig or sheep

Carcass

means a dead animal

Conveyance

means any vehicle used for the transportation of animals or carcasses.

Farm

means land, and all buildings and other structures on that land, that is used under one management for breeding or raising animals, but does not include an artificial insemination unit.

Ruminant

means a bison, cattle, caprine, cervid or sheep

Transporter

means any person involved in the transportation of animals or carcasses

Provincial requirements for information accompanying animals

British Columbia (cattle and bison)

Alberta

  • Alberta Livestock manifest
    1-866-509-2088 or e-manifest
  • Alberta Swine manifest
  • Cervid Farming System:
    Dial 310-0000, then enter 780-422-1472

Saskatchewan
(306) 546-5086

Manitoba

Newsletter 5 – Reporting animal movement

This fifth edition focuses on one of the key elements of the regulatory proposal: reporting animal movements.

Why are amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations being proposed

The CFIA is proposing amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations to strengthen Canada's livestock traceability system. The proposed federal traceability regulations would require, amongst other things, reporting the animal movement to a responsible administrator for a location where, for example an animal has been received or slaughtered.

Why is reporting animal movements important

A traceability system with information on an animal's movements from one point to another throughout the supply chain will make it easier to control the spread of disease and minimize the impact on the industry. The proposed amendments are expected to strengthen Canada's ability in responding quickly to health threats and other emergencies.

What information related to the movement of animals and carcasses is important in managing health issues

The information needed to manage health issues and that would be required to be reported are referred to the "data requirements"; these requirements are described in the table below.

Table 1. Proposed data requirements required to be reported
Data requirements Rationale for making this information available
Identification number on an approved indicator applied to the animal or carcass Movement information associated with the identity of a specific animal or group of animals allows confirmation of which animals have been slaughtered, imported or exported or may have been impacted with a health issue;
Identification number of the premises (site) of departure and of destination Provides a geographical representation of a health issue and enables identifying where the disease may have spread;
Date and time at which animals were loaded and unloaded from a vehicle Enables time-stamping in conjunction with animal contact information which could be used to determine the sequence at which vehicles were used and consequently improve accuracy of which sites may have been impacted by a disease outbreak;
License plate number or other identification of the vehicle's non-motorized trailer. Despite cleaning and disinfection measures, vehicles may serve as a disease vector. Knowing their usage serves assessing where the disease may have spread.

What would be the proposed requirements specific to animal movement (data requirements outlined above)

Table 2. Proposed requirements specific to animal movement
Animal movement scenario Proposed reporting requirements

Domestic movement of animals within a farm

The movement of ruminants would not be required to be reported

The current movement reporting requirements for pigs would remain unchanged.

Domestic movement of animals to a farm

The operator of the farm would report the receipt of ruminants, with the exception of cervids, at their site, namely the data requirements, within seven days of receiving the animals.

The current movement reporting requirements for pigs would remain unchanged.

Domestic movement of animals from a farm

The operator of the farm would report the departure of cervids from their site, namely the data requirements, within seven days of the departure of the cervids.

The current movement reporting requirements for pigs would remain unchanged.

Domestic movement of animals to a fair, an exhibition hall, or a feedlot The operator of the fair, exhibition hall or feedlot would report the receipt of animals at their site, namely the data requirements, within seven days of receiving the animals.
Domestic movement of animals to an auction market or an assembly yard The operator of the auction market or assembly yard would report the receipt of animals at their site within seven days of receiving the animals, namely the data requirements with the exception that instead of reporting the identification number of an approved indicator applied to the animal or carcass, the operator would report the quantity of animals received and their species.
Domestic movement of animals to a community pasture

The operator of any site from where animals are moved (with or without being loaded into a vehicle) to a community pasture would report the departure of animals from their site within seven days of the animals' departure, namely the following information: the premises identification numbers of the departure site and of the community pasture; the date the animals departed from the departure site; the species of animals transported or moved and the number of animals of each species; and the licence plate number of the conveyance (if applicable).

The operator of the community pasture would be exempt from reporting movement information.

