HOLDING AND ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION IN ARMENIA

SUPPORTED BY

Country/Region

Armenia/Shirak, Lori, Kotayk, Gegharkunik, Aragatsotn

Planned Project execution period:

1 November 2018 - 31 December 2020

Animal Identification and Registration is an industry-led trace-back system designed to help trace sources of animal health and food safety problems. The animal identification is intended to strengthen animal health surveillance in the country by identifying and tracking specific animals. Healthy animals and developed agriculture will provide consumer confidence and protect domestic and international markets. Animal identification and registration is critical in maintaining animal health in every herd, as well as for providing real-time information on animal movement and data required for recording of premises, barns, and summer grazing stations. It will enable reliable producers to access markets and prevent unsafe animal and animal products movement ensuring the quick and accurate handling of emergency situations. A driving factor behind animal identification is the need for food marketers. Currently, in some areas, consumers are ready to pay a premium for meat and animal products that have been tracked from birth. Therefore, food chain operators are intended to make necessary changes for their operations to comply with market requirements. This will allow the industry to be ready to protect and preserve domestic and international markets. Armenia needs to have a system in place that will protect cattle breeders and livestock farmers, so they can freely export and import products and animals around the world.

Given the above rationale Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) Foundation in collaboration with RA Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and its State Service for Food Safety (SSFS) agency proposes to support the veterinarians and all livestock farmers to improve the farm management through development and introduction of HAI&R system for Armenia.

Implementation of the proposed project will have the following impact: Improved animal health and animal breeding management leading to higher productivity of cattle and higher income of farmers.

To achieve this impact the project pursues the following outcome: Improved farm management at selected pilot farms through development and introduction of the Holding and Animal Identification and Registration system, ready for further nationwide replication. In its turn, after being implemented, the project will result in increase of the capacities of the veterinarians and farmers to effectively implement their duties as well as establish platform for the holding and animal identification and registration system in the future. 

The following two outputs are expected to be achieved as a result of the project implementation:

Output 1: Awareness of project beneficiaries including state officials, livestock farmers, veterinarians etc. on animal identification and registration, farm management, environmental protection and animal welfare/protection raised

Output 2: Technical and organizational capacities of veterinarians and livestock farmers on animal identification and registration, farm management, environmental protection and animal welfare/protection strengthened.