Canadian Sheep Industry Advances Traceability and Addresses Veterinary Drug Challenges
The Canadian sheep industry is undertaking significant changes to improve animal health management, including modernizing traceability systems and addressing ongoing veterinary drug access issues.
A major development is the transfer of responsibility for the national sheep traceability program from the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency to the Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approved the transition in June 2025, following the federation’s application in 2023. The move requires a formal legal agreement between CFIA and CSF, as well as an audit of the federation’s new AgroLedger traceability technology.
The AgroLedger system, developed since 2019, aims to streamline compliance while providing added value to producers. It features advanced disease response capabilities designed to support rapid action during outbreaks such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). For example, the system can identify animals in contact with infected individuals within 30 seconds and track vaccinated animals under an FMD vaccination strategy.
Alongside improvements in traceability, the sheep industry faces challenges in veterinary drug availability. A white paper released in August 2024 by sixteen agricultural organizations, including CSF, highlighted a 40% decline in licensed veterinary medicines sold in Canada between 2017 and 2022. The paper attributes this trend to high regulatory fees, lengthy approval processes, and limited financial incentives for pharmaceutical companies.
Collaborative efforts between livestock groups and government agencies have focused on solutions such as mutual recognition of drug approvals from other countries and joint product reviews. One successful example includes the expedited approval of Metacam, an analgesic for sheep, achieved through cooperation between Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In addition to traceability and drug access, the industry is emphasizing animal health’s role in sustainability. Disease-related losses of animal protein contribute to increased carbon footprints, notably through higher methane emissions due to reduced productivity.
The CSF’s traceability system also supports identification of disease hotspots and education on production-limiting conditions, such as the increased occurrence of Cache Valley virus observed following an extended mosquito season.