Domestic movement of animals to an abattoir

The operator of an abattoir would report the slaughter of animals at their site, namely the data requirements, within seven days of slaughtering the animals.

Moreover, the operator would be required to report the departure of live animals from the site, namely the data requirements, within seven days of the departure.

These requirements would apply to all abattoirs (federal, provincial or municipal inspection, mobile abattoirs)

Domestic movement of carcasses to a rendering plant or deadstock collection centre

The operator of rendering plant or deadstock collection centre would report the receipt of carcasses at their site, namely the data requirements, within seven days of disposing the carcasses.

The current movement reporting requirements for pig carcasses would remain.

Import, export of animals Importers and exporters would report the import or export of animals, namely the data requirements, within seven days of importing or exporting the animals. However, instead of reporting the premises identification number of a foreign location where animals were imported from or exported to, the importer or exporter would report the country and sub-division of that country (e.g. State of the United States) from where the animals were imported or exported. Date and time of loading in a vehicle at a location outside Canada would not be required to be reported.

Supporting compliance for proposed requirements

Operators will not be required to use an electronic reader in order to report the identification number of an approved indicator.

Building on current provincial and federal requirements, carriers would be required to provide information to the operator of the destination on the source of animals.

Operators of a farm, a feedlot, or an agricultural fair who choose to use an electronic reader favourably reviewed by the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency to read the identification number of an approved indicator will be required to report the identification number of indicators read on the first pass, but not those not read.

When can I comment on the proposed regulations

Following the publication of the proposed regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette, stakeholders will have 75 days to review and provide comment. The CFIA will review and consider all comments received prior to finalizing the regulation amendments and publishing them in Part II of the Canada Gazette.

Definitions

Animals
means a bison, cattle, caprine, cervid, pig or sheep.
Caprine (goat)
means an animal, other than an embryo or fertilized egg, of the genus Capra.
Cervid (deer, elk)
means an animal, other than an embryo or fertilized egg, of the family Cervidae.
Community pasture
means a pasture that is managed by or leased from the Government of Canada, a provincial government or a municipality, or owned by, managed by or leased from a community pasture association, a grazing association or a grazing cooperative, and where animals from more than one operator of a farm are assembled and commingled.
Domestic
means within Canada.
Farm
means land, and all buildings and other structures on that land, that is used under one management for breeding or raising animals, but does not include an artificial insemination unit.
Reporting
means providing set information to a responsible administrator (i.e. Canadian Cattle Identification Agency, Canadian Pork Council or Agri-Traçabilité Québec).
Ruminant
means a bison, cattle, goat, cervid or sheep.

Newsletter 4 – Animal identification

This fourth edition focuses on one of the key elements of the regulatory proposal: Animal identification.

Why are amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations being proposed

The CFIA is proposing amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations to strengthen Canada's livestock traceability system. The proposed federal traceability regulations would require, amongst other things, reporting the animal identification number to a responsible administrator for a location where, for example, an approved indicator (tag) will be applied to an animal, an animal has been received or slaughtered; or, a carcass has been disposed.

Why is animal identification important

Animal identification allows for the tracking of individual animals or groups to specific land locations (or "premises") and is critical for controlling animal diseases and managing animal health emergencies (e.g. diseases, fires, floods, etc.). Animal Identification along with Premises Identification makes it possible to trace an animal's movements from one point to another throughout the supply chain, making it easier to control the spread of disease and minimize the impact on the industry. The proposed amendments are expected to strengthen Canada's ability to respond quickly to health threats and other emergencies.

What would be the proposed requirements specific to animal identification

The Regulations would refer to "indicator" instead of "tag" to reflect that indicators other than ear tags are approved under the TRACE program. The lists of approved indicators and of revoked indicators would be incorporated in the Regulations by reference and therefore would be subject to a greater consultation process during an annual review. Depending on species, approved indicators bear an identification number either unique to an animal (following an ISO standard) or to a group of animals originating from the same site (referred to 'herd mark').

