Vadodara: Around one lakh cattle in Vadodara have been ear-tagged with unique identification numbers similar to that of 12-digit Aadhaar number.
The UID number tagging is part of an ambitious nation-wide project to create a centralised recording mechanism called the Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health (INAPH).
Officials in animal husbandry department said that around 25% bovine population of Vadodara has so far been covered under the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP).
“Vadodara has an estimated population of 4 lakh bovines. As part of the national programme, every bovine in the country has to be tagged. The ear tags have a bar-coded UID containing information such as artificial insemination, vaccination and diseases that will help owners of the animals to avail compensation in the event of loss of their livestock,” said Dr Prakash Darji, deputy director, animal husbandry, Vadodara.
“This ear tag will help the government in detecting diseases like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and brucellosis prevalent among bovine. The government aims for complete eradication of FMD by 2025,” said Darji, adding that the project of ear tagging the cattle began in Vadodara in November last year.
NADCP will be rolled out in two phases. While the first phase aims to eradicate FMD and brucellosis, the second phase aims at linking the UIDs with productivity of the bovine and with focus on indigenous breeds.