MP: Ears of 2.5L bovines tagged with Aadhaar-like ID
To enhance cattle's safety, Madhya Pradesh government has stamped 2.5L cattle with unique identities, similar to 12-digit Aadhaar number. As part of an ambitious scheme of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the ears of these bovines are being tagged with UID numbers in a specific manner to create a nationwide recording mechanism called the Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health (INAPH).
40L tags have been distributed in first phase
Madhya Pradesh Animal Husbandry Joint Director and INAPH State Nodal Officer Gulabsingh Davar said, "We have started tagging the bovines on a large scale this month. In the first phase, 40L tags have been distributed and the ears of 2.5L cattle have been tagged." The plan, he said, was to complete the tagging of all the 90L cattle in MP in the second phase.
What information will be available in cattle's UID?
"A cattle dossier, comprising the animal's age, breed and other characteristics, will be created which would be uploaded onto the INAPH's Information Technology Application so that each cow or buffalo's unique identity is available on gadgets," Davar explained. Cattle UID would then be linked to Aadhaar number of its owner which in turn would check the illegal sale, purchase and smuggling of cattle.
Cattle's UID will keep an eye on productivity: Davar
"With this, we can keep an eye on productivity of the animals which can be enhanced with improvement in its breed. This will also increase the income of the cattle owners. MP is the third largest producer of milk in India," Davar said.
