An update on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) proposed changes to traceability regulations was provided on a Tuesday night webinar hosted by the Saskatchewan Cattle Association.
The proposed traceability rule changes were first announced late last year, but the reaction was swift and intense from the beef cattle community. Among the complaints from producers was the proposed additional reporting on cattle movement would be too burdensome. In response to the criticism, the CFIA paused the changes in January this year in order to get more feedback.
Leading up to Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Cattle Association was holding open forum meetings around the province to get their own feedback from producers. The Canadian Cattle Association and Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association also did the same.
Heather Brown, the CFIA National Manager of Humane Transport and Livestock Traceability Programs, was on the webinar.
"The main messaging is really that CFIA has carefully considered the feedback from all the industry stakeholders and associations that we've heard during the pause regarding the proposed amendments. And we've heard what the beef cattle producers are saying about burden and extra regulations and extra burden. And so we will not be introducing any new burden or any new regulatory burden for cattle producers.
However, with the traceability regulatory package that we're trying to move forward, there are other livestock sectors that the regulations affect. So the sheep and goat and cervid and pig sector. And so the CFIA does hope to move forward with changes that are supported by those sectors. For example, goats and cervids don't have even identification. The pig sector wanted some changes to their regulations that already exist. So those are some examples.
Click here to see more...