The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in an email on April 8 that new admissibility requirements for commodities originating from Greece have been set up in CFIA’s Automated Import Reference System (AIRS).

WHY IT MATTERS: Data from Greece’s tourism industry show over 300,000 arrivals in that country from Canada in 2024 alone.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health, Greece began reporting cases of foot-and-mouth disease on March 15 with nine infected cattle at a farm on the island of Lesvos, marking the country’s first such cases since 1994. Its most recent cases, in sheep and one cow on the same island, were reported March 29.

Greece’s cases so far have all occurred on farms in the northern regions of that island, in the Aegean Sea off the west coast of Turkey. So far, 438 animals in total have been confirmed infected.

The findings make Greece the fifth European Union member country currently under foot-and-mouth restrictions from Canada. Hungary, Slovakia and Cyprus all reported cases last year, while Bulgaria is the lone EU member country “not usually considered free” of foot-and-mouth disease.

Germany regained disease-free status last month, while CFIA’s restrictions on Austria were lifted last September.

While findings of the disease in Greece are so far limited to Lesvos, Canada’s new restrictions apply to the entire country, unlike certain other nations such as Brazil, Argentina and Peru in which CFIA classifies some but not all provinces or states as free of foot-and-mouth disease.

What products are prohibited?

At-risk commodities covered by Canada’s import ban include live animals and germplasm; animal products and byproducts; uncooked meat and meat products; raw milk and milk products made from raw milk, such as unpasteurized cheese; unprocessed manure; laboratory material; blood products; livestock feed and equipment that has been in contact with affected animals; raw or unprocessed pet foods; raw hides, skins, wool, antlers, horns, hooves; and any other non-heat-treated products or byproducts from vulnerable animal species.

Species vulnerable to foot-and-mouth disease include hogs, cattle, bison, sheep, goats, camelids (llamas, alpacas) and cervids (deer, elk, moose) among others.

CFIA’s restrictions apply to any at-risk products dating as far back as 28 days before the first symptoms were detected in an affected country.

Foot-and-mouth disease, according to CFIA, is a viral disease characterized by symptoms including blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves; foot lesions, accompanied by acute lameness and reluctance to move; and loss of appetite or milk production. The virus can spread between animals through direct, indirect or airborne transmission.

Canada is free of the disease and has not reported any cases of the disease in livestock since 1952, when an outbreak in southeastern Saskatchewan is believed to have originated with a visitor from an infected farm in Germany, carrying the virus either on clothes or an infected sausage.

Advice for farmers visiting Greece

Canadians are still free to travel to Greece, but CFIA recommends they avoid visiting farms when doing so. Travellers who do visit farms should make sure clothes and footwear worn during those visits are free from soil or manure. Footwear should be cleaned and disinfected, and dry-cleaning of the clothes worn is recommended.

Travellers should also avoid contact with susceptible animals, including farm and zoo animals and wildlife, for 14 days after returning to Canada.

For farmers who travel to Greece, contact with farm animals is not recommended for five days upon return to Canada, when “strict personal decontamination measures” are applied to clothes and footwear, CFIA says.

Travellers also must declare all food products upon arrival in Canada. Generally, CFIA says, meat and dairy products from foot-and-mouth infected countries won’t be allowed, but foods that are “cooked, shelf-stable, commercially prepared and hermetically sealed” may be.

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“After extensive producer engagement and input from provincial beef organizations, the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) does not support proceeding with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) currently proposed amendments to Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations (Identification and Traceability),” the organization said in a post to social media on Monday.

It added that it supports livestock traceability for disease preparedness, market access and confidence in the beef sector. The association said it and provincial groups will convene a task force “to work for producers on a risk-based, industry-led approach to disease preparedness and emergency management.”

The stance comes after outcry from beef producers across Canada earlier this year, who expressed concerns about “government overreach” and burdensome regulation.

The changes, which included reporting animal move-ins within seven days and more robust requirements around premise identification numbers and required reporting, were first intended to roll out this spring. The Canadian Food Inspection said in January that it would pause the publication of proposed amendments after hearing producer concerns.

The proposed regulations are aligned with the industry-led Cattle Implementation Plan, which was established by all sectors of industry at the National Cattle Traceability Summit in August 2011 and adopted in 2016.

On Jan. 9, CCA president Tyler Fulton posted a message to social media platform X, noting those concerns from membership.

“Be assured the Canadian Cattle Association has and will continue to advocate for a traceability system that works for ranchers and feeders and beef farmers,” he said.

He added, however, that being able to. move quickly to disease threats is key to the beef sector’s business.

“Given the Canadian cattle industry’s reliance on export markets, we need to be prepared and have the tools available to manage animal disease events quickly and efficiently,” he said in the same post.

