ABBOTSFORD – Applications are now being accepted for the next round of funding for the BC traceability adoption and livestock tag reader rebate programs. Part of the federal-provincial Canadian Agricultural Program (CAP), the programs provide funding for software, hardware and training for farmers and agribusinesses to adopt traceability programs. “Traceability is the ability to track a …
traceability
Small farmers raise concerns about CanadaGAP
VERNON – Government efforts to provide greater assurances of food safety are creating apprehension among smaller farmers regarding the additional work they will face in order to satisfy customer requirements. Randy Irwin, corporate retail operations manager with Vernon-based Nature’s Fare Market, sums up the situation well. “The problem with CanadaGAP is that it is government-supported …
BC considers making premises ID mandatory
VICTORIA—Since 2011, the BC Ministry of Agriculture has run a voluntary premises identification program for farm owners to voluntarily register their property and animals. Registration helps to protect animal health and facilitates a rapid response in the event of emergencies. Anyone from hobby farmers with one or two animals to large commercial livestock operators can …
New year, new funding
A new fiscal year is giving BC producers a chance to tap into fresh funding for projects ranging from traceability to replant projects. A six-week intake for producers seeking funding to help them meet new federal traceability requirements ended February 28, and is being reprised now through March 2020, with a claims deadline of February …
Traceability regulations expected next year
ARMSTRONG – The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency wants farmers to get ahead of new traceability regulations expected to come into effect next year. CCIA general manager Anne Brunet-Burgess has worked on the regulations since 2015 and the due date has moved several times, but she now expects the first draft to be published in spring …
Traceability regs to include animal movement
PENDER ISLAND – Traceability regulations are right around the corner. The promise is something livestock producers have heard before, but this time the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says it’s the truth. Sometime within the next year, regulations will require more than just an approved ear tag. Premises will have to be registered and movements …