Canada Gold Beef - The Gold Standard in Quality Beef

Questions & Answers

Question and Answers for Veterinarians Interested in Participating in Canada Gold Beef and CGB’s EU-Hormone Free Program.

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What is the role of veterinarians in Canada Gold Beef?

Veterinarians are asked to help their beef cow-calf and feedlot clients: 1) implement the cow-calf program requirements for Canada Gold Beef, 2) implement CFIA’s Hormone Program requirements, and 3) verify their clients have implemented these requirements on their beef operations.

Why are veterinarians the only persons currently recognized by CGB to register producers to the CGB program?

Veterinarians are trained in disease control, prevention, treatment, animal care, and beef safety. As well, they have an understanding of environmental issues. The core pillars of CGB are age verification, source/premise identification, traceability, and production practices related to beef safety, animal care, and environmental sustainability.
Accredited veterinarians are recognized by CFIA to certify cattle for the EU hormone free program.
Veterinarians are professionals that have a good working relationship with their clients and their clients trust them and go to them for production advice.
Veterinarians are recognized internationally as the professionals with the expertise to verify health production practices for export of cattle in international trade
Therefore, veterinarians are the obvious choice to help beef producers implement program standards for CGB.

What requirements must veterinarians meet in order to participate in CGB?

Veterinarians must be licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the province which the producer resides.
Veterinarians must be in good standing with their provincial veterinary association.
Veterinarians must be accredited by CFIA and in good standing with CFIA to export test beef cattle to the USA and certify hormone free cattle for the EU.
Veterinarians must read the CGB program requirements and write the CGB vet exam and pass it (80% pass mark) before they will be recognized by CGB as being technically competent to help producers implement the CGB program.
Veterinarians must contact their CFIA District Office to get enrolled in CFIA’s Hormone Free Program for the EU.
Veterinarians must sign the CGB Self-Declaration Document for each of their clients participating in CGB.

Where do I find the program requirements for Canada Gold Beef?

The program requirements are posted on the CGB website at www.canadagoldbeef.ca and listed in the program handbook for cow-calf producers.
Additional training materials and resource material for producers and veterinarians are also found at the CGB website.

Where do I get a copy of the exam that veterinarians are required to take and pass before they can register their clients to the CGB program?

After you have read the CGB program handbook and sent in a CGB application form for veterinarians, CGB will send you the CGB veterinary training materials and vet exam.
Please review the vet training materials and complete the exam and send the completed exam back to CGB.
The exam will be marked and you will be advised of your test results within 1 working week after CGB receives the exam.
To receive information on CFIA’s hormone free program, please contact your local CFIA District Office. Your District Veterinarian will provide you with CFIA’s Hormone Free program guidelines and ask you to complete a short exam prior to your being approved to enrol and certify hormone free cattle for CFIA.
Provincial Veterinary Associations (BC, AB, SK, MB) provide 3 C.E. credits for completion of the CGB veterinary exam.

What if I don't pass the CGB vet exam and get 80%?

You will be required to take another exam. A pass mark is required before you will be eligible to register producers to the CGB program.
Producers who use veterinarians who are not recognized by CGB as official “trainers” for CGB will not be eligible to market cattle in the CGB program.
Producers who use veterinarians not recognized by CFIA as approved to certify cattle for the EU’s hormone free program will not be eligible to market cattle in the CGB Hormone Free Program.

What if I don't want to participate in CGB or do not have the time to help my client implement CGB or CFIA’s hormone free program requirements?

Discuss this matter with your client and provide them with the name(s) of another veterinarian who may be willing to help them implement CGB and/or CFIA’s hormone free program requirements.
Contact the CGB office who can provide names of local veterinarians registered in CGB that may be willing to help your client implement CGB program requirements.
Contact your local CFIA District office to provide you with names of local veterinarians approved by them to certify cattle under the EU hormone free program.

Who pays for my services to help my client participate in CGB and CFIA’s hormone free program?

Your client. It is up to you to negotiate a reasonable professional service fee with your client to help them implement program requirements for CGB.
If you and your client already have an established herd health program in place, then there most likely will only be a few additional practices needed to meet CGB program requirements.

How often do I have to verify that my client is still implementing all of the program requirements for CGB and for CFIA’s hormone free program?

The CGB program standards require that you visit you client at least once annually to review program standards, address any program changes, and verify that he continues to meet CGB program requirement.
CFIA requires that each beef producer annually enrol in the CFIA EU hormone free program.
As part of your ongoing professional services to that client, CGB expects you to work with your client on an ongoing basis to ensure he continues to meet CGB cow-calf program requirements and CFIA’s hormone free program requirements.
If you recognize areas that need improvement during one of your herd visits, then CGB expects you to work with your client to improve these areas to ensure he continues to meet CGB and CFIA program requirements, as per your agreement with CGB and CFIA.
Should your client refuse to continue to meet CGB or CFIA’s hormone free program requirements and wishes to continue to sell cattle to CGB under the Hormone Free Program,and you cannot convince him otherwise, then you are required to contact the CGB office and your CFIA District Office immediately so that an audit can be conducted by CGB staff for CGB program requirements and by CFIA for hormone free program requirements.
Failure to inform CGB of a client's failure to continue to meet CGB program requirements, which you are aware of, will result in your removal from CGB's approved list of veterinarians. CFIA will address any concerns with the implementation of their EU hormone free program.

If my client is already certified in the “Verified Beef Production” program, does he meet all of CGB cow-calf program requirements?

No. The VBP program and the CGB program are two separate programs.
The CGB program requirements include the beef safety requirements in the VBP program but the CGB program has additional requirements in age verification, traceability, beef safety, animal care, and environmental sustainability which are not part of the VBP program.
CFIA’s hormone free program requirements are distinct from program requirements in the VBP program.

Will CGB program requirements be audited by anyone?

CGB will conduct random audits of CGB participants to verify that they are conforming to CGB program requirements.
CFIA (or the EU) will conduct random audits of those participating in CGB’s Hormone Free Program for product exported to the EU as hormone free.
If during those audits, non-conformities are identified, the producer and you will be informed, so that you can help your client make corrective actions to ensure his continued participation in CGB and in CGB’s hormone free program.