The announcement follows a separate, related communication from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), 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 toward the targeted timeline, as defined with proAction.

Under federal regulations and 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 toward 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:

• ATQ has expertly led the livestock traceability program in Québec for over 18 years. ATQ will be hosting, supporting, and transferring data to the DairyTrace system and will continue to provide its well-established services to Québec producers via SimpliTRACE.
  
  
• Outside Québec, dairy producers will continue to purchase dairy bovine tags via the National Livestock Identification for Dairy (NLID) program, which will now be dovetailed alongside DairyTrace customer services. Both will be offered from Holstein Canada.

Lactanet and DFC acknowledge and express appreciation to CFIA, as well as for the financial support provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through its Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program.

Visit Dairy farmers of Canada dairytrace now set fall implementation following cfia approval for more information.

Founded in 1934, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is the national organization which defends the interests of Canadian dairy farmers and strives to create favourable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry. Working in accordance with supply management principles, DFC promotes safe, high quality, sustainable and nutritious Canadian dairy products made from 100% Canadian milk through various marketing, nutrition, policy and lobbying initiatives. Driven by a strong sense of community and pride, DFC and Canadian dairy farmers actively support a number of local and national activities. Visit Dairy Farmers of Canada for more information.