Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

Dr. TanDY

JUST like vehicles, cattle in Malaysia will be given registration numbers, under an Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry plan.

Source: New Straits Times

17 April 2006

The microchip-based ID tags will help identify smuggled animals and stem the spread of foot and mouth disease in cattle here.

Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the concept was practiced in Australia, where all cattle were ear-tagged with a microchip containing information on the state and farm where they were reared. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology could be used for this purpose.

“Each state will have a code, and each farm its own number, so you can even trace the beef sold in shops down to the farm it came from if any problems arise,” he told reporters after chairing a dialogue with agro-industry players on halal food at a hotel today.

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:56 pm Post subject:

Sounds so high tech. Do you think it is really necessary? How many cattle do we have in Malaysia?

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:32 pm Post subject: Tagging to curb spread of FMD

Another follow-up....

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Tagging to curb spread of FMD

Source: The Star

18 April 2006

PUTRAJAYA: Radio frequency identification (RFID) chip technology to tag the movement of cattle is in the pipeline to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD).

The tagging will begin with imported cattle and later be introduced on local cattle that are transported from one state to another.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said, under the RFID system currently used by New Zealand, every head of cattle would have a code number, enabling it to be traced to the farm from which it originated.

He said smuggled cattle could thus be traced easily, as they would not have code numbers.

Although FMD was under control, Muhyiddin said, fresh cases had cropped up in a few states and the disease could easily spread if affected cattle were transported to unaffected states.

NICE TO MEET YOU: Muhyiddin greeting livestock ‘agropreneurs’ just before a meeting with them at Putrajaya yesterday.
States that were free from the disease were Sabah, Sarawak, Johor, Malacca, and Negri Sembilan, he said, adding that the disease would be controlled by way of vaccination and barring of movement.

Affected states would have to get permission from the state veterinary department before cattle could be transported to another state, he said.

Muhyiddin added that smuggling of cattle from neighbouring countries would also be tackled to contain the disease, which had caused Malaysian cattle to be banned from being exported.

“I will soon be visiting Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis to check on the smuggling of cattle from the borders, and to ensure that enforcement agencies take severe action against those responsible for the smuggling,” he said.

The plan to make Malaysia FMD-free in about two years' time, he said, was mainly to make local beef acceptable to the international market. He said that at the same time the country had to increase its production of cattle.

Muhyiddin was speaking to reporters here after meeting livestock entrepreneurs, known to the ministry as “agropreneurs”, to share information on land, grazing grounds and funds to increase production.

Dr csh · Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 425

Nesessary? no, but is it a good idea? I think so. The problem with FMD control is the illegal movement of animals from within the quarantine zone to naive farms. This way, we can track the movement and have some accountability for illegal movement. Perhaps when all the animals are microchipped at the slaughter plants, we can also track where te animal came from and hunt down those who use drugs illegally. All in all, it forces accountability for animal producers for their products. To me, it is a good idea but it may be unrealistic given our method of cattle agriculture.

dark · Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Malaysia

Practical? i dont think so ... sometimes its difficult get it scanned .. further more ... its expensive ...
a normal ear tagging is more than enough .... to curb fmd .... ministery should reconsider to strengthen its enforcement units.

wslmiaw · Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 12

MOA is going to tag cattle to prevent smuggling and diseases?

Who is going to pay the ID tag? The cheapest would be less than RM10 per piece......

wslmiaw · Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 12

If without enforcement, everything would still be null and ineffective even there are laws and regulations.

Even tagging cattle would still be a problem. Some private companies would benefit from this project not the farmers at this stage of cattle development?

Dr csh · Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 425

It doesn't have to be microchips that is used but some sort of national animal identification program would be a huge step forward in the control of disease spread. To eliminate costs to farmers, the government could issue free/cheap metal ID tags and register every animal. It is impossible at the moment because of the way our animal industry is (cattle and buffalos free ranging in Kampungs).

How an identification program will work? Every animal will have a record of where it is born, which animals were the parents and every owner until it is slaughtered or die. The problem arises when farmers detect and outbreak of suspicious disease, they sell the herd as soon as possible spreading the disease all over to prevent themselves from being stuck with animals that might be culled/devalued by government policies. An ID program will hold producers responsible and each animal will be traceable to the source. This way we can find out where the disease came from and do something about it BEFORE it becomes an epidemic. It will help identify irresponsible producers. You are starting a farm, how would you feel if you bought an animal with FMD and now your entire herd is quarantined from a farmer who KNEW he had something bad? How would you feel? This happens almost every outbreak by people smuggling animals out of quarantine areas or dispersing the herd instead of notifying the authorities.

Sadly I doubt such programs will be able to be implemented in Malaysia. Why would they accept liability unless absolutely forced to? As far as I know, europe and Australia has such a program and they can trace each animal. We will see if this program will be implemented.