The following survey was released by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), to garner feedback from producers who import goats and sheep from the United States. The survey is part of CFIA’s review of the recently suspended option 2C for importing bucks and rams.
Previously, there were 3 options by which male small ruminants could be imported. They were as follows:
a) Male small ruminants may be imported to any premises in Canada provided that they have acquired five (5) years of status in accordancd with the Export Category of the USDA Scrapie Flock Certification Program
OR
b) Male sheep may be imported to any premises in Canada from any flock in the USA if they have undergone genotype testing and have been determined to be of the codon 136AA 171RR or 136AA 171QR genotype.
OR
c) Male small ruminants may be improted from any premises in the United States provided that the imported premises in Canada must have been enrolled in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program for a minimum of one (1) year and completed at least one (1) annual inventory or if the importing farm meets ‘temporary enrollment’ criteria. Other post-import requirements including management of males separate from females and movement from importing farms apply.
This is the small ruminant industry’s first opportunity to consult on the CFIA’s decision to suspend option c), a decision that has left producers with fewer options by which to import new genetics. This has been particularly impactful for the goat industry who is left with only one import pathway for bucks, option a).
We would like to encourage all producers who have a vested interest in importing breeding stock to take a few minutes to respond to the survey. Please understand that your responses could significantly impact the future of small ruminant imports from the US.
Canada’s small ruminant producer groups are working together to craft recommended alternatives to option c), to present to the CFIA as part of the consultation process. The goal is to present a collective and united position on this issue in the best interest of Canada’s sheep and goat farmers.
You can participate in the CFIA survey directly from the following link. Please keep in mind that your responses will go directly to the CFIA.
English Survey: https://share.hsforms.com/1LDfHzhiHSrux3tueO5Y18Acni2q
Questionnaire en français : https://share.hsforms.com/1hnmV1itYSByBhoWxSgUHjAcni2q
