CFIA to ramp up fines

[SADIE]

Smallguy--comments to your thread. The group that set up this whole CCIA --CFIA and tag companies really did some careful planning. If someone wanted to take on "faulty tags" "tag loss" or "peronnel injury" one would have to look at the CCIA who are supposed to be approval for these "great tags". That is like "sueing your wife" because this famous group tried to include people around their "Great table" that represents all of us. Maybe someone else on agriville knows the full story but only recently some party representatives even got to have a vote.

It seems comical to me that whenever I ttalk to grass-roots cattlemen, auction market personnel and some feedlots when you mention the CCIA there is just a "laugh" or "no comment".

[cpallett]

Interesting that the Liberals are the only party to date to offer a National Food Policy that includes a 'comprehensive review of the CFIA'.

Doubt that this will translate into votes in Alberta, but at least one party appears to be paying attention. May force the rest to come on board eventually.

[SADIE]

Section 174.1--of the Health of Animals Regulations, a distributor that sells or distributes approved tags shall, within 24 hours after selling or distributing them, report the following information in respect of those approved tags to the administrator(ie. the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency).

GF---I repeat that is a very good question. I have now talked to two small town co-op stores and several veterinary clinics /ph. They all just received the same letter. The co-op manager in Outlook the bigger centre had the letter in his hand when I stopped. Both are taking this to their board and annual meeting. To this point it was to provide a service to the community. Both operations have had one person dedicated to that job only and have tried to always comply.

The general concerns were:'

1)CCIA agency web-site can be down and it is 2 days.

2)CCIA tags might not be sold out of the 5 day week (only). No service to the public on weekends.

3)CCIA basically dictaded the selling price to us originally and the mark up is below our goals on the rest of our service items.

4)Public word of the first fine levied to a co-op store the whole chain of stores (Federated) might just drop the product line.

5)We are the sellers the constant and increase amount of product complaints is time consuming to the staff when the evidence is now public that these tags are not meant for environmental temperatures below 0C.

6)There is not another item in this store that we/staff or product are fined in this matter. What is our world coming to!!!!!

7)To the veterinary clinics. To those clinics and professionals that refused to be a "RFID tag seller" you have to be commended for your stand originally not to be involved. At that time CCIA rep was coming down on you that you had to be a "seller". Great stand to refuse them.

[littledoggie]

I've never heard of "Destron" tags. Are they available everywhere? When I go to my local farm supply store and ask for CCIA tags, there is no choice. They just hand over the Allflex ones. After seeing the "operating temperatures" of the Allflex tags, they have just lost my business - even for the plain dangle tags, which have the same problem in the pin. BOO to CCIA for approving Allflex.

[15444]

Sadie, is there anyways producers or organizations could get their hands on a copy of this DVD? This is a message that needs to be spread hard and wide. I know I've got some locals who are blaming producers for their tag loss, not the tags themselves. And these are Allflex tags they are using!

I had issues with Allflex head office in Colorado in the late 90's over dangle tag quality and they blamed me based on improper tagging. How the tags broke off or cracked away made no difference...company standard reply was improper tagging technique.

This same BS is being fed to all producers, but over the RFID tag. Allflex makes an inferior product and I wouldn't be surprised if CCIA is taking kickbacks in part for approving and endorsing the sale of Allflex RFID in Canada.

[grassfarmer]

littledoggie, I don't know about Destron tags but there are alternatives to Allflex if you don't like them. Z tags now have an EID tag and these are available through the Co-ops but they have to order them in (someone in BC is importing them from the US, made for the CDN market) It says they are guaranteed for the life of the animal. I bought them this year as I really like the tagging tool - automatically snaps the tag in with a predetermined pressure once you close the handles. It also has the needle that folds flat rather than tearing out of the ear.

Not that I'm complaing about the Allflex they have worked well for us. Consistently losing under 1% from birth through to 18 months. We haven't lost any of the Allflex maxi dangle tags either from last years calf crop although we do tend to lose some of those as the cows age. Shipped a few cull cows over the winter that had the setaside tags in them (was that 2004?)haven't lost any of those tags to my knowledge - many of those cows still had their original dangle tags also.

