The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has reached an agreement to allow its traceability program to be administered by the Canadian Sheep Federation.
The hand-over will take effect at the end of this year.
For sheep producers, this means the industry will have a more direct role in guiding the system it relies on, with CSF providing the national leadership, administration and support needed to deliver it, the sheep federation said.
Chairman Fred Baker said “this announcement caps 20 years of progress in traceability for the Canadian sheep industry.
"Now the work of making traceability deliver for Canadian lamb producers can begin. This agreement reflects confidence in our industry’s ability to lead and support that system, and we take that
responsibility seriously”.
As part of a 90-day transition period, the Canadian Sheep Identification Program (CSIP) will begin operating under the name SheepTrace.
The federation will also establish a SheepTrace Advisory Committee to help guide the program.
The committee will have representation from every province, including
producers and other industry stakeholders.