The Province has announced changes to its Premise Identification program.

The program which had been voluntary since 2014 is now becoming mandatory for producers who would like to participate in any of the Province’s livestock programs with participants now requiring PID numbers.

The PID program is a key traceability tool to plan for, control and prevent the spread of animal diseases and to respond to other emergencies.

Currently, less than 3,000 of the province’s livestock and poultry producers, veterinarians, feedlots, and other livestock commingling sites are enrolled.

Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart says with a full PID database, they’ll be in a better position to prevent or respond to an animal disease outbreak or natural disaster.

Manitoba and Alberta have similar regulations that mandate enrollment in their PID programs.

{For more information on PID, visit www.saskatchewan.ca and search “Premises Identification.” Registration can be completed online at http://premisesid.saskatchewan.ca.