A person who purchases approved indicators would be required to report the identification number of the premises where the indicators would be applied to the animals. However, the person would not be required to report the date at which the approved indicator has been applied.

Cervid and goat

Ear tags, leg bands and tail-web tags would be approved means of identification for goat under the proposed regulations. Indicators bearing a herd mark instead of an ISO number would be approved for goat aged 12 months or younger (kids) and moved directly from the farm of origin to an abattoir. Indicators that would be approved for goat under the proposed regulations are already available through the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency.

The identification of farmed cervids (elk and deer) with an ear tag is already required in the four Western provinces, Quebec and Yukon. Those provincially-approved ear tags would be approved under the proposed federal regulations, noting that the approval of ear tags not bearing an ISO number would be temporary. Under the proposed regulations, cervids would be required to be identified with two approved ear tags before leaving the farm of origin; both tags would bear the same identification number. Indicators that would be approved for cervid under the proposed regulations are already available through Agri-Traçabilité Québec and through the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency.

Approved identification site

Bison and cattle that may cause serious injury to any person who attempts to identify it could continue being transported without bearing an approved indicator to an "approved identification sites" (formerly known as "tagging sites") in order to be safely identified with an approved indicator. Only auction markets and assembly yards would be eligible in providing identification services as an approved identification site. The operator of the approved identification site would be required to report the application of the approved indicator to the animal.

Removal and replacement of approved indicators

Under specific circumstances and under the supervision of a CFIA inspector, it would be permitted to remove an approved indicator from an animal before it is slaughtered or after it's been found dead. The operator of a site that receives animals not bearing an approved indicator would still be required to apply an approved indicator to the animal. This requirement would be extended to those who receive caprine or cervids. If the animal arrives at an abattoir and is slaughtered at the abattoir, the operator of the abattoir would be exempted from this requirement provided that the receipt of the animal is reported to the responsible administrator.

When are the proposed regulations expected to be published and come into effect? The proposed regulations are expected to be published in winter/spring 2020, at the earliest. Following the publication of the proposed regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette, stakeholders will have 75 days to review and provide comment. The CFIA will review and consider all comments received prior to finalizing the regulation amendments and publishing them in Part II of the Canada Gazette.

Additional information

Where to purchase approved indicators

For cattle, sheep, cervid within Quebec

Agri-Traçabilité Québec (ATQ)
Customer Service Toll-free number: 1 866 270-4319

Find a tagging site

How to report issues with approved tags

  • Report to CCIA
  • ATQ: 1-866-270-4319

Newsletter 3 – Premises identification

This third edition focuses on one of the key elements of the regulatory proposal: premises identification.

Why are amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations being proposed

The CFIA is proposing amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations to strengthen Canada's livestock traceability system.

The proposed federal traceability Regulations would require, amongst other things, reporting the premises identification number to a responsible administrator for a location where, for example, an approved indicator (tag) will be applied to an animal, an animal has been received or slaughtered, or; a carcass has been disposed.

What is a premises

A premises is a land parcel where livestock is kept, assembled or disposed of; for example, land parcels where farms, auction marts, assembly yards, abattoirs or rendering plants are located. Vehicles that carry livestock are not considered "premises".

What is premises identification

Premises identification is the process by which the operator of a premises (e.g. a farmer; the operator of an abattoir) would provide the following information to the provincial government where the premises is located: (a) the legal description of the premises, or if the land parcel has not been surveyed, the longitude and latitude coordinates inside or on the perimeter of the premises; (b) the operator's name and telephone number; (c) a list of the animal species anticipated by the operator to be present at the premises; and (d) the type of agricultural or agri-food operation that is carried out at the premises. Provincial governments may require additional information.

What is a Premises Identification Number

Once the provincial government has received and validated the information provided by the operator, it will provide a unique identification number to the premises (a Premises Identification Number). A premises is identified only once, regardless of how many animal species are kept, assembled or disposed of at the site, or whether the site is operated by more than one person. A premises already identified by a provincial or territorial government would not be required to be re-identified under the proposed federal Regulations.

