Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Livestock Traceability in Canada - Is it do-able?

Do you think the Federal Provincial Territorial Ministers (Canada) commitment at the FPT meeting this summer of having a full traceability system for Livestock in place by 2011 is achievable?

Views: 663

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rocky on October 6, 2009 at 1:07am
I think it can be - but the question I always wonder is who is paying for it? I'm not going to argue with the concept - I think it's good -- I just think it's really expensive that doesn't equal real results. I mean - shouldn't beef guys be making money with all the improved traceability and market access they've gotten? Is having a system for pigs going to help them make money? I don't think so.
Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on October 6, 2009 at 10:00am
Hi Sara:

I agree with some of the points Rocky makes.
The technology is certainly available to implement a system.

The issue is the cost/benefits - governments can mandate a system like in beef but can a system create the added value from a marketing price perspective to warrant the extra costs.

Are we generating a premium for Canadian Beef because of traceability over non traced beef on the world market or in any market.

Identity Preserved soybeans do generate a premium for the producer so they can decide to do the extra work for the extra revenue...so there are market driven models that do work.

Thanks,

Joe
Permalink Reply by pigsrgr8 on October 8, 2009 at 5:39am
Pretty low priority on hog farms these days.
Permalink Reply by Steve Twynstra on October 8, 2009 at 2:21pm
Not a chance for the non-SM sector....I give the SM sector a 95% chance of pulling it off. There will be a traceability scheme....a la gun control, eHealth, etc., but as far as being real-time current this will only be a dream. Without a clear and bankable economic benefit for participants it will be in perpetual disarray. Throw in the myriad of 'hobby' livestock practioners and I shudder at the resources about to be wasted. Not to say that it isn't a necessary idea, but the approach has been all wrong. Unlike IP crop production where the marketplace expects and rewards traceability, I just don't see the same pressure along the generic export livestock food chain beyond what is already existing. As for the idea of traceabilty to combat disease outbreaks...I see too many feathers flying overhead or wildlife around in its natural state to take much consolation. Unlike certain equipment dealers that record every size and make of every machine in their market area for competitve reasons, I just don't see the same degree of impetus driving this agenda by the processors.

However, if livestock processors or exporters are driving this agenda then WHY is public money and government so involved? Not content to lobby for the demise of local abattoirs thru overbearing food safety regs, or to rest after successfully passing the murder of 22 citizens thru tainted meat onto government, they have now successfully convinced decision makers to ante up public dollars to rebuild and enhance their marketing efforts. Will National Grocers be more content and pay a premium to stock Ontario livestock products over foreign product? I think our dollar approaching par will have more say. Now please tell me where I am wrong and what I am missing?
Permalink Reply by Steve Twynstra on October 8, 2009 at 2:22pm
..just another way for decision makers to divert their attention from the REAL issues facing Canadian agriculture!!
Permalink Reply by Bristow on January 9, 2010 at 8:11pm
It is a joke and puts extra cost on the product, if the meat is not edible all those meat inspectors are not doing their job are they. Plus the retard who came up with this whole concept should be run out of town as carpet bagger, and the money should be spent on something more practical. The consumer doesn't care and will only buy the cheap imported meat. An other example of miss management, and pricing your local product out of the market. An if you are a farm and don't see what it is, then more fool you. Doomsday book rember that passed history.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Fertilizer Canada responds to U.S. tariff threat

The U.S. can’t increase its fertilizer production overnight, Fertilizer Canada says

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Welcomes Three Directors to Board

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) is pleased to announce the results of its Board of Directors election, following the close of voting on November 28. The election brings one new Director to the board while retaining two Directors for another term. Joining the SPG Board is Dan Flynn of Lucky Lake. SPG welcomes back Robyn Henry of Hodgeville and Stuart Lawrence of Rosetown, who were both re-elected. The newly elected Directors will officially join SPG’s Board in January 2026, following the organization’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). “On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Dan, Robyn, and Stuart,” says SPG Chair Winston van Staveren. “Each elected member brings valuable experience, expertise, and diverse perspectives that represent a wide range of growing regions across the province. I also want to thank all the candidates who put their names forward. The increased level of engagement and strong slate of candidates this year was positive to see.” Van Staveren also ack

Pulse Market Insight #287

Big Crops But No Surprises From StatsCan The long-awaited 2025 yield and production estimates from StatsCan were released this week but were a bit anticlimactic; anyone looking for a surprise in the numbers would have been disappointed. Yes, crops were certainly larger this year but that was already expected. During harvest, reports of very large yields kept coming in, well above StatsCan’s August and September numbers. As a result, this month’s higher yield estimates from StatsCan were anticipated. In fact, it would have been a shock if the yield numbers hadn’t changed. These latest estimates from StatsCan were based on a large farmer survey conducted in November and confirmed the positive harvest results. In fact, they may have understated the actual yields, as they sometimes do. The StatsCan numbers show the total 2025 pulse crop at 8.22 mln tonnes, a jump of more than 2 million tonnes from last year and the largest production since 2016/17. There were differences for each of the

Alberta Grains and Western Crop Innovations Launch Three-Year Agreement to Strengthen Barley Breeding in Alberta

Alberta Grains (AG) and Western Crop Innovations (WCI) have signed a new three-year Breeding and Technician Chair agreement to advance feed barley breeding in Alberta. Announced at the Alberta Grains Regional Meeting in Lacombe, the partnership represents a $600,000 investment from Alberta Grains, delivered at $200,000 per year, to fund a breeder and senior technician dedicated to high-impact barley research and variety development. Strengthening the Future of Public Plant Breeding in Canada Cereal breeding in Canada has long relied on public funding, but the landscape is rapidly shifting. With the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) moving forward on Seed Regulatory Modernization and farmers urging Prime Minister Carney’s government to recognize agriculture’s economic importance, the need for sustainable public plant breeding has become a national discussion. At the same time, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) faces budget reductions and plans to exit variety development i

Maizex Seeds Invests in the Future of Seed Corn Production in Canada

Maizex Seeds, the seed division of Sollio Agriculture, announces the groundbreaking of a major $8.8 million investment in a new seed corn processing and packaging plant at their Blenheim, Ontario, facility. Maizex Seeds is a national company producing and selling corn and soybean seeds to farmers from coast to coast in Canada under the Maizex brand. The company also sells forage seeds and cereal varieties to farmers in eastern Canada and recently introduced several canola hybrids.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service