Overview of Proposed Livestock Traceability Regulations
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has proposed new livestock traceability regulations under Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations. These changes aim to enhance the ability to track livestock throughout their lifecycle, which is crucial for responding to disease outbreaks and ensuring market access.
Key Proposed Changes
Identification Requirements
- Cattle
must be tagged with either a Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
(CCIA) tag for beef cattle or a DairyTrace tag for dairy cattle before
leaving the farm.
- New tags must be applied to cattle that arrive without a tag or lose their tag, and this must be reported within 7 days.
Premises Identification
- Producers
must have a Premises Identification Number (PID) to link livestock to
specific locations. This is essential for disease control and must be
reported when purchasing tags or reporting cattle movements.
Reporting Movements
- Producers
will need to report the movement of cattle to and from community
pastures within 7 days, although individual tag numbers do not need to
be reported in these cases.
Current Status
These proposed regulations are not yet finalized and have been paused for further consultation. The CFIA is seeking feedback from producers and stakeholders to ensure the regulations are practical and beneficial. The anticipated publication of these amendments was scheduled for Spring 2026 but is currently on hold.
