Tracking products through the agri-food chain

By Gary Sliworsky
OMAFRA Rep.

A traceability system is designed to track products through the agri-food chain. A comprehensive traceability system requires the collection, storage and sharing of three key pieces of information:
·Premises Identification
·Product Identification of animals, plants or food products as individuals, lots or batches
·Movement Recording of identified products between identified premises
The benefits of having a comprehensive and effective traceability system include:
·Effective emergency management
·Improved competitive advantage (market access, supply chain efficiency, buyer confidence)
Premises Identification is a critical first step to building an effective traceability system. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has funded the creation of the Ontario Agri-Food Premises Registry (OAPR).
OnTrace is a not-for-profit, industry-led organization that manages the OAPR. It collects and stores information associated with Premises Identification Numbers in Ontario. Government access to information housed in the OAPR is for emergency management purposes only and is strictly controlled by legal agreements.
A Premises Identification Number is a unique identifying number assigned to a parcel of land that is associated with agri-food activities. The purpose of the OAPR is to be able to locate where agricultural and agri-food activities occur in Ontario.
To obtain a Premises ID number you will need to accurately identify your property, preferably with an Assessment Roll Number (ARN) – your tax assessment number from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. If you cannot provide an ARN you will need to provide one of the following:
·Latitude and Longitude – from a Global Positioning System
·Municipal Address – of the premises to be registered
·Lot and Concession Number – of the premises to be registered
Applying for a Premises ID is easy and free.
Step 1: Contact OnTrace for your application form:
·Online at: www.ontraceagrifood.com
·By phone: 519-766-9292 or toll free: 1-888-388-7223
·By mail: 1030 Gordon Street, Suite 202, Guelph, ON, N1G 4X5
Step 2: Complete your application:
Fill out the online or printed application form. All of the required fields must be completed. You will need to describe the agricultural or agri-food activities that take place on the premises.
Step 3: Submit your application to OnTrace:
After validating your premises information, OnTrace will assign a unique Premises Identification Number (P.I.D.) to your premises and will issue you a Premises Identification Number Certificate.
Premises Identification Numbers differ from business registration numbers (e.g., Farm Business Registration, license or other business identifiers) as each one is linked to specific parcel of land, not to a business. If land is sold or the agri-food activity on an identified premises changes, the information in the OAPR needs to be updated but the Premises ID number associated with that parcel of land remains the same.

For more information about Premises ID, please contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre by calling 1-877-424-1300, emailing ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca or visiting www.ontario.ca/omafra