RFID Traceability Incentive Program
Alberta Sheep Electronic Identification Incentive Program
February 16, 2011
Agriculture & Rural Development and Alberta Lamb Producers have worked together to develop an RFID tag incentive program for Alberta sheep producers.
Producers will purchase Allflex or Shearwell RFID tags from CCWG and then apply to Agriculture & Rural Development for the incentive payment once the RFID CSIP tags are applied to their lambs.
Program conditions and application form are now available on-line.
Information on RFID tags, equipment and SEIPP is also available on SheepCentral.
The news release and backgrounder relate to RFID tag incentive programs for both the sheep and cervid industries, each program is tailored to the respective industry.
February 16, 2011
Traceability programs help support Alberta's agriculture industry
New programs will provide benefit to cervid and sheep producersEdmonton... The Alberta government is introducing two new traceability programs for the province’s sheep and cervid (elk, deer, etc.) industries.
The cervid identification and registration program supports the cervid industry’s efforts to comply with Livestock Industry Diversification Act (LIDA) requirements and strengthens Alberta’s cervid information system. An electronic identification incentive program will encourage sheep producers to use radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags.
“Alberta’s cervid industry has pioneered livestock traceability in our province and I applaud the foresight and leadership of the Alberta Elk Commission in advancing traceability for cervids for over a decade,” said Jack Hayden, Minister of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “I also recognize the progressive approach taken by the Alberta Lamb Producers in embracing RFID ear tag technology.
hese programs are stepping stones towards strengthening Alberta’s traceability systems, and focus on encouraging industry cooperation and participation, rather than strictly relying on a regulatory approach.”
Both programs are aimed at improving the province’s traceability systems that support animal health, public health, food safety, industry marketing initiatives and opportunities.
“Stringent traceability requirements have been in place for Alberta’s cervid industry for over 15 years. I am very pleased to see the hard work and commitment of our producers recognized through this program,” said Glenda Elkow, Chair of the Alberta Elk Commission. “As leaders in our industry in Canada, the Alberta Elk Commission has long championed traceability as a key part of our ongoing marketing strategies, reflecting the unique needs of our industry.”
“This program will benefit Alberta’s lamb producers as they make the change to RFID ear tags for traceability,” said Phil Kolodychuk, Chair of Alberta Lamb Producers. “Transitioning to RFID technology better positions Alberta’s sheep industry for success by enabling producers to improve flock management and increase productivity.”
Total incentive payments for sheep are estimated at $900,000 over two years, $450,000 per year, and will be distributed among the approximately 1,900 sheep farms in Alberta. Total program payments for cervids are estimated at $90,000 over three years, $30,000 per year, and will be distributed among the 344 licensed cervid farms in Alberta. Funding for both programs will come from the province’s $15 million Age-Verification Incentive Program, announced on May 17, 2010.
These programs are an investment in the agriculture industry’s long-term success and the economic health of Alberta’s rural communities. It is part of The Way Forward and the Government of Alberta’s clear plan for a strong economic recovery.
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Backgrounder: Details on the cervid and sheep programs.
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Rick Frederickson, Acting Executive Director Traceability
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
780-643-1572Ag Media Line
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
780-422-1005To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
February 16, 2011
Details on the cervid and sheep programs
Cervid identification and registration programWhat is the purpose of the program?
To further encourage the Alberta cervid industry’s compliance with Livestock Industry Diversification Act (LIDA) requirements. This program will further strengthen Alberta’s cervid information system that supports animal health, public health, food safety and industry development initiatives.
Who is eligible for the cervid incentive program?
All farmed cervid license holders in Alberta that double-tag their animals and annually register them in Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s (ARD) Cervid Farming System (CFS) are eligible for the program.
What animals are eligible for the program?
Elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, reindeer and moose born on Alberta licensed cervid farms in 2009, 2010 and 2011 that are double-tagged with ARD-approved ear tags and reported to the CFS as per LIDA requirements are eligible.
How does the program for cervids work?
The cervid program is a three-year program (2009-2011). Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development will issue a direct mail-out to all current farmed cervid license holders. The mail-out will include partially pre-populated application forms customized to each farm license holder. In order to qualify for payment of $6 for each calf that is double-tagged and registered, each farm license holder will be required to verify the information already preloaded onto the form, complete the remaining required portions of the form, and return it to ARD.
Program recipients will receive program payments based upon the verification of eligibility and approval of each application. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is currently working with industry to finalize specific program details. Application forms will be mailed out to all current farm license holders in March 2011.
Electronic identification and reporting program for sheep
What is the purpose of the program?
To encourage the Alberta sheep industry’s transition to radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags as their primary means of animal identification. This program serves to improve Alberta’s sheep information system that supports animal health, public health, food safety and industry development initiatives.
Who is eligible for the sheep incentive program?
All sheep producers in Alberta that tag their lambs, born between December 1, 2010 and November 30, 2012, with Canadian Sheep Identification Program (CSIP)-approved RFID tags.
What animals are eligible for the program?
Lambs born between December 1, 2010 and November 30, 2012 that are tagged with CSIP-approved RFID ear tags purchased between November 1, 2010 and November 30, 2012 are eligible.
How does the sheep incentive program work?
The incentive program is a two-year program (2011-2012), and applicants will follow a two-step process in order to qualify for reimbursement of up to $3 per tag applied:
Step 1: Sheep producers will purchase CSIP-approved RFID ear tags. The tags must be applied on each lamb born between December 1, 2010 and November 30, 2012. This step fulfills CSIP animal identification requirements whereby all lambs must be CSIP tagged before leaving the farm of origin.
Step 2: Producers will submit a program application form to ARD that indicates the number of lambs tagged with CSIP-approved RFID ear tags within a given lambing period.
Program recipients will receive program payment based upon the verification of eligibility and approval of each application. Application forms will be available on the ARD website at www.agriculture.alberta.ca, as well as at all ARD field offices.
Why are only RFID tags acceptable under this program?
The intent of this program is to encourage adoption of RFID technology, which is fairly new to the sheep industry. The utilization of RFID ear tags makes it possible to quickly and accurately access an animal’s individual ID. Paired with the appropriate reader and farm management software, the use of RFID ear tags enables producers to access and update production information on an individual animal basis, in real time, as animals are handled or sorted. RFID tags also provide for a more practical means of movement tracking.
Additional program information
How will individual business information used to administer the program be protected?
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is bound by privacy legislation and government-to-government agreements, and this is taken very seriously. Information will only be shared with appropriate government agencies and third-party partners who are directly involved with managing the program. Confidential information about producers or their businesses will not be shared outside the scope of these agreements and producer program consent forms.
Where can producers find more information on this program?
Producers who wish to know more about the program can call toll-free 310-FARM (3276). They can also access online information on the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development website at www.agriculture.alberta.ca.
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Media inquiries may be directed to:
Rick Frederickson, Acting Executive Director Traceability
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
780-643-1572Ag Media Line
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
780-422-1005To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
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