How do I apply for a Premises Identification Number

Although the identification of premises is currently mandatory only in Québec, Alberta, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan, all provinces have systems in place to issue Premises Identification Number. Operators of a site without a Premises Identification Number can obtain one from their provincial (or territorial) government (see below). Participation in Provincial Premises Identification Programs is quick, easy and free. The process only takes a few minutes and you will be asked for basic land, animal and contact information.

Why is premises identification important

Premises identification is a way of linking livestock and poultry to specific land locations (or "premises") and is critical for controlling animal diseases and managing animal health emergencies (e.g. diseases, fires, floods, etc.). Premises identification makes it possible to trace an animal's movements from one point to another throughout the supply chain, making it easier to control the spread of disease and minimize the impact on the industry. The proposed amendments are expected to strengthen Canada's ability to respond quickly to health threats and other emergencies.

Regulatory Implementation Committee – Update on activities

An industry-government Regulatory Implementation Committee (RIC) has been formed with the objective to collaboratively identify and prioritize actions to help prepare for a smooth implementation of proposed amendments to the Regulations. Currently, the (RIC) is looking at engagement with stakeholders during the comment period when the proposed regulatory amendments would be published to Part I of the Canada Gazette, such as recruiting and nominating Livestock Traceability Ambassadors within the livestock sector.

When are the proposed Regulations expected to be published and come into effect

The proposed Regulations are expected to be published in winter/spring 2020. Following the publication of the proposed Regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette, stakeholders will have 75 days to review and provide comment.

The CFIA will review and consider all comments received prior to finalizing the regulation amendments and publishing them in Part II of the Canada Gazette. Once published in Part II of the Canada Gazette, the Regulations will be considered final and immediately come into force.

How to apply for a PID number

British Columbia - Premises ID

1-888-221-7141

Alberta Premises Identification Program

310-FARM (3276) toll free within Alberta

Saskatchewan - Premises Identification

1-866-457-2377

Manitoba - Premises Identification

204-945-7684

Ontario - Premises ID

1-855-697-7743

Agri-Traçabilité Québec

1-866-270-4319

New Brunswick - Register Animal Premises for Livestock and Poultry Traceability

506-453-2109

Nova Scotia - Premises Identification Program

1-800-279-0825

Prince Edward Island - Premises Identification

1-866-PEI-FARM

Yukon Disease Monitoring

1-867-667-3043

Newsletter 2 – Importance of traceability

This second edition aims to provide an overview of progress on proposed amendments to Part XV of the federal Health of Animals Regulations (hereafter referred to the "Regulations") that pertains to livestock identification and traceability.

Why are amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations being proposed

The goal of CFIA's proposed regulatory amendments is to address the gaps in the current livestock identification system previously identified during consultations in 2013 and 2015, including:

  • livestock species that share diseases are not all subject to traceability requirements
  • the time period allowed to report an event to a responsible administrator is too long to support an efficient response to disease outbreaks, or natural disaster
  • information about the geographical location of sites (premises) where animals are located is limited; and
  • information about the domestic movements of livestock is unknown or not readily available

An example of how these gaps can impact disease response was seen through the 19 cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada and during the recent bovine tuberculosis outbreak in Alberta and Saskatchewan. It is estimated that the number of farms quarantined could have been significantly reduced with improved premises identification and timely and accurate animal movement reporting.

What are some of the benefits of traceability for your operation

Effective traceability can better protect public health and support industry market access, competitiveness and consumer confidence. For example, individual animal indicator (tag) numbers can be tracked in voluntary systems like Beef InfoXchange (BIXS) which offer buyers and sellers the opportunity to share information on livestock with specific marketable traits. Traceability can also provide opportunities to improve productivity and profitability for livestock operations through precision agriculture management such as:

  • monitoring individual feed intake, weight gain and breeding and birthing performance
  • analyzing genetics and meat quality attributes of individual animals for better pricing
  • tracking shrink during transport to improve grade quality and sale weight
  • having historical data on genetic evaluations and performance by individual or breed
  • increasing your return on investment through feed efficiencies and genetic improvements using individual carcass quality data

Traceability can also benefit other agriculture sectors, like crop management, seed and crop performance, field rotations, pesticide application and nutrient management.

