Unique ID for milch animals soon

Soon, every milch animal across the country will be ear-tagged with an Aadhaar-like unique identity number.

Under the ‘Pashudhan Sanjivani’ scheme, the Modi government intends to monitor the health of each of the 8.5 crore milch animals to ensure high productivity and control the spread of diseases.

“Each of the milch animals will be given a health card that will record the breed, its age and details of vaccination, among other details. This will be linked to a national database,” Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh told reporters here.

“This will play a crucial role in the control of spread of animal diseases and will also help in the trade of livestock and livestock products,” the minister said. According to officials, the registration of animals is expected to the completed by 2019.

Dairy farmers had asked the government to consider giving a unique ID to milch animals last year, it being one of the best practices in dairying, which is already being used in several countries across the globe.

The data can also help banks to track the health of animals that are procured through financial assistance schemes.

Recently, the government launched an e-portal for marketing authentic bovine germ plasm which is essential for promotion of indigenous bovine breeds.

“Through this portal, farmers and breeders can sell or purchase quality germ plasm,” Singh said. The minister said this was the first time that farmers would have access to authentic information on indigenous breeds, an area where middlemen flourished and misled farmers.

The portal will eliminate the role of middlemen in the sale and purchase of animals, Singh said.