BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 27
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
A new, improved system of animal identification and registration which contains information about cattle in Georgia and their owners are now fully functional, Trend reports via the Food and Agriculture Organization (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.
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 program 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 to implement the identification-registration program, 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 program in 2019-2020 with about 600 veterinarians who learned how to use the program.
The state spends 2 million lari ($605,370) annually for the identification-registration system, while the program is completely free for farmers.
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