Nepal Introduces Digital Identification for Livestock

Nepal is set to implement digital identification for livestock, following the government’s success in digitally recording citizen information through national identity cards. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has finalized the “Animal Identification and Traceability System (AITS) Establishment and Implementation Directive, 2082”, which will register details of cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, and pigs.

Under the directive, each animal will receive a 12-digit unique identification tag. For special-purpose animals, advanced technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID) devices with barcodes, microchips, and other systems will also be used. According to Deputy Secretary Dr. Sharan Kumar Pandey, AITS will serve as a digital identity for animals, similar to national ID cards for humans. He added, “Once the directive is approved by Falgun, we aim to digitize all livestock records across the country within five years. We have already developed demo projects for the software.”

Secretary Dr. Deepak Kumar Kharel stated that the directive is designed to streamline livestock management, production tracking, and disease control. The system will record vital data such as birth date, parentage, health and vaccination status, breed, ownership, movements, production details, and mortality. “It will help monitor regional livestock conditions, disease outbreaks, and overall animal welfare,” Kharel said.

The system will also help reduce livestock theft, improve transparency in grant distribution, and assist in livestock insurance, breed improvement, and quality certification for international trade. “AITS will ensure accurate evaluation of animal production potential and product quality, facilitating trade and livestock management,” Kharel added.

The International Livestock Research Institute is currently providing technical assistance, and all collected data will be securely stored at the National Information Technology Center’s data center. The Department of Livestock Services will oversee system operations, with coordination from federal, provincial, and local levels. All existing animal identification systems in Nepal will be integrated into AITS, which is the country’s first centralized digital identification system for livestock.