Heavy Hand of the CFIA ---- Victimizes a Canadian Cattleman.

[burnt]

Maybe what we need to do to push this issue is to take a little bit more of an aggressive approach. Like tell the CFIA that we are going to begin a general protest beginning at a certain date on which we all cut all of the ear tags off of the animals that we are shipping for the next month(s).

If hundreds of shippers - butcher cattle, cull cows, stockers and feeders all included - the CFIA will have a hard time pressing charges against everyone.

This country has become far too complacent about costly government intervention in the affairs of primary food producers with too much cost and too few benefits to the farmers and ranchers who do all of the work.

[grassfarmer]

Maybe there is an advantage to hairy eared cattle? We certainly don't lose 1% of the RFID type, granted the management or barcode dangle tags are poorer. I have a home reared 3 year old bull that still has both his original tags on but that's the best i've done on bulls! If I can keep a management tag on a heifer till she rears her first calf that's all I need as I know her by then and never need to read it again.
I don't think there is any chance this one is getting mothballed so we may as well just bite the bullet and get it done the best way we can. I would back moving to double tagging - one in each ear both of the RFID type although one could be a combined RFID/Dangle type. When they moved to double tagging in the UK it solved a lot of problems - and the cost didn't double as the companies were basically told to produce 2 tags for around the price of the one previous tag.

[smcgrath76]

We lose the odd RFID in cows, and pretty
well every RFID in bulls. Our cows look
like Christmas trees. A floppy
management tag (we are converting to Z
tags on the cows, and use them
exclusively on the calves as they don't
fall out), a steel numbered tag (like
the old bangs tag) that gets put in when
a heifer is first AIed, and RFID tag,
and if they don't fall out most have a
DNA collection tag.
All tags are cross referenced in the
computer.
Calves get an RFID and a Z tag.
I think we need to be able to rapidly
track disease and animal health issues,
and I presented on national ID (and took
the shots) before it ever became the
law. I believe in a national ID program
but am pretty sure it is being turned
180 from its original purpose and being
made somewhat untenable. I know food
safety is not an opportunity, but the
aspects outside of traceback are rapidly
becoming a high cost instead of an
opportunity.

[blackjack]

Just did 3 13 to 17 old ranch cows this morning that had lost their dangle tags and now are headed to hamburger heaven.Their heads bob better than Sugar Ray Leonards.I for one would love to watch one of these cfiaers tag one of them old girls.They would probably leave wanting danger pay.

[coppertop]

Minister Ritz was adamant during a Q and A
session in Mayerthorpe a few short weeks
ago that the CFIA did not have the budget
for Tag Cops and he was going to contact
them to advise them to discontinue the
practice immediately. I would suggest you
forward all your info to the Minister's
Ottawa office and his constituency office
in Manitoba. Let him see first hand what
his CFIA is up to.

[kato]

I don't know about everyone else here, but when we are going to pasture, and are checking for tags, we look at the back of the tags, not the front. If they've been tagged correctly, close to the head, and they've got any kind of hair in their ears at all, you will not be able to even see the front of the tag without handling the cow.

Maybe the government should all buy us tag readers at their expense, so we can scan them as they go by?

[dfarms11]

first off alflex tags are a joke! That is your first problem. I loose half of them in a year. I switched to ryflex and retention is much better. I hear you with trying to keep a tag in a cows ear with 5 different holes in it. If that cow has that many holes already, she knows how to lose those tags. I'm sorry but its not just blind luck that a cow can lose that many tags.

Hears a good thought everyone. If anyone does get hurt tagging an old cow or bull, could we sue the CFIA or gov't for unsafe working conditions? What about occupational health and safety? Could they not be roped into fighting this somehow?

Just wondering?

[grassfarmer]

I think Minister Ritz is too busy cleaning up his faux pas in China to be worrying about a hollow promise he made about eartags. The man is a complete clown, I wouldn't be looking for him to ride to the rescue.

[smcgrath76]

Ken asked me to post this on his
behalf...

Goodmorning Agriville

Thankyou for all the threades relating
to my case. I have learnt something
from all the comments to date. Here is
what I would like to offer back to the
viewers.
I hope this might help other Cattle
producers in the future if and when they
are faced with these circumstances.

I would encourage any and all producers
to refuse to pay the Monetary Fine.
That is powerful. If you are fined
under section 176 or other monetary fine
take option # 5 and seek going through
an oral tribunal hearing. You cannot
sit back and just ignore the fine then
all is lost you have to go through the
proceedures.

Section 176--- "move or
cause movement of an animal or carcass
from farm of origin or other premise
without an approved RFID tag in place"

Please note the following:

1)a producer can recieve this fine up to
24 months after the date of infraction.

2)this fine can and will come by
registered mail to you. You cannot
phone a CFIA office that sent you this
fine because they will not talk to you.

