The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has released a statement expressing its full support for Canada's Animal Pedigree Act.

Recently, CFA's Board of Directors heard a presentation from John Gallinger, Standardbred Canada's President and CEO, and Dr. Maurice Stewart, a member of Standardbred Canada's government relations committee. As a result of the meeting, the CFA issued a statement from its Vice President, Humphrey Banack.

The letter reads, in part:

"The CFA would like to express its unanimous support for the Animal Pedigree Act as a cornerstone for the maintenance and improvement of Canadian genetics for domestic producers and expansion of Canadian genetics exports, as well as the continued development of markets for Canadian agriculture."

Gallinger also attended and spoke at the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation, an organization that represents numerous Canadian breed associations. The meeting featured a session with John Ross of Agriculture Canada, speaking about the Animal Pedigree Act.

In March, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced a series of consultations with breed associations regarding the potential repeal of the Animal Pedigree Act. Standardbred Canada and several other breed registries feel that any attempt to repeal the Animal Pedigree Act is misguided.

The CFA letter, in its entirety, is below or available as a PDF here:

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has reviewed the potential consequences of repealing the Animal Pedigree Act in a board meeting earlier this week and we could see no benefit to the repealing of the Act. The Act provides a legal framework that should be the cornerstone for the further development of Canadian genetics for both domestic and export opportunities. The Act provides confidence in the accuracy of pedigree information on a national basis, allows for continual breed improvement, and ultimately increases the integrity of Canadian genetics.

Much like the integrity and quality associated with the Canadian Grain Commission’s inspection and grading of Canadian grain exports, the Animal Pedigree Act provides Canadian genetics with an international reputation for quality that would be considerably diminished in its absence.

The CFA understands and fully supports the concerns being raised by breed registries on behalf of their breeder members, but believes that any such issues should be resolved through minor revisions rather than the repealing of an act that provides significant value to domestic and international markets (exports) and ensures the legitimacy of domestic purebred genetics.

Furthermore, the CFA notes that the existing legislation provides a cost-effective tool to address these issues with minimal regulatory burden. The removal of legislation that protects producers/breeders and those who buy their livestock does not seem to align with the government's overall goal of promoting Canadian exports. If Canada’s agriculture industry is to take advantage of the export market opportunities that the Canadian government continues to aggressively pursue, tools like the Animal Pedigree Act must remain in place. The Canadian brand is recognized internationally as a source of high quality products. This Act ensures that Canadian genetics continues to support this brand.

The CFA would like to express its unanimous support for the Animal Pedigree Act as a cornerstone for the maintenance and improvement of Canadian genetics for domestic producers and expansion of Canadian genetics exports, as well as the continued development of markets for Canadian agriculture.

Sincerely,

Humphrey Banack
Vice-President
Canadian Federation of Agriculture