[SADIE]

<a href="http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n523/kphaber/?action=view&current=img137.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

Little Doggie--here is an old CCIA ad about approved RFID eartags.

Destron---has better operating environmental operating temps -25-50plus celsius.

Those that have used destron still have reported problems on their own.

Do those on agriville know what percentage of the total tag market ALLFLEX COMPANY HAS???

15444---At this time I keep this showing in my possession. I have found when the local vet or organization arranges a producer meeting together we photo-copy a list of the Monetary fines laws (about tags) and also distribute to the producer. So many producers are just getting accustomed to home computer, high-speed. They are appaulled when they see the fine list.

Working and organizing the Saskatchewan Association of Pipeline Landowners from Jan19/2007-Feb 11 2011 when we integrated into CAEPLA I was forced into learning how to use a lap-top, power-point purchasing the large screen, projectors, surround-sound PA system and into DVD movie Making.

Each showing just like what was learned with SAPL----you learn from each other. The networking is a great learning tool both directions.

To date I have asked for 'travel expenses covered".

Eg: April 19 I am being flown to Edmonton and then a drive to West Lock Alberta to be an "expert witness" on a pipeline compensaton hearing for a group of landowners in that area" I will bring the SAPL/MPLA Enbridge negotiated settlement and present it as evidence (NO GAG CLAUSE). I am contacted the Westlock Veterinary Clinic today to at least offer an updated showing to the staff of that new beautiful multi-man practice. I will have jut the noon-hour to present this to them. My flights have to get me back home to the ranch.

CCA, CFIA, CCIA, ALMA and others know this DVD is "out there" and they are not the first to see it. They can show up as a "producer" if they want. It is all about helping the little guy with knowledge to maybe: use a better tag, tag better, increase retention, streamline the tagging process, learn the laws that they don't know.

The success of SAPL was that we built an army. I hope with grass-roots cattlemen and practicing veterinary practioners we can build another army.

[littledoggie]

Thank you for the responses. I will be taking up this issue with my supplier or will be shopping around.
SADIE, on your DVD does it have anywhere about the little arrows on the backs of the Allflex RFIDs? (don't know about the other brands) I was told years ago by a CCIA rep that the arrow has to be pointing up when you put it in the tagger. Nowhere on the packaging does it indicate this, and the arrow is incredibly small, yellow, and difficult to see. (especially for us "dinosaurs") But, I was under the impression that this would improve retention. I'd like to point out that the pins still degrade no matter how you apply the tag. More $$$ in the tag manufacturers pocket!

[BTOfarmallll]

Shoot, Shovel, Shutup. Seems simple enough to understand, No??? Thinkin might git into the Cow Business, gist so I kin feel good about cutting these CFIA Tags out of the Cows ear. I suggest EVERY Cow Guy does the same......

[grassfarmer]

SADIE, I spoke to my local Co-op manager today when I was in town. I asked him what their experience with selling EID tags (mainly Allflex) with regard to customer complaints. He said they got an occasional complaint but relative to the number of tags they sell it is not an issue. It is not a product line that is bringing them any more complaints than any of their other varied and diverse product lines covering agriculture, gardening and building materials.
Rather backs up my view of the eartags and their retention rate wouldn't you say?

[Happytrails]

No you would say. (and did)

[littledoggie]

But GF, what is the point of complaining to management or staff at the retail supplier? I guess a person could complain about the selection of tags they are carrying, or go to another store to find what they are looking for. What does a retailer care or know about retention?
What I do know is that plastic degrades over time, and sunlight and cold temperatures are major contributors to this. Perhaps black plastic would have a longer life. We have all electric fence and find that there are different grades of plastic, some of which have a very short lifespan.

[grassfarmer]

Little Doggie, the basis of SADIES campaign is that the tags don't work, they fall out and fall to pieces and they bring huge levels of complaint to the retailers.
From his post above:
"The worst thing we wanted when a product was sold through our practice is "COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT PRODUCT"---we are the first line of complaint."
"Other than GF and a few others (who have had great success) the real complaints of RFID eartag retention in the adult cows and bulls was and still is being presented to the veterinary clinics and outlets that are selling these RFID eartags."

I was just pointing out that that is not the case in my area - it strengthens my belief that this whole campaign is BS.