Those involved in the Canadian livestock supply chain are being invited to participate in livestock premises identification as part of Premises ID Week, taking place July 25-31, 2017.

The initiative is being supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, provinces and territories, and members of the livestock industry.

Identifying premises for livestock operations has many benefits, particularly during an emergency or disease outbreak.

"Being able to trace the movement history of an animal from one point to another will strengthen Canada's ability to respond quickly to health threats and other emergencies," said Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay. "We encourage producers and stakeholders across the supply chain to increase participation in livestock premises identification."

The CFIA is considering changes to the Health of Animals Regulations for livestock traceability. These changes would require all Canadian operators of premises where livestock may be loaded or unloaded from a vehicle to have a valid premises identification number for each site, and to report the number when receiving livestock.

The five Canadian provinces with mandatory premises identification are Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta – but all provinces and territories have systems in place to issue PID numbers.