—With files from Janelle Rudolph

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“Easing trade barriers is crucial for market expansion, and this new protocol will streamline the export process, diversify Canadian apple exports, and meet the evolving preferences of Mexican consumers,” said Canadian Produce Marketing Association president Ron Lemaire in a federal news release on Tuesday.

The change allows the CFIA to inspect and register cold treatment facilities which eliminates the need for in-person inspections by Mexican officials.

Cold treatment is a phytosanitary process related to control of pests, according to the CFIA’s website.

The CFIA will maintain a list of registered facilities in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Exporters will be required to use these facilities to ship apples to Mexico.

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“CCA has launched an online traceability feedback survey to ensure that producers have an opportunity to share their feedback,” the organization said on social media.

It includes 15 questions, including the importance of traceability to the Canadian beef industry, level of support for “enhancing” the current traceability system and the regulations’ importance to producers.

This gathering of information comes nearly one month after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced that it was pausing the publication of proposed amendments to Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations, which that was intended to occur this spring.

The move followed weeks of outcry from beef producers across Canada.

The proposed regulations are aligned with the Cattle Implementation Plan, which was established by all sectors of industry at the National Cattle Traceability Summit in August 2011 and adopted in 2016. A summary of the plan can be found on the CCIA website.

Many worry that the regulations will unnecessarily burdensome for those who raise, move, feed, and purchase animals.

Across social media platforms and at meetings, producers expressed concern with “government overreach” and said they would not comply with the regulations.

Many producers and provincial organizations also said there had been insufficient communication on the part of industry leaders, the CFIA and the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency.

“The Canadian Cattle Association has, and will continue, to advocate for traceability systems that work for ranchers and feeders and beef farmers,” CCA president Tyler Fulton said in an X video Jan 9.

“Given the Canadian cattle industry’s reliance on export markets, we need to be prepared and have the tools available to manage animal disease events quickly and efficiently.”

Local cattle associations such as Alberta Beef Producers and the Saskatchewan Cattle Association have scheduled producer meetings, with SCA hosting two traceability information meetings in February, weeks after the annual general meeting where traceability and the CFIA were the hottest topics.

“We encourage Saskatchewan producers to take a few minutes to participate and ensure your experience and concerns are reflected in ongoing discussions around traceability,” said SCA on social media.

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The Agriculture Union represents 4,500 of the approximately 6,400 CFIA workers.

A union press release issued Jan. 28 said 1,370 jobs will be cut due to the federal government’s austerity measures. There were no details yet on where and when the cuts would occur and which operations would be affected. However, Agriculture Union president Milton Dyck said cutting food safety leads to obvious outcomes.

“More people will get sick from preventable food-borne illnesses, more poultry and livestock will die from avian flu and other diseases, and our food production industry will suffer,” he said.

The union said staffing at CFIA has declined three per cent in the last 10 years, compared to the overall 30 per-cent rise in the federal public service.

It noted U.S. president Donald Trump’s administration has also gutted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, putting the quality of imported food in doubt as well.

It also cited a media report saying the CFIA can’t handle multiple emergencies.

Dyck said food recalls rose by 150 per cent in the last decade. The government is putting short-term savings ahead of health, he added.

The CFIA has not yet responded to a request for more information.

Job cuts affect meat, poultry inspection

In a letter to staff obtained by Western Producer, CFIA president Paul MacKinnon said decisions were guided by four principles: protecting front-line inspection capacity and emergency readiness; not reducing positions without reducing work; staying focused on the core mandate of food safety, animal and plant health, science and emergency response; and simplifying the structure for clearer accountability and faster decisions.

A screenshot, provided by the union, of where savings will occur indicates the highest number of jobs affected, at 299, are categorized as “realignment for clear accountability.”

However, 117 jobs related to meat inspection operational efficiencies are impacted and 98 are cut for poultry slaughter inspection modernization.

Forty job cuts represent reduced daily shift inspections in non-export meat plants.

Effective April 1, the agency will also have a new organizational structure.

“The agency will move to a business-line model focused on Food Safety and Science, Animal Health, and Plant Health, supported by a Policy, Trade and Business Enablement Branch,” MacKinnon wrote. “This structure will better align accountability with the risks we manage, and the outcomes Canadians expect from us.”

He also said established employment transition processes will be used, including voluntary departure and selection for retention.

“My commitment is to minimize impacts, proceed with fairness and respect, and offer concrete support to impacted employees,” he said.

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Glacier FarmMedia — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it will hold off on posting new traceability regulations for now.

The agency issued a statement Jan. 10 after public confusion about whether the amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations, announced in 2023, were actually in force. Some thought they took effect Jan. 1, but they had not yet been introduced in Canada Gazette, Part II, which is a key legislative requirement.

