Quebec traceability system receives funding boost

Quebec – The federal government is investing up to $969,920 in Agri-Traçabilité Québec, an innovative joint traceability system designed to track agricultural products and livestock.

The Quebec agricultural traceability system, in place since 2001, was developed as a way to permanently identify and trace agricultural and agri-food products as they make their way from farm to fork. It is able to track livestock either individually or by lot.

This new funding will enable the system to be automated, and will allow it to integrate new system validation applications to achieve joint traceability, something that can be crucial in the event of an animal health or food safety emergency.

“The Harper Government recognizes the importance of a national livestock traceability system and the expertise developed by Agri-Traçabilité Québec in this area,” says the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State, Agriculture. “Canadian producers will be able to benefit from this type of innovative project, in particular through the automation of data validation and access to new markets.”

The investment is made through the Growing Forward program, part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative and its Canadian Industry Traceability Infrastructure Component.