The Rural Voice, 2003-09, Page 62News
September 1 sees changes in CCIA rules
A review of the Canadian Cattle
Identification Agency (CCIA)
program following the discovery of
one cow infected by BSE will lead to
changes in the program. the agency's
board has announced.
Beginning on September 1, 2003
the Candian Foot. Inspection Agency
will begin fuller enforcement of the
Regulations that prohibit the
transportation and the receipt of
untagged animals. This means that,
unless the animals fall under one of
the four specific exemptions which
allow untagged animals to be shipped
to registered Community Pastures,
Veterinary Clinics, Test Stations or
Exhibition Sites, the trucker or the
receiver of untagged cattle may be in
violation and subject to a fine. Cattle
Custom Application Of
Fertilizer And Herbicides
Sprucedale Agromart Ltd.
has 7 sprayer units for timely application
of herbicides, 2 airflows and one spinner
unit to spread fertilizer when and where
you need it.
Ask us about our nutrient
management services
• We can sow your wheat
• Leading varieties of seed
wheat available
Sprucedale
Agromart
Limited
Hanover Tara
519-364-4070 519-934-2340
58 THE RURAL VOICE
being sent to an approved tagging
site will, of course remain exempt.
This enhanced enforcement is
what we need, says CCIA Chairman
Brad Wildeman, and is no hardship
to the vast majority of producers who
already observe the rules. But it is
obvious that from now on trading
nations are going to require their
trading partners to have credible and
auditable livestock identification
systems.
While CFIA will continue to use
their discretion in regards to lost tags,
the intent of the program is to
achieve 100 per cent compliance. It
is expected that the only tags that
will be missing are those lost in
transit, and that all cattle are properly
identified immediately prior to
transport. Untagged cattle may, of
course, continue to be transported to
and received by approved tagging
facilities.
Those are the only immediate
changes. But the Board has decided
to eliminate the exemptions for
Community Pastures, Exhibition
Sites, Test Stations and Veterinary
Clinics just as soon as the regulations
can be amended. That means that the
only exemption remaining will be the
provision that allows untagged cattle
to be transported to an approved
tagging site.
CCIA was very successful in its
ability to trace cattle and limit the
number of herds and feedlots that
were involved in this very difficult
investigation. While always looking
for ways to improve, the CCIA says
it has no intention of introducing
further changes unless they are
necessary and do not add
significantly to producer costs.
Canada must continue to do what
is necessary to regain access to
foreign markets, the agency says and
promises it will continue to evaluate
new technologies, such as Electronic
ear tags, to determine how they can
benefit the identification program as
enhancements are considered.0