Age Verification - Computer skills not necessarily required

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Age verification for Canadian cattle is done entirely online, which can be anything from daunting to annoying, especially if producers don’t have an internet connection in the house.

While age verification is not mandatory, it is a strongly recommended process that will make cattle much more marketable, especially in the most convenient marketplace: Alberta. That province is considering mandatory age verification by April 2007. Choosing not to age-verify their cattle could mean lost marketing opportunities and lost revenue for Saskatchewan cattle producers.

“Nobody can do it for you,” stressed Jason Dean with the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association. “Keep records. The information is yours; you are the one who has it. Get someone else to go on the computer if you need to.”

The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is the national agency dedicated to maintaining the database. The CCIA does not accept paper applications for age verification, so producers planning to use the system will have to submit information through the agency’s website, at www.canadaid.com.

No matter what level of computer literacy producers may possess, Roy Rutledge, manager of the Assiniboia and Weyburn auction marts, says it’s not a good idea for them to just assume that somebody else in the industry, such as their auctioneer or veterinarian, will handle the verification for them.

“We have certainly been assisting people by telling them where to go for help,” said Rutledge, “but we can’t keep up at our end if people are going to expect us to age-verify for them, too.”

For those who have privacy concerns about sharing so much of their operation’s information over the internet, Dean says to remember the database is industry-controlled.

“The industry owns the database, and gives very limited access to it. We set the policy,” he noted.

In Alberta, where proposed mandatory age verification could take effect next spring, third parties like veterinarians, auction marts and even public libraries have joined forces with producers to help with the age-verification process, offering internet access and help learning the system. It can simply be a matter of knowing who to ask for a little help when it comes to the internet.

Rutledge says, above all, don’t go without verification, and get help with the process if you need it.

“Call your tag supplier, if you don’t know who else to talk to. Get on the bandwagon; get ’er done, and nobody has to worry about it anymore,” he stated.

To age-verify their cattle online, producers should take the following steps:

1. Visit www.clia.livestockid.ca.

2. Follow the instructions on the screen. If it is your first time visiting the site, you will need to choose “Option 2,” and create an account. (The website will automatically direct you to the right place and ask for the necessary information, which will include your operating name and a current tag number.)

3. When you have set up your account, the site will allow you to log in as a registered user, and you will be ready to enter information for your cattle. When you set up your account, make sure you record your user name and password for future reference.

4. Don’t forget to look for the “log out” or “sign out” button on the page when you are done, in order to close the connection you have on the site and keep your own computer secure.

If cattle producers do not have access to a computer, CCIA states that they may designate a third party to use the site on their behalf. Contact the CCIA for information on third party users.

For further information, contact:

Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
Phone: 1-877-909-2333
Jason Dean
Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association
Phone: (306) 629-3270

Christy Winquist
Beef and Forage Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Agriculture Knowledge Centre
Phone: (306) 694-3768