Editor’s Note: Abu Dhabi, the center of the United Arab Emirates, like all other countries is drinking the koolaid about animal ID from the World Ogranisation of Animal Health (OIE). They are told to ID every animal or they can not export — else all livestock value will be ended.
Abu Dhabi, unlike the USA proposed a compulsory AIRS (same as NAIS) that all animals be numbered for food health purposes. In Abu Dhabi the race horses aren’t numbered, but 105,087 camels are. Most won’t be eating camels, but who knows, maybe they have gonorrhea? The government is paying for the computer records and furnishing compliance officers to search the desert sands for every camel, goat, sheep, and cattle.
The fact Abu Dhabi imports over 90% of their milk and meat why do they listen to the OIE and concern themselves with export issues? It is the same sales pitch offered by the USDA, and the United Nations. Now, every one humped dromedary will have an ear chip, but the camel jockeys won’t have to pay for it.
Over 1 million livestock registered in Abu Dhabi
16 January 2011,
ABU DHABI — The Animal Identification and Registration System (AIRS) campaign registered and tagged over a million animals in the livestock category, the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) announced.
The authority allocated 55 teams of four each to implement and reach its target in Abu Dhabi city and the Eastern Region that includes Al Ain.
In Al Gharbia or the Western Region, work will be completed by the end of February.
In the last three months since the AIRS kicked off in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, 7,878 farms were visited.
The authority also said the animals already registered include 105,087 camels, 25,748 cows and 1,050,087 sheep and goat heads.
“AIRS campaign is progressing extremely well and we are geared up to complete it on schedule. Farm owners and workers have fully understood the huge benefits AIRS can bring about for them, the consumers, the community, and are greatly supportive for field teams. This is indeed a decisive factor that is helping us to complete both Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Regions on time and we are very thankful for them,” said Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, Director of Communication and Community Service, ADFCA. “As we embark on the Western Region AIRS campaign, we invite livestock owners in Abu Dhabi Region whose animals have not been identified yet to contact the AIRS help desk 800555, or other various existing communications channels to provide all required information such as farm area and number, GPS Location, livestock number per species and AIRS team will set a visit time,” he advised.
AIRS is compulsory and free of charge for livestock owners and it allows the traceability of animals and products of animal origin.
The programme aims to achieve many benefits for Abu Dhabi, livestock owners and consumers and the community such as national database for animals towards achieving food safety, better livestock management systems, as well as better diseases surveillance and control of humans and animals health emergencies.
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