In Alberta, all livestock producers must obtain a ID number from the agriculture department, and effective the beginning of March, cattle producers will have 10 months to apply RFID tags to their animals after they are born.
This is a plus, according to the Manitoba Co-operator, which released that the provincial government repealed its original regulation, which granted only up to eight months to apply its industry-approved RFID tag and register the animal’s birth date. Under the new regulation producers have received an extended period of up to 10 months after the animal is born.
Producers also have the option of using a cattle identifier, either a tattoo or production dangle tag, until applying an RFID tag at ten months or the animal leaves the farm; whichever comes first. This is something not offered in previous regulations.
The new regulations also state how to handle the retagging of cattle that have somehow lost their tag. In the event of an animal needing to be retagged, on-farm records must reflect the new approved tag number, the date applied and, if possible, the previous number of tag which was lost or replaced.
Livestock traceability regulations have been in effect since Jan. 1, 2009.
To find out more click here. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/rfidnews-4.gif)
