A new, improved system of animal identification and registration which contains information about cattle in Georgia and their owners is now fully functional, announces the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS), which incorporates information on the animals' identity, ownership, geographical location and movement activity was first launched in Georgia in 2012, however the electronic database was improved thanks to the joint work of FAO and the National Food Agency of Georgia and the financial support of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Austrian Development Agency.
The improved database enables the National Food Agency of Georgia to track animal diseases and to ensure efficient disease control/eradication in shorter time frames.
The state spends 2 million GEL annually for the identification-registration system, while the programme is completely free for farmers. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
As a result of the updated system the veterinarians of the National Food Agency of Georgia are now able to record information on animals and their owners in the updated database, using electronic devices instead of paper forms.
The identification-registration programme is directly related to food safety and safe epidemiological situation in the country. It should be noted that Georgia is the first country in the region implementing the identification-registration programme, which is important for the whole region,” said Mikhail Sokhadze, FAO's Identification-Registration Program Manager.
The updated version of NAITS was first launched in the Kakheti region of Georgia as a pilot programme where in 2019-2020 about 600 veterinarians learnt how to use the programme.
The state spends 2 million GEL annually for the identification-registration system, while the programme is completely free for farmers.