To hear from stakeholders in the livestock industry on how they see the value of livestock traceability, watch the Videos: Livestock and Poultry Traceability in Canada on the CFIA traceability web page.

Why is traceability important for Canada's livestock sector

Traceability is important because it provides timely, accurate and relevant information to reduce the impacts of a disease outbreak, food safety issue or natural disasters originating from and/or affecting livestock. While traceability is critical to protecting animal health, it also has strong marketing benefits for Canadian meat products domestically and in export markets with major buyers and retailers, including:

Traceability also plays a key role in programs that are in place to meet consumers' expectation for food safety, animal welfare and sustainability, such as the Canadian Cattlemen's Association Verified Beef Production Plus and the Dairy Farmers of Canada's proAction initiative or visit the DFC YouTube channel for more videos.

How is traceability used to help during an emergency

The first step to any investigation is to determine the identification number of an affected animal, and any movements made by that animal. This allows investigators to identify the locations where the animal may have interacted with other animals, helping to identify the source and contain the disease from spreading. Without identification and movement information, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the specific animals and herds that may have been impacted. The result is a larger number of animals and herds than necessary being implicated, quarantined or destroyed during a disease outbreak, which causes undue stress for livestock operators (for example, capital associated with quarantined animals, the restriction of movement of animals and equipment or destruction of years of breeding traits in a herd).

For example, a recent outbreak of bovine tuberculosis in Alberta and Saskatchewan in November 2016 resulted in tracing back animal movements for the past five years to determine all animals that might have been infected. As a result of inadequate animal identification across many herds and the lack of animal movement information, more than 160 herds (56,000 animals) were quarantined until testing could be completed on the animals. The last quarantine was fully lifted in March 2018, after all trace-in and trace-out animals had been located and tested.

For more information on the Bovine Tuberculosis outbreak and response by the CFIA, watch the video series "Behind the scenes during the bovine tuberculosis (TB) outbreak investigation" on the CFIA web site.

Proposed changes to Canada's Livestock Identification and Traceability Program aim to reduce the length of time it takes to trace-in and trace-out herds from weeks to days by using animal identification, premises identification, and movement information entered into the responsible administrator's database – improving data accuracy and availability in the event of a disease outbreak or an emergency.

Regulatory Implementation Committee – Update on activities

An industry-government Regulatory Implementation Committee (RIC) has been formed with the objective to collaboratively identify and prioritize actions to help prepare for a smooth implementation of proposed amendments to the Regulations. Currently, the (RIC) is:

  • developing a template for collecting information to accompany the movement of animals that can be used voluntarily in the absence of a provincially regulated document or manifest
  • looking at engagement with stakeholders during the comment period when the proposed amendments are published to Part I of the Canada Gazette, such as recruiting and nominating Livestock Traceability Ambassadors within the livestock sector

When are the proposed Regulations expected to be published and come into effect

The proposed Regulations are expected to be published in winter/spring 2020. Following the publication of the proposed Regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette, stakeholders will have 75 days to review and provide comment.

The CFIA will review and consider all comments received prior to finalizing the regulation amendments and publishing them in Part II of the Canada Gazette. Once published in Part II of the Canada Gazette, the Regulations will be considered final and immediately come into force.

What are steps you can take now to be prepared for the new traceability Regulations

  1. Get a Premises Identification (PID) number for your operation. Those who already have a premises identification number that is validated and up to date will not need to re-apply for a new number under the proposed Regulations. Find out how you can confirm or acquire your Premises Identification Number on the CFIA web site at Livestock identification and traceability
  2. Contact your responsible administrator (CCIA, PigTrace or ATQ) to confirm or acquire a database account and provide your valid PID
  3. Ensure every bison, cattle, sheep, and with some exceptions pigs, has an approved indicator applied to it before it leaves your livestock operation

Newsletter 1 – General information

This update aims to provide an overview of progress on proposed amendments to Part XV of the federal Health of Animals Regulations (hereafter referred to the "Regulations") that pertains to livestock identification and traceability.

