Standardizing electronic data in agriculture can help create more effective traceability systems.

Standardizing the future of food traceability

Developing repeatable standards – and hopefully gaining a competitive advantage

As demands for more detailed traceability systems build, many are looking to blockchain technology — systems that securely record data about food at every stage in the value chain — as an ideal technological solution. Why it matters: Standardized blockchain frameworks could help speed the adoption of rigorous traceability systems, and potentially give Canadian producers […] Read more

There will be some tagging differences after DairyTrace starts on Oct. 5, including changes to dairy animals destined for meat.

Dairy-specific tags central to DairyTrace implementation

Developers try to minimize impacts for farmers and processors

Canada’s dairy sector will begin reporting all cattle movements to the national database DairyTrace starting Oct. 5, but administrators say the impact on day-to-day management should be minimal. What is DairyTrace? The database-to-be is described as a single, common framework for dairy farmers to track animal identity and movements. It’s a copy of a pre-existing […] Read more

(Obhecc.com)

Ontario’s broiler egg tracking systems backed for upgrades

Systems used to track broiler hatching egg and chick production in Ontario will get upgrades using federal-provincial cost-shared funding. The federal and Ontario governments on Monday last week announced up to $141,450 through the Place to Grow: Agri-food Innovation Initiative, a Canadian Agricultural Partnership program, for the Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg and Chick Commission (OBHECC). […] Read more

The effects are rippling all the way back to the farm helping producers capture value through niche marketing while assuring consumers they are getting what they paid for.

Traceability making its mark on food systems

From “fingerprinting” beef to blockchain technology that expose organic fraud, traceability systems are becoming more common in the food supply chain

You could call it traceability with a capital T. It’s taking various forms, but the notion of tracking ingredients from field to fork is sweeping through the food system thanks to a combination of new technology and marketplace pressures. The effects are rippling all the way back to the farm helping producers capture value through […] Read more

The RiteHeight sensor for sprayer booms has been a success for Greentronics.

Made-in-Ontario technology simplifies crop traceability

The RiteTrace system help to limit paper record-keeping and makes quality assurance easier

Technology developed by an Elmira-based company is breaking new ground in food safety, traceability and crop management for potato growers. RiteTrace is the latest application for the potato industry from Greentronics, which has also developed a boom height control system for potato harvesters that can be used on sprayers, as well as a yield mapping […] Read more


Some industry representatives feel that the current ear tag system is not being used to its full potential.

Information-sharing in the beef value chain still in its infancy

Many see the potential but few are seeing the rewards of beef traceability systems

Beef traceability systems have proven their worth during disease outbreaks but the benefits are far less tangible when it comes to meaningful connections between players in the value chain, a panel discussion during the Canadian Beef Industry Conference was told. “We’ve spent thousands of dollars putting those (Canadian Cattle Identification Agency) tags in ears, and […] Read more

There's potential for big data to be an important tool to help eliminate disease risks.

Need growing for big data on pigs

There are an increasing number of projects that collect and share data in the swine industry, to increase efficiency and manage disease

Big data and information systems are becoming an increasingly large part of the pork industry in Ontario. Systems that were created independently for disease surveillance and software to manage pig traceability are now starting to converge, creating more efficiencies and higher value information for the sector. Why it matters: There are increasing demands for documentation […] Read more



(PHMilling.com)

Ottawa to back P+H’s Hamilton flour mill

Winnipeg agrifood firm Parrish and Heimbecker has lined up more government financing for its planned new flour mill at Hamilton, this time from the federal level. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Thursday announced a $10 million “repayable investment” in the project from the AgriInnovation program, part of the Growing Forward 2 ag policy funding framework. […] Read more

(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Fines now an option for pig traceability enforcement

Canadian hog producers who don’t follow the federal requirements for animal identification and tracking of animal movements could now be fined for non-compliance, though it’s expected such fines would be a “last resort.” The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Wednesday announced new amendments to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations, allowing CFIA-designated officials […] Read more