Every Animal. Every Bushel — Traced.Tracked.
CFIA mandatory movement reporting is coming. Canada's livestock and grain producers need traceability infrastructure that works the way they do — not another government portal.
Cattle and calves on Canadian farms (smallest herd since 1987)
Source: Statistics Canada, July 2024
The Regulations Are Coming — Ready or Not
In Spring 2026, CFIA will publish amended regulations under the Health of Animals Act requiring mandatory livestock movement reporting for cattle, bison, sheep, goats, and farmed cervids. Every site that handles livestock must have a current Premises Identification Number. Every move-in must be reported with departure PID, arrival PID, date/time, individual tag numbers, and truck plate.
The Saskatchewan Cattle Association has called for the regulations to be terminated entirely, calling them “too onerous and expensive” for cow-calf producers. Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario producer associations share similar concerns. The most common feedback: the technology doesn't exist where producers need it most.
Meanwhile, Canada produced a record 107M-tonne grain and oilseed harvest in 2025, yet over 70% is stored on-farm where spoilage from moisture, mould, and insects remains a persistent risk. SFCR already requires one-step traceability for grain handlers, and FDA FSMA 204 will mandate it for US-bound exports by 2028.
Producers need infrastructure, not another mandate.
What's at Stake
BSE Crisis (2003)
Cost to Canada's cattle industry from a single case of BSE. Traceability gaps meant the entire sector was locked out of international markets for years.
Source: Statistics Canada
Trade Access
Countries with full traceability (Australia, Uruguay, EU) command premium pricing on export beef markets. Canada's gaps limit market access.
Source: MGAP Uruguay / World Bank
Disease Response
Current trace-back takes days. In a Walmart–IBM pilot, blockchain traceability cut trace time from 7 days to 2.2 seconds. Speed is the difference between containment and catastrophe.
Source: Walmart / IBM, 2018
Producer Burden
Cow-calf operations are the least likely to adopt RFID scanning technology. Larger herds (300+ head) are more likely to use readers; smaller operations lag significantly behind.
The Vision: Traceability That Works for Producers
Not a government portal. Not another mandate. A tool built by people who understand that ranches don't have fibre internet and auction day doesn't wait for software updates.
The Traceability Chain
Cow-Calf Ranch
Birth + tagging
Backgrounder
Growing + movement
Feedlot
Finishing + reporting
Auction Mart
Sale + transfer
Processor
Slaughter + trace-back
Export / Retail
Market access
Cow-Calf Ranch
Birth + tagging
Backgrounder
Growing + movement
Feedlot
Finishing + reporting
Auction Mart
Sale + transfer
Processor
Slaughter + trace-back
Export / Retail
Market access
Two Problems, One Platform
Livestock traceability and grain loss measurement look different, but they share the same infrastructure gap — and the same regulatory pressure.
Livestock Traceability
Movement Reporting
CFIA wants every move-in reported with PID, tag numbers, date/time, and truck plate. CCIA's CLTS system is ready but producers aren't connected. We bridge the gap between ranch-level reality and federal-level requirements.
Grain Traceability
Harvest-to-Market Loss
Over 70% of Canada's grain harvest is stored on-farm, where spoilage and quality loss go unmeasured. SFCR already requires one-step traceability for grain handlers. FDA FSMA 204 extends it to US exports. We measure, track, and report what nobody else can see.
Part of the Cultivate Ecosystem
Producer is the upstream node in Canada's food data infrastructure. Every animal traced, every bushel measured feeds into the national picture that Cultivate is building.
Producer
- Livestock movement reporting
- Grain loss measurement
- RFID + premises management
Cultivate
- National food waste measurement
- Processor & retailer tracking
- Government data products
Who This Is For
Seven stakeholder groups across the livestock and grain supply chain. Each has unique compliance pressure — Producer solves them with shared infrastructure.
Cow-Calf Producers
CFIA wants mandatory movement reporting, premises ID, and 7-day event windows. Cow-calf operations are the least likely to adopt RFID scanning technology (Canadian Journal of Animal Science, 2024). The SCA calls it 'too onerous and expensive' for cow-calf operations.
Offline-first mobile app with RFID reader integration. Batch movement uploads when connectivity returns. Auto-populated PID and tag data from CLTS sync. Paper backup that scans to digital.
Compliance-ready before regulations take effect. Zero learning curve — works like the paper systems producers already know, but creates the digital record CFIA requires.
