This release was issued under a previous government.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Verlyn Olson watches a demonstration of the new online Premises Identification registration system with Katherine Altman, Manager of Extension and Education for Traceability
The Premises Identification (PID) online registration system has been updated to provide a more user-friendly way for producers to register or update their information.
The mandatory PID program is the first step in the traceability system that links livestock and poultry to land locations. The information collected through the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development PID system allows industry and government to locate animals more quickly and accurately to confine a disease outbreak or an emergency such as a flood or fire.
Another key animal health and safety initiative for the livestock industry is BSE surveillance. Testing cows for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is crucial to keeping Alberta’s beef markets open, and protecting and building the success of our province’s cattle and dairy industries. Alberta’s BSE testing program is a partnership among producers, industry organizations, veterinarians, and the Governments of Alberta and Canada.
A new video featuring Alberta producers outlines the importance of monitoring animal health with regular BSE testing. The video also outlines the process that livestock beef and dairy producers can follow to ensure they maintain regular testing protocols.
The tools highlight the importance of Alberta’s traceability systems, inspection rigor and monitoring for food safety by providing quality assurance to consumers at home and abroad.
These tools are on display at the Agriculture and Rural Development booth at Farmfair International in Edmonton until November 9.