Dairy cattle traceability program to be launched in fall

June 22, 2020, Guelph, Ont. – Lactanet Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) have announced that DairyTrace, the much-anticipated national dairy cattle traceability program will become a reality in the fall, providing a single, common framework for dairy farmers to track animal identity and movements.

The announcement follows a separate, related communication from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently, recognizing Lactanet Canada as the national administrator responsible for dairy bovine animals under Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations.

“Providing protection and peace of mind to consumers is vital, and when it is fully implemented, DairyTrace will provide a high-quality, national dairy cattle traceability system that takes our industry’s efforts to the next level,” says Gert Schrijver, dairy producer and chairman of Lactanet’s DairyTrace advisory committee. “The launch of DairyTrace will be a pivotal milestone for dairy producers, as it will provide the data management infrastructure needed to provide – for the first time – a true, pan-Canadian picture of the movements of dairy cattle.”

DairyTrace takes advantage of existing structures, systems and solutions within the Canadian dairy cattle sector, which has the significant benefits of efficiency, cost effectiveness and timely implementation towards the targeted timeline as defined with proAction®.

Under federal regulations and/or proAction® requirements, everyone who owns or has the possession, care or control of dairy cattle must report animal identity, movement, location, and custodianship information.

Lactanet and DFC have been working collaboratively since 2016 towards the common vision of a national dairy cattle traceability program. By harmonizing data under a common, national framework, DairyTrace will promote information sharing and potentially add value to research and genetics initiatives, all while aligning with the traceability module of DFC’s proAction® program.

DairyTrace will be managed by Lactanet’s board of directors, with input and collaboration from DFC. DairyTrace takes advantage of existing structures, systems and solutions within the Canadian dairy cattle sector, including partnerships with Agri-Traçabilité Québec (ATQ) and Holstein Canada, which provides benefits in terms of efficiency, cost effectiveness and timely implementation.

Lactanet is the leading dairy herd improvement organization responsible for milk recording, genetic evaluations and knowledge transfer. As a farmer-run organization serving nearly 10,000 Canadian dairy producers, Lactanet provides the dairy industry with products and services to help manage their dairy operation for maximum efficiency and profitability.

DFC is the national policy, lobbying and promotional organization representing Canadian dairy producers.