Model: Per-head annual + hardware lease
Feedlots & Backgrounders
High-volume move-ins require recording departure PID, arrival PID, date/time, individual tag numbers, and truck license plates. Manual entry at scale is impossible. RFID readers exist but aren't connected to reporting systems.
Automated reader-to-CLTS pipeline. Scan tags at chute, auto-populate movement records, and submit directly. Transporter link-sharing for three-step digital records without extra logins.
Process 500+ head move-ins in minutes, not hours. Eliminate transcription errors. Audit-ready records that satisfy CFIA graduated enforcement.
Model: Per-facility monthly license
Grain & Oilseed Producers
Record 107M-tonne harvest (Statistics Canada, 2025), but over 70% is stored on-farm where spoilage from moisture and mould goes unmeasured. No standardized loss tracking. SFCR traceability applies to grain handlers, and FDA FSMA 204 will hit exporters by 2028.
Harvest-to-elevator loss tracking integrated with existing farm management software. Bin monitoring, spoilage detection, and automated traceability records that satisfy SFCR one-step-back/one-step-forward requirements.
Quantify and reduce on-farm storage losses. Export-ready traceability for US-bound shipments. ESG reporting from actual data, not estimates.
Model: Per-acre SaaS + IoT sensors
Auction Marts & Dealers
Hub of the livestock supply chain but most movement reporting burden falls on adjacent parties. New regulations require auction marts to confirm move-outs and maintain digital records. Volume and speed make manual compliance impossible.
High-speed RFID scanning integrated with auction software. Automated move-out confirmations to CLTS. Real-time manifest generation for transporters with PID auto-fill.
Process sale day volumes without compliance bottlenecks. Become the trusted digital node that producers and feedlots rely on for clean movement records.
Model: Per-transaction + annual license
Meat Processors & Packers
End-of-chain traceability relies on every upstream actor having clean records. Current gaps in movement data mean recalls are broader and more expensive than necessary. SFCR requires full traceability for interprovincial product.
Trace-back in seconds, not days. Connected to upstream producer and feedlot movement records. Automated lot-to-animal linking. Export-grade documentation for international buyers.
Trace-back in seconds instead of days (Walmart-IBM pilot cut trace time from 7 days to 2.2 seconds). Satisfy EU, Japanese, and Korean import traceability requirements that command premium pricing.
Model: Per-facility enterprise license
Government & CFIA
Canada's livestock traceability has persistent gaps — incomplete species coverage, inconsistent reporting, and no real-time movement visibility. Disease outbreaks require days to trace. The BSE crisis cost over $5 billion (Statistics Canada).
National movement data infrastructure that fills the gaps CFIA identified in consultation. Real-time dashboards for outbreak response. Provincial PID registry integration.
Enable the graduated enforcement approach CFIA promised. Turn traceability from a regulatory burden into a national asset that protects trade access and public health.
Model: Data licensing + consulting
AgTech Investors
Canadian producers are 10+ years behind Australia and EU on traceability. Regulatory mandate creates forced adoption — rare in ag-tech. 11.9M head herd (smallest since 1987) means the industry needs efficiency tools, not just compliance.
Producer is infrastructure, not an app. Built on the Cultivate ecosystem — every producer node increases data value for processors, exporters, and government. Network effects in a sector that has none.
Regulatory-forced adoption curve (CFIA Spring 2026). Government co-funding (50-75% eligible). First-mover in a market where compliance creates demand, not marketing.
The Platform
Four phases, from regulatory intelligence to national producer network. Each phase builds on the last — and each is designed to work offline-first.
Compliance Intelligence
Q1-Q2 2026
Regulatory radar for livestock and grain producers. Track CFIA amendments, provincial PID requirements, and SFCR obligations in one dashboard.
Movement Reporting Platform
Q2-Q4 2026
Integrated CLTS-compatible movement reporting. Premises ID management, move-in/move-out logging, transporter linking, and RFID tag tracking.
Producer Data Hub
2026-2027
Grain loss tracking, harvest-to-elevator measurement, livestock yield analytics. Connect producer data to the Cultivate food waste ecosystem.
National Producer Network
2027+
Industry-wide benchmarking, anonymized herd health analytics, grain quality indices. Position Canadian producers as global traceability leaders.
Compliance Intelligence
Regulatory radar for livestock and grain producers. Track CFIA amendments, provincial PID requirements, and SFCR obligations in one dashboard.
