According to a survey conducted by Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 96 percent of Georgian farmers are aware of the Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) implementation process. The Project mplemented with the financial support of Swiss Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). The survey of 3 687 household shows a 44 percent increase in awareness compared to a survey conducted in 2017 in which only 52 percent of farmers knew of the program. This information is possessed equally by both male and female farmers throughout the country.    

Under the Animal Identification and Traceability System, small and large ruminates are identified with yellow year tags and are vaccinated against different diseases, namely brucellosis and anthrax. It is part of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and jointly implemented by FAO and the National Food Agency (NFA)  

According to the survey, the percentage of farmers aware of the purpose of the program is rather high. Compared to the 2017, the percentages of those who knew that the goals of the program are to ensure the health of livestock and humans and to improve the quality of livestock products increased by eight percent for the former and almost tripled for the latter.

In contrast, the share of animal keepers who associate the NAITS with social allowance enabling and those who consider the NIATS as a government’s tool for oppressing farmers with extra taxes remains dramatically low at one and three percent, respectively.   

The NAITS is crucial for food safety and creating a satisfactory epidemiological environment within the country. It is a tool for animal health monitoring and zoonotic disease prevention and also makes it possible to trace the origins of animal products. Therefore, awareness of the program and its benefits is vital for animal owners.  

The survey highlights that the vast majority of farmers have a positive response and understand their responsibilities under the program. For instance, 71 percent are aware that animal identification is obligatory and 64 percent know that they have to keep an animal record book for recording information regarding animal health, newborns and all treatments provided to animals.  

The survey’s question on household shows that on average Georgian farmers have two cow/bulls, two buffalos, two pigs, six goats and 11 sheep. The research proves that the Georgian livestock sector is rather dynamic. For example, 37 percent of those interviewed mentioned that they sold their animals (live or meat) during last year while five percent have either slaughtered their animals for personal consumption or have had animals die of natural causes. In 49 percent of cases, what happened to household animals is unknown. (They might have been stolen, or disposed of in any other ways.)