By Melissa Hurst, AAg, Provincial Livestock Specialist

The Government of Saskatchewan needs your help with building a robust Premises identification (PID) database. PID is an important element in an effective traceability system. Registering your premises online is quick, easy and free, and now it’s required. Since December 2016, PID has been a requirement for participating in provincial livestock-related programs.

PID was established to plan for, control and prevent the spread of livestock diseases. PID is also being used as an early warning system for notifying producers of disasters which could affect their animals or operations, such as a flood or fire. Producers can also use traceability as a management tool. The ability to trace an animal throughout its life can provide many economic, environmental and social benefits.

We can easily see the benefits in the recent bovine tuberculosis situation. Officials were able to determine where the animals were located and potential movements occurring; live animal movements are a major transmission method for the spread of infectious agents.

As producers, you want to ensure you are in the best position possible to protect your cattle if a disease outbreak were to happen. Registering your premises allows for this. Saskatchewan can be in a better position to respond to disease outbreaks, and even prevent outbreaks, with a full database of information provided by producers. Registrants’ information is kept private and only used in such emergencies.

The federal government fully supports a national tractability system. PID supports the traceability system by linking livestock to specific geographical locations, allowing officials to quickly contact the owners of those animals and dispatch appropriate resources in the event of a livestock disease outbreak.

A fully functional traceability system requires:

1. Animal Identification (RFID tag). In Canada, cattle, sheep and bison require radio frequency identification tags when transported outside of their herd of origin.
2. Premises Identification (PID). Any physical land location associated with livestock, such as a farm, pasture, feedlot, auction mart, veterinary office and abattoir, should be assigned a unique identification number.
3. Animal Movement. Documented movement information (manifests) must accompany all cattle shipments. In this way all animal movements can be followed.

PID numbers should be recorded on brand manifests and added to producers’ Canadian Livestock Traceability System (also known as the Canadian Cattlemen’s Identification Agency database) accounts when buying tags or age verifying. In the near future a PID number will be required to move cattle; producers are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

For more information or assistance in completing your registration, contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377 or visit the PID registration page