Movement Reporting Platform
Integrated CLTS-compatible movement reporting. Premises ID management, move-in/move-out logging, transporter linking, and RFID tag tracking.
Producer Data Hub
Grain loss tracking, harvest-to-elevator measurement, livestock yield analytics. Connect producer data to the Cultivate food waste ecosystem.
National Producer Network
Industry-wide benchmarking, anonymized herd health analytics, grain quality indices. Position Canadian producers as global traceability leaders.
The Regulatory Landscape
Four overlapping regulatory frameworks are converging on Canadian producers. Understanding them is step one. Complying with them is where we come in.
Health of Animals Act (Part XV)
Amended regulations for mandatory livestock movement reporting, premises ID, and expanded species coverage. Published in Canada Gazette Part II with phased enforcement.
Source: CFIA Regulatory Update
Safe Food for Canadians Regulations
One-step-back, one-step-forward traceability already required for interprovincial and export food businesses. Grain handlers must comply with SFCR traceability provisions.
Source: CFIA SFCR Traceability
CFIA Forward Regulatory Plan 2025-2027
Expanded traceability to goats and farmed cervids. Shortened event reporting to 7 days. Premises ID mandatory for all livestock sites. RFID innovation provisions.
Source: CFIA Forward Regulatory Plan
US FDA FSMA 204 (Exports)
Canadian exporters to the US must comply with FDA food traceability rule. Key Traceability Events and Critical Tracking Events required for high-risk foods.
Source: CFIA FSMA 204 Guidance
What Producers Must Report (Under Amended Regulations)
Premises ID (PID)
Every site that handles livestock must register through their provincial PID registry. Must be current and verified.
Move-In Events
Departure PID, arrival PID, date/time, individual RFID tag numbers, truck license plate including province.
7-Day Window
Event reporting reduced from 30-60 days to 7 days. Applies to all regulated species: cattle, bison, sheep, goats, cervids.
Central Database
Data reported to CLTS (Canadian Livestock Tracking System). Paper records replaced by digital reporting. Three-step movement records.
“Too onerous and expensive”
— Saskatchewan Cattle Association, February 2026. The SCA demands CFIA halt the amendments. Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario share similar concerns. Cow-calf operations are the least likely to adopt RFID scanning technology. Most have no cellular coverage at handling facilities.
The regulations are coming regardless. The question is whether producers have tools that actually work.
Implementation Timeline
Spring 2026
Final regulations published in Canada Gazette Part II
Spring 2027
1-year transition period for regulated parties
2027+
Graduated enforcement — education before penalties
July 2028
FDA FSMA 204 compliance for US-bound food exports
Global Context
The countries that invested in traceability infrastructure gained premium market access, faster disease response, and stronger producer economics.
Australia
NLISNational Livestock Identification System — mandatory RFID for cattle since 2005. Full birth-to-slaughter traceability across all states and territories.
Source: NLIS Ltd / Australian Government
European Union
100%Full bovine traceability since BSE crisis. Electronic ID mandatory since 2010. Individual animal passports, movement databases, and real-time reporting.
Source: EU Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000
Uruguay
12MSNIG system tracks 12 million cattle with individual RFID since 2006. The only country in the Americas with 100% individual bovine traceability.
Source: MGAP Uruguay / RFID Journal
New Zealand
NAITNational Animal Identification and Tracing. Lifetime traceability for cattle and deer. Enabled rapid response to M. bovis outbreak.
Source: OSPRI New Zealand
Canada is 10+ years behind Australia, EU, and New Zealand on livestock traceability.
Partial tag coverage. No mandatory movement reporting. No real-time trace-back capability. The amended regulations are an attempt to close this gap — but without producer-friendly infrastructure, they risk becoming paper compliance instead of real traceability.
Funding Strategy
Federal and provincial funding is aligned with ag-tech adoption. Regulatory-driven traceability unlocks non-dilutive capital at both levels.
Producer Grants
Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
Innovation assistance for ag-tech adoption
AAFC commercialization support
Provincial Programs
Reader purchase rebate for Alberta producers
Saskatchewan ag-tech adoption funding
$3-8M over 3 years
Stacking strategy
50-75% government assistance
Maximum eligible assistance
Get Ahead of the Regulations
CFIA mandatory movement reporting is coming Spring 2026. Whether you're a cow-calf producer, feedlot operator, grain grower, or industry association — the time to prepare is now, not after the Canada Gazette notice.