<?=getCodeSnippet(45);?>

Farm-Scape, Episode 2167

Alberta's approximately 13 hundred swine producers have started receiving the packages that contain their new slap tattoo and producer registration numbers.

As part of a national effort to develop a multispecies livestock identification and traceability system, the Canadian pork industry has created a new slap tattoo numbering system and is now in the process of allocating those numbers to producers.

Under the new system tattoo numbers will be linked to the premise where swine are housed rather than to the producer and producers are free to request as many different tattoo numbers as they require.

Alberta Pork assistant general manager Paul Hodgman says the process of re-registering and updating producer information in Alberta began in February and registration packages started going out to producers earlier this week.

"The packages are going out to producers. They contain a letter stating what their tattoo numbers are, what their premise number is and, in Alberta, what their new producer numbers are as well.

We've moved from a ten digit number to a six digit number. Along with that statement there is a card that our producers can use when marketing their pigs that has all this information on and, in the letter, it states that effective July 10 this is when the implementation date is. Also Alberta Pork is working with marketers to help that transition period to move along smoothly. ."

Hodgman adds, in addition to the new tattoo and new producer registration numbers which are both scheduled to come into use July 10, the packages being sent to producers in Alberta also contain new premise registration numbers.

He notes the premise numbers, which are based on the legal land description of the actual site where the pigs are housed, will accommodate the new national traceability system as it's developed and won't actually be needed right away.

Staff Farmscape.Ca