3)You have 30 days to file notice with
the Review tribunal in Ottawa that you
want an oral hearing. THis will be
option 5 on the back of your NOtice of
Violation.

4)Once you file notice that you want a
hearing CFIA forwarded the evidence they
have on you at this time. It is all
about intimidation. The folder had
about 30 pages of documents etc and
witness statements that they received on
you. A CFIA lawyer from Calgary wrote
and contacted me asking who my attorney
was. I responded that I was
representing myself and that I didn't
want any more correspondence from that
lawyer. All information will be sent
through the Review committee tribunal
only.
All of the above are intimidation
factors.

5)Some have commented about Application
proceedure, different ear tags, Place in
ear----THat is what I thought originally
but that is not your defence at all in
this case.

THE INSPECTOR DIDN'T INVESTIGATE ALL
TRANSIT POINTS IE: Inside the trailers,
Back to premise of origin in the
transient loadout pens and loadout
chutes for any loss of RFID buttons.

6)Letter to Minister of Agriculture Hon
Gerry Ritz-----I have a great letter
ready to go to Hon Gerry Ritz and will
be cc to alot of other MPs and MLA and
will be to the Western Producer. This
letter will only go out if CFIA doesn't
let this go forward to a court hearing.
As a cattleman I want this to come out
in the courts to get full ruling on
this. I have been coached and have an
army behind me already -------------this
would be a great case to have in the
court room. The awareness will help all
Canadian Cattleman.

MIN OF AG has the ability
to stop this and prevent this to get to
a hearing-----We want this case to get
to a oral hearing.

7)I filed my evidence in a well bound
manual. It is about 70-80 pages with
pictures. Included are letters to Brad
WIldamen CCA pres, Letter to Steve
Primrose CCIA chairman, My testimonal
of working livestock (processing all
cow-calf pairs) up to day before
TRANSIT, Day of Transit, Letters from
Truckers,
This manual I believe was well done. I
had my witness list included also---it
contained 40 witnesses. I included the
head veterinarians from all seven
districts CFIA in Saskatchewan, The
head of CFIA Saskatchewan, The inspector
and others that were involved in
collecting evidence on my case. I have
Brad WIldamen and Steve Primrose as
witnsesses. Auction Mart Owner and old
client Mr. Roy Rutledge from the
Assinaboia auction Mart . ROy is a
great spokesman and great writer as
well. I included 3-4 practicing
veterinarians on the witness list as
well.

Basically I included people inside of
CFIA and others that "hate CFIA". CFIA
has become known as PUBLIC ENEMY # 1
throughout the country.

My request is to have the hearing in
ENGLISH and SASKATOON and the earliest
timeline is May 15 2010. I will be
representing myself and if allowed will
have one other known Rancher and
personnel friend with me who knows
court-room proceedure.

Hopefully as long as there is a "case"
pending there will be no other charges
laid using section 176 till a ruling is
completed on this case.

At Saskatoon Fall Fair on Nov 13-14 15
this story is spreading like "Wild-fire"
Producers and veterinarians have come
forward and offered me support in a
hand-shake and have even asked can
cattlemen come forward with $$$ to help
this case.

Please note at this time I can only
bring forth section 176 and make
awareness on this issue alone even
though there are other issues of CFIA
that should be addressed as well. THe
fact is that if we can "win" on one
issue this can show the Canadian
Cattleman how to fight back against a
bureaucracy that appears to have so much
power at this time.


I ask all readers in Agriville to keep
spreading this story. Talk to your
neighbours, Talk to your veterinarians,
Phone CFIA and get them to know about
this case. Keep spreading this story.
Create an army of awareness across the
country. This approach has alot more
effect and outcome than just talking or
sending a letter to the minister of
Agriculture.




Ken Habermehl VS. CFIA NOV #0910SKCA
0005-RT #1525


I am going in to the Canadian Western
Agribition this week of NOV 23-28. I
will be participating in helping man the
CAEPLA booth that had huge success at
the Red Deer show a couple of weeks ago.
The coaching and methodogy that is being
used in this case with CANADIAN FOOD
INSPECTION AGENCY CFIA is the same as
the highly successful landowner movement
that is sweeping the country at this
time.


Again thankyou for the threaded
correspondence posted on Agriville. All
those comments have strengthened my
knowledge as I prepare to defend myself
against this case.

Keeping in touch

Dr. Ken Habermehl

[smcgrath76]

what interest us is before cattle where turned loose in pasture did he not know these cattle ?
as a D-V-M and old cattle rancher who put tac,s in so stupid ! why so many ?
we have used them so many times and like them ! [proper application]
we have seen cows with that many brands on them coming through, this
is cruelity to a animal and should be
banned all together .
we think we have a better system than u-s-a or any country . with CFIA .
yes it needs some inproving !
let us all cooperate and work for a better cattle identification .
old feedlot friend