Press Release

AgInfoLink Selected to Provide Data Management and Mobile Technologies to North American Animal Transportation Traceability Projects

Longmont, CO - April 1, 2005- AgInfoLink™, a leading traceability and information solutions company, has announced their selection as the data management provider for the Kansas Animal Health Department’s Animal Transportation Project. AgInfoLink will be responsible for managing animal and transportation data collected on over 40,000 animals via RFID (radio frequency identification) readers and GPS devices attached to livestock trucks and transmitted in near real-time to the Kansas Animal Health Department. In a separate project award, AgInfoLink has also been selected by Agri-Tracabilite Quebec (ATQ) to provide AgMobile™, a handheld data collection technology, as part of a provincial animal identification and tracking solution for the Quebec livestock transportation sector. 

 According to Dr. Dale Blasi, Kansas State University Professor and transportation project coordinator, “AgInfoLink’s role in the Kansas Animal Transportation Project is to ensure that animal data collected by the trucks is rapidly and securely shared between business partners and with the systems created to address National Animal Identification. Their experience and reputation as a leader in livestock traceability makes AgInfoLink an ideal information management partner for this project.”

 In Canada, Agri-Tracabilite Quebec (ATQ) is requiring a system that combines RFID readers, mobile collection devices, and software to create a provincial animal transportation tracking system. AgInfoLink will provide its AgMobile™ solution which includes an easy-to-use handheld computer, wireless printer and AgInfoLink’s wireless RFID reader.  The technology allows livestock producers to quickly identify animals, record data, reference historical data, and make on-the-spot management decisions.   Data from the livestock transporters will fill the traceability gaps between producers, auction markets, and abattoirs and enable ATQ to fulfill its mission of providing complete livestock traceability within the province of Quebec.   

“During the initial phase of this project, ATQ tested a wide range of data collection tools. AgInfoLink’s handheld AgMobile™ unit proved to be easy-to-use and was very well liked by those who participated in the trials. Because of its outstanding performance, the product has been selected as an approved data collection option.” said Francine Lapointe, Director of Development and Information for ATQ. 

Mark Armentrout, Chief Operatating Officer of AgInfoLink says, “It is a great pleasure to work with innovative organizations that are advancing animal identification and traceability systems in North America. The transportation sector is a critical and often overlooked component as we move toward the adoption of complete national animal traceability systems. We are pleased that our data collection solutions, and our secure, information integration products are being used to link different software systems to provide end-to-end data integrity, and help shape emerging animal traceability systems.”