The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is looking at introducing new traceability regulations on the movement of cattle.

Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA) representatives are hoping the CFIA has a better understanding of our current animal traceability and Cattle Implementation Plan after a tour last month through Southern Saskatchewan and Alberta.

CCA Programs Manager, Jill Harvie, says they wanted to demonstrate the importance of the agreed-upon traceability principles and the Cattle Implementation Plan (CIP) with CFIA.

"The purpose of the tour was to give CFIA staff at the senior level a firsthand practical knowledge of tracking cattle from the ranch to the auction market and finally to a feedlot, especially during the busy time of year, the fall run.     

During the tour the group stopped at Kruczko Ranch at Maple Creek where they had a firsthand look at the gathering, sorting, and retagging of 600 calves before they were loaded onto a semi.

They also visited Perlich Brothers Auction Market Ltd. near Lethbridge, where they viewed the process of receiving cattle at the auction, and discussed how the calves are prepared for sale day.

"The key take away for them I think was to continuously work with us to work to understand our business better," she said. "We're doing a very good job of traceability in Canada and in any proposed regulations need to be complementary to what we are already doing and making sure that they hold true to the principle they agreed upon."   

Harvie says they wanted to make sure that whatever regulations the CFIA are proposing would make sense for the industry and would not impede the speed of commerce.

 

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