Feedlots in Alberta will soon be required to record and report cattle move-in information to the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency.
In a newsletter released Thursday, the provincial ag department said the new requirement will kick in on Jan. 1, 2009, requiring this information to be recorded as cattle arrive and reported to the CCIA within seven days.
The CCIA tag number of each animal leaving a feedlot and not going to slaughter must also be reported within seven days to CCIA, the province said.
Many feedlots in this province record this information already, the province said, but making it a requirement to submit this data to CCIA is expected to “contribute significantly to Alberta’s traceability capabilities and the province’s ability to handle a foreign animal disease or other highly contagious disease threatening animal and/or public health.”
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This new requirement comes along with a requirement for feedlots to complete the new premise identification form. That requirement was outlined in a recent letter from the province to feedlots, outlining measures they must take to qualify for payments under the second Alberta Farm Recovery Plan (AFRP II).
Alberta feedlots that haven’t yet received an initial AFRP II cheque are asked to contact the provincial Agriculture Financial Services Corp. at 1-877-744-7900.
