After years of planning and preparation, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is expecting to publish the final version of proposed amendments to Part XV of the Health of Animals Act in 2026. To help clarify what’s coming and what it means for you, we’ve compiled a few answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we’re hearing. Will I have to change when I tag cattle? There is no required…
A robust and effective traceability system finds a balance in technical reporting and practicality. Traceability is the ability to follow the movement of an animal or food product through different stages of the supply chain. The ability to track livestock through their lifecycle relies on three pillars: premise identification (PID), animal identification, and animal movement….
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) has launched a research project to test a new RFID movement scanner aimed at making cattle movement reporting faster and easier for producers. The initiative comes as proposed changes to Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations are expected to make livestock movement reporting mandatory. Once the amendments…
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is advancing identification and tracking technologies through its latest research project: The Smart Bolus System as a potential alternative to traditional livestock identification and reporting methods. Livestock traceability is a cornerstone of animal health, food safety and supply chain integrity in Canada. Smart bolus systems—similar in size and weight to…
Lost ear tags are a costly and frustrating reality on Canadian cattle ranches. Yet, tags play an integral role in in disease outbreak investigations, as well as in maintaining the credibility of Canada’s traceability system. The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) both examines and investigates reports of retention issues on an ongoing basis. Most of…
“The core objective of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) National Cattle Identification program is to create a system whereby every bovine animal sold by its original owner, and leaving its herd of origin, bears a unique identification number. That unique identification number will remain with that animal until it is slaughtered and after slaughter will…
Responding to a need brought forward by industry and under the direction of the Board of Directors, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) has just launched an initiative that links non-approved Ultra High Frequency Technology (UHF) secondary tags to approved CCIA tags in the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database. This new feature allows UHF users…
On July 11, CCIA brought tag distribution in-house and closer to industry. Moving away from a third-party provider allows producers to buy closer to the source and access any approved tag on the market, at competitive prices. The webstore tags.canadaid.ca has been revamped to provide a seamless shopping experience which is mobile-responsive, so you can…
Responding to a need brought forward by industry and under the direction of the Board of Directors, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) has just launched an initiative that links non-approved Ultra High Frequency Technology (UHF) secondary tags to approved CCIA tags in the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS), database. This new feature allows UHF users…
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the April edition of ABP Magazine. Since then, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has stated its aware of ongoing tag supply challenges, and is working closely to monitor the issue. CFIA says there are sufficient tag supplies available, but producers may need to use an alternate source/dealer…
Supply chain issues are affecting many products, including livestock identification devices. Shortage of raw material and staff absenteeism at manufacturing plants are now creating some noticeable delays. CDMV (CCIA’s distributor) is receiving some shipments periodically, but as the busy calving season is upon us, demand is exceeding availability for some products. It is important to…
It’s a tale as old as time: producers have a bag of extra tags laying around the barn “just in case.” But when activated tags are only used every once in a while, and the data associated with that tag isn’t updated properly, the impact is felt down the line, well after that cow has…