A new Premises Identification program, supported by $400,000 in funding, is being launched in Manitoba as part of the national livestock traceability system, Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Stan Struthers announced.
An agriculture premise is defined as a parcel of land on any part of which animals, plants or food are grown, kept, assembled or disposed of.
“Protecting our food system is vital to the future of our agriculture industry,” said Struthers. “Producers understand that this new premises identification database program is an essential tool for planning and managing animal health, food-safety issues and emergencies, while also supporting trade and market access.”
The Premises Identification program is being established to track the location of animals in case of an animal disease occurrence, a public-health related emergency or an emergency such as a natural disaster affecting animals and people.
Manitoba’s program has started with the collection of information on livestock and poultry production locations. Earlier this year, livestock producers began submitting premises identification information as part of their applications for Growing Forward programs funding. The producer information, including owner, type of livestock or poultry and location, was entered into a database for future reference.
All provinces are responsible for developing a premises identification database, in accordance with national standards.
Manitoba is working with federal, provincial and industry partners to develop this critical step towards the national traceability system that will come into effect in 2011, Struthers said.
