Govt to soon move Cabinet note on animal traceability system

A new system is being put in place to identify and trace animals, starting with cattles, and a proposal in this regard would be soon placed before the Cabinet.
"The Department of Animal Husbandry has prepared Animal Identification and Traceability (AI&TS) system... And after approval of Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC), the proposal would be send to Cabinet for approval," Minister of State for Agriculture Sudarshan Bhagat said in a written to Lok Sabha.
In first phase, cattle and buffaloes would be covered under AI&TS list for identification besides artificial insemination and birth of calf, he said.
Asked how the government is planning to tackle the problem of outbreak of livestock disease in the absence of AI&TS, the minister said the Livestock Health and Disease Control Scheme envisages issuing of animal health cards for which the Centre is providing financial assistance.

The funds are given under Foot and Mouth Disease Control Programme (FMDCP) to maintain record of vaccination of these animals which would tackle the problem outbreak of livestock diseases in addition of breeding activities proposed under AI&TS, he added.
To a separate query on animal health card scheme, the minister said the Centre is contemplating to initiate 'National Mission on Bovine Productivity'.
The mission is expected to have an animal welfare wellness programme encompassing provision of animal health cards along with the UID identification and uploading data on national data base. It would also promote advanced breeding technology, creation of e-market portal of bovine germ plasm for connecting breeders and farmers, he said.