CFIA had expected to publish the regulations, developed along with industry organizations, in the spring. They would have included required premises identification numbers to purchase ID tags, movement reporting when cattle leave their home operations and reporting the arrival of cattle within seven days.

Producers said these regulations would be costly and onerous.

Last week, provincial and national beef organizations issued statements about the issue, noting the regulations weren’t in place but also that producers had concerns. Some asked for CFIA to postpone the introduction until these could be addressed.

On the weekend, CFIA said it was aware of the concerns.

“These amendments are not currently in place and have not been finalized,” it said.

“The CFIA has consulted with industry, associations and governments regarding the proposed amendments and will continue to do so. The CFIA will pause any publication of the regulations until the proposed changes are more widely understood and concerns are heard and taken into consideration.”

Some producers on social media suggested CFIA had “snuck” in the regulations late last year as a way to exert control over them. But the draft regulations were published in Part 1 of the Canada Gazette in 2023 and a 90-day comment period followed. The agency published a What We Heard report in 2024 to summarize what it had heard.

The proposed changes will be phased in once they are published.

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This is the last of its informal seed modernization consultations before it publishes draft amendments to seed regulations the agency said in a news release. The process of modernizing Canada’s seed regulations has been ongoing since 2020 — since 2019 for the potato sector.

Up for feedback are a series of proposed changes to seed potatoes and Part 2 and 3 of the Seeds regulation. The proposals fit into three categories:

• Reduce red tape
• Support the well-being of the industry
• Protect farmers, consumers, markets and the environment

Feedback on the costs and benefits of the proposed policy decisions is also welcome, the CFIA said.

The online consultations are open to any interested parties, including industry members and the general public. They close Feb. 5.

The agency said it will report results of the consultation early in 2026. It will then seek targeted input from stakeholders before publishing draft regulatory amendments in the Canada Gazette.

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The regulations are not yet in effect and have not been published in the Canada Gazette, Part II. That is expected later in spring.

However, some people believe new movement reporting systems are already in place.

They are supposed to be phased in over time and help the industry respond more quickly to animal disease outbreaks and food safety incidents while maintaining market access.

The Canadian Cattle Association said it is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure the regulations follow the industry-led Cattle Implementation Plan.

“There is significant misinformation being shared on social media regarding CFIA’s proposed traceability regulations,” the organization said.

“No new regulations were implemented on Jan. 1, 2026. CCA will continue to work with provincial members and governments to ensure that any proposed changes work for producers. We are calling for a pause to address the concerns that we are hearing.”

The proposed regulations would require premises identification numbers to be used to purchase identification tags, report movement of cattle and report arrival of cattle within seven days.

An online petition launched Jan. 8 to stop the changes said they threaten cattle operations.

“I believe that these regulations in the long term will lead to total government control, echoing concerns from the European agricultural sectors,” wrote Julia Fairbrother in launching the petition.

She said current tracking systems are effective, but the new regulations don’t consider that some producers don’t have cellular service or the proper technology to keep up.

“I don’t know a single rancher who doesn’t know where his/her cattle are at all times, or whose cattle they neighbour with, so why does the government need to know where everything is at all times?” she wrote.

The petition had 893 verified signatures the morning of Jan. 9.

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“The work done by both countries in this arrangement will help ensure greater food security for the Philippines and a science-based approach to resolving this challenge — one we hope never impacts Canadian pork producers,” said Canadian Pork Council chair René Roy in a federal news release on Tuesday.

In 2024, Canada exported about $279 million worth of pork and pork products to the Philippines, the news release said.

Zoning agreements set out formal understandings as to how trade might continue from disease-free zones during an ASF outbreak.

Canada has yet to see a case of ASF, however the virus has devastated hog barns in China and other Asian nations. Cases of ASF in wild boars in Spain recently disrupted trade from that nation.

Plans to minimize trade disruptions, including forming zoning agreements, have been a key push for the federal government and provincial governments as well as national and provincial pork councils.

Canada also has zoning agreements with the United States, European Union, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

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“Canada and the U.K. aim to reduce duplication, lessen the burden on industry and facilitate access to important products,” said Canada’s chief veterinary officer Mary Jane Ireland, and the United Kingdom’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate deputy chief executive officer, Gavin Hall, in a joint statement on Wednesday.

Canada and the U.K. will co-operate to streamline the pre-market assessment and approval process for veterinary medicines and vaccines.

This will include sharing scientific expertise and information, discussion common priorities and loking at joint reviews of veterinary products.

In June, Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also committed to partnering on several issues related to economic grow, including trade, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and biomanufacturing.

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