Industry and government working together towards full traceability

Over the last decade, industry and government representatives have been working together to develop strategies and action plans for moving livestock traceability initiatives forward in Canada. This hard work and effort has resulted in regulatory requirements for identifying and reporting the slaughter of cattle, bison, sheep and pigs, as well as reporting the movement of pigs. These activities help to safeguard the health and safety of livestock and the food supply chain.

Consultations with industry and provinces identified some gaps and opportunities to improve the livestock traceability system in Canada. Feedback received set the foundation for changes being proposed to the Regulations. The objective of the proposed regulatory amendments is to address the gaps previously identified during consultations in 2013 and 2015.

Who will be impacted by the proposed changes to the Regulations

Persons who own or have care of cattle, bison, sheep, pigs or farmed wild boars (for example, operators of a farm, auction, assembly yard, fairground, abattoir, rendering plant) are already subject to traceability requirements under the Regulations. In addition to those persons, the proposed regulatory amendment would also apply to persons who own or have care of goats and farmed deer and elk. The requirements would apply to all operations regardless of size.

What are some of the changes being proposed

The proposed livestock traceability regulation amendments will align with livestock identification and traceability requirements already adopted by provincial and territorial governments. Some of the changes under the proposed amendments are:

  • identification requirements for goat, farmed deer, and elk thereby broadening the scope of activities and animals that are subject to traceability requirements
  • with some exemptions, the domestic movement of animals for all regulated species will be required to be reported
  • the allowable time to report the movement or death of animals to the responsible administrator will be reduced to seven (7) days from 30 days
  • certain information will be required to accompany a load of animals and/or animal carcasses being transported:
    • the format/media on which the information should be provided will not be prescribed within the Regulations, but could include paper or electronic forms
    • this federal requirement would not apply for species where similar provincial regulatory requirement already exist
    • to support transporters with compliance in provinces that do not currently require any movement documentation, a voluntary movement document template would be made available
  • persons who own or have the care of livestock would be required to provide the premises identification number for the location where approved indicators are applied to their animals
    • should the animals be moved to a new location, outside of the farm operation, the premises identification number for the destination location would also need to be provided
    • a premises identified by a provincial or territorial government will not be required to be re-identified through the proposed federal Regulations

When are the proposed changes expected to come into effect

The proposed Regulations are expected to be published in winter or spring 2020. Following the publication of the proposed Regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette, stakeholders will have 75 days to review and provide comment.

CFIA will review and consider all comments received prior to finalizing the regulation amendments and publishing them in Part II of the Canada Gazette. Once published in Part II of the Canada Gazette, the Regulations will be considered final and immediately come into force.

Regulatory Implementation Committee

An industry-government Regulatory Implementation Committee has been formed with the objective to collaboratively identify and prioritize actions to help prepare for a smooth implementation of proposed amendments to the Regulations. Current priorities of this committee include:

  • coordinating communications with provinces, industry and those who will be subject to the Regulations
  • developing a template for collecting information to accompany the movement of animals that can be used in the absence of a provincially regulated document or manifest
  • verifying that databases are ready for the collection of domestic movement information for all regulated species; and
  • informing and training inspectors and front line staff on the new requirements

The focus of this committee leading up to publication of the draft regulation amendment in Canada Gazette (Part I) will be communications with regulated parties so that they are aware of the proposed changes and what it will mean for them and their business when the new Regulations come into force.

Regulatory Implementation Committee Members

  • Agri-Traçabilité Québec
  • Canadian Bison Association
  • Canadian Cattlemen's Association
  • Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
  • Canadian Cervid Alliance
  • Canadian National Goat Federation
  • Canadian Pork Council / PigTrace
  • Canadian Sheep Federation
  • Dairy Farmers of Canada
  • Provinces of:
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
    • Saskatchewan
    • Manitoba
    • Ontario
    • Quebec
    • Nova Scotia
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Date modified: