Email re:CCIA tags...

[smcgrath76]

I asked if it was OK to post this email
I received and was given the go ahead.
This is the fellow outlined in Sawbones
post a few days ago...

ATTEN Canadian cattlemen contacts,


You have recieved this email because you
are a cattlemen in western Canada. Many
of you know me as a cattlemen or as a
former large animal veterinarian. Many
of you have commented that the RFID tags
are a problem in the adult animal. Here
is my story in a letter to Brad
WIlderman president of the Canadian
Cattlemens Association also being cc to
many political figures.


This email is reaching out to many
cattlemen across western Canada.
Presently in the process of building an
army of cattlemen and an army of
awareness. Going forward is issues of
the RFID retention in the bovine animal
especially the adult animal is not
addressed soon there will be more
CATTLEMEN VICTOMIZED by an overzealous
bureaucrat.

BEWARE FELLOW CATTLEMAN OF THE HEAVY
HAND OF THE CFIA:


SERVED NOTICE OF VIOLATION OF SECTION
176 OF THE HEALTH OF ANIMALS ACT.

MOVED OR CAUSE THE MOVEMENT OF AN ANIMAL
NOT BEARING AN APPROVED TAG FROM ITS
FARM OF ORIGIN OR FROM A FARM OR RANCH
OTHER THAN ITS FARM OF ORIGIN.



PRACTICE TIPS ALREADY DEVELOPING ACROSS
CANADA:

1)Some producers are tossing a couple of
RFID buttons into liner loads of cattle
or trailers when the truckers aren't
looking. ??????-----------who is going
to deregister those RFID numbers??????

2)If you find yourself charged under
this law-----the fine is $500.00 but if
you pay in two weeks of DEEMED TO BEING
SERVED it is $250.00

There is option 5 that the CFIA doesn't
want to talk about. You have a right
to a review of the facts of the
violation by the REVIEW TRIBUNAL. Oral
tribunal is recommended. If you choose
this route fax nos is 613 792-2088

Review Tribunal
Office of the Registrar
Building 60,2nd floor
Central Experimental Farm
Ottawa Ontario
K1A OC6

The phone nos is 613 792 2087. The
ladies that work in this office are very
helpfull to explain the process. There
names are Lise, Charmelle and Rosemary.
THe oral hearing you get to pick the
spot in western canada (if located) and
a timeline suitable to you.
If we drag a few of the inspectors or
veterinary CFIAs through the court room
maybe they will back off and not carry
another heavy hand to another fellow
cattlemen.



Keeping in touch


Dr. Ken Habermehl (Frustrated Canadian
Cattleman)

[PureCountry]

What exactly happened to the good Dr.? He got a fine for something I assume? After 9 months of being a "Livestock Inspector", I have seen the heavy hand of the CFIA, and know what they can do. What I don't know is just how far they think they can take "Full Livestock Traceability". I offered the example of Purolator or DHL shipping packages across the country, to an industry panel at a banquet sometime ago. DHL can scan the bar code on a package and it automatically sends a live update to computers throughout their system, logging that package as being at X location at Y time on Z date. When it gets to a DHL handling depot, it gets scanned in, and scanned out to go to it's final destination, every time using hand held/x-ray scanners and a bar code/ID system. We can all understand how that works. It's amazing how quick they can tell you where your package is anywhere in Canada at any given time, even on route with some freight lines being 100% GPS-compatible.

Point #1 - that is a PACKAGE. It's inanimate.

As opposed to livestock - It doesn't bawl, snort, crap, eat, drink or chase you up the fence. It doesn't jump the fence, go through the fence, under the gate, or get it's head stuck between bars where it's 1 sole piece of identification - the precious little button tag - can get ripped out of it's ear.

Point #2 - A package has a label stamped/glued on it with a bar code clearly visible for workers to scan it.
As opposed to livestock - see Point # 1.

Point #3 - Full Traceability in industries such as Freight Carriers has been essential to their profitability and survival. It has allowed them to greatly reduce costs and handling time on every package they see. They took the initiative to do it at their cost to increase their profits

As opposed to livestock - how do we do that in an industry where the only ones applying the technology to ensure it's success, are the same ones who produce the product, but they are a completely separate entity from those who see the profit from their hard work? If the profit takers shared the dividends of the hard work with the profit makers, it may have some remote chance of success.

Then again, there's that little issue of a tag that doesn't stay in. Much to the dismay of animal activists everywhere, there is no denying that a good old hot iron brand is the only sure way to identify a product that can eat, drink and run.

[smcgrath76]

PC - the story as I was informed...
Tag backs were checked and counted on
cows and any observed missing were
replaced before sending them 50 miles to
community pasture. Upon arrival,
several tags were missing, so the Dr.
brought it to the attention of the CFIA
inspector on site, drove home, got
replacement tags, drove back, put them
in and turned the cows loose. The
inspector thanked him.
A couple of months later he received a
notice and a fine from CFIA regarding
his transgression re:transporting
untagged cows to a community pasture.
I hope that is pretty close to the facts
as they were directly relayed to me.

[ProFarmer]

I would tell CFIA to go and f--k themselves. Tell them to produce a tag that will not get hard, break and fall out. We graze corn and feed silage all winter and we lose 10 to 25% of these tags every year. The buttons get brittle pieces of the back break off until they either slip though the hole or they just snap off.The CFIA is way out to lunch here and they need a dose of reality. Hauled calves to auction today had one calf lose a tag in pasture retagged it. I guess I should cut down all the trees that could have snagged that tag.Asked at the auction if I needed to age verify calves? They said not one buyer has asked for the only age verified calves and are not paying any premium...... ONLY on cows and then only a nickle.......

[DogPatch]

http://www.canadaid.com/documents/CCIA%20Tag%20Remittance%20Fee%20Increases%20Final. pdf

I don't know if this link will work, but did you know that the price of tags are up atleast 40 cents due to increased administration costs?

[coppertop]

If I were the rancher in question I would
write directly to Gerry Ritz, he assured
everyone in attendance at a recent meeting
in Mayerthorpe, AB. that there would be NO
EARTAG COPS handing out fines and he was
going to put a stop to it.

[DogPatch]

I wouldn't believe anything he says. Look at all this money he's giving to Ag Idustry to develop markets, processing etc. Where the heck is the farmers money when it comes time to selling our product>

Lot of BS in my opinion

[grassfarmer]

I'm surprised anyone is impressed by anything Ritz says or does - his past record proves him to be pretty much a dummy and a clown.

[smcgrath76]

Impressed can work both ways.