Uzbekistan discusses the introduction of livestock passporting system: potential for the industry or bureaucratic burden for farmers?

Following the announcement of new rules for identifying pets on social media, concerns arose that this innovation might become an additional tool for control and imposing fines. However, the Ministry of Agriculture clarified that the main goal of this system is to protect public health, prevent the spread of serious diseases, and increase food safety standards.

According to the agency's information, implementing identification will enable detailed animal record-keeping, monitoring their health status, and quickly detecting outbreaks of potentially dangerous infections. Diseases mentioned include anthrax, rabies, brucellosis, and echinococcosis.

The system is also designed to speed up the process of tracing the source of infection, identifying animals that have come into contact with carriers of the infection, and timely taking measures to stop further disease spread.

Furthermore, identification is intended to guarantee the traceability of all livestock products. This mechanism will allow for determining the origin of meat, milk, and other products, as well as confirming that the animal has been veterinary inspected and deemed healthy.

Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture emphasized that identification aims to strengthen biological security, increase the efficiency of agricultural production, and ensure greater product safety for end consumers.

The new regulations for registering domestic pets in Uzbekistan came into effect on August 7. Owners are now required to chip or tag their pets and enter their data into the general electronic database. Furthermore, the identification procedure will be provided free of charge until 2028.

Uzbekistan authorities plan to allocate $463 million to support the livestock sector. These funds will be used to restore enterprises, increase meat and milk production, purchase breeding stock, and integrate digital technologies into the industry.

The relevant proposals were presented to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. During the presentation, it was noted that the country's annual meat demand has reached 2.15 million tons, while current production stands at approximately 1.6 million tons. To eliminate this deficit, a livestock development program for the period 2026–2028 was developed, which provides for an increase in meat production by 190 thousand tons.

Key Areas of Livestock Support

A key aspect of the program is the restoration of 103 livestock farms. For this, the possibility of restructuring existing debt or providing installment payments for up to ten years is provided, as well as the allocation of land plots for fodder cultivation and the provision of breeding stock to these farms.

Furthermore, in thirteen specialized districts, it is planned to increase the efficiency of using 75 thousand hectares of fodder land, finance small livestock initiatives, and open new sales points for feed and milk reception. In private farms, the construction of 11 thousand light cow sheds capable of housing 421 thousand head of cattle is planned.

A separate section of the program includes the implementation of 802 investment projects totaling 3 trillion soums. These projects will create conditions for housing over 68 thousand head of cattle and 186 thousand sheep and goats, ensuring an annual increase in meat production by 20 thousand tons and milk production by 120 thousand tons.

To increase the total herd size, Uzbekistan intends to import 150 thousand sheep from Mongolia, 100 thousand head of breeding cattle from China and European countries, and two thousand head of livestock from Belarus. This import is expected to lead to an additional meat production of about 44 thousand tons annually.

As part of the industry modernization, the Smart Fermer digital platform was presented. This system will allow farmers to identify animals, call veterinary specialists, receive advice on feeding and artificial insemination, and apply for subsidies and use AI-based advice.

Poultry Farming Development and Presidential Directives

Significant attention is being paid to the poultry sector. Projects worth $432 million are planned until 2028, which will allow for an increase in poultry meat output by 100 thousand tons, expand feed production capacity to 3.3 million tons, and improve modern slaughtering systems.

Following the presentation, the president instructed an analysis of the economic efficiency of all presented projects, guaranteed the targeted spending of allocated funds, and mandated the implementation of digital systems for monitoring and accounting.

It was previously reported that Uzbek authorities extended tax benefits for air transport of meat until the end of the current year, which were introduced in the spring to stabilize prices in the domestic market.