The project entitled TRAZAR-nic will be integrated into the Bovine Traceability Program of the Government of Nicaragua in order to manage the processes of certification and traceability of cattle.
An article in Laprensa.com.ni reports that "This program will complement the technical regulations NTON 11-026-10, for the registration and identification of bovine animals, approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Magfor) in October 2011. '
Nicaragua has been classed as a "country with controlled risk" for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, more commonly known as 'mad cow disease'.
The announcement was made by the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ariel Bucardo, at a recent meeting with 300 farmers in the department of Chontales, announced the government through its publication El Pueblo Presidente.
The Livestock Tracking Program has been launched in Nicaragua. During a first phase, records of some 200,000 animals will be started.
Nicaragua's General Office of Animal Protection and Sanitation (DGPSA in Spanish), a department within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAGFOR), announced the beginning of the Livestock Tracking Program.
"The program consists of records that will allow to know where each animal comes from and where it is being sent, how many animals belong to each group and to which farm they were sent," said Willy Flores, head of the program, as quoted by the daily La Prensa on its website.
In 2011 exports to Venezuela, of Nicaragua steers increased by 120%, totaling $143 million.
Nicaraguan exporters are reaping rewards of the good trade relations between both countries, and the livestock sector is no exception.
So far this year, almost 11,000 steers have been exported to Venezuela, equivalent to $143 million. This is double what was sold in 2010, when 5000 animals were sent.
They claim they need more resources in order to sustain the current pace of industry growth and exports.
In the first half of the year livestock exports totaled $290 million, and it is estimated that the figure at the end of the year will be $576 million.
However, to achieve this goal, they need to maintain the current level of productivity, for which they require financing from the banks, which has reduced lending to the sector this year.
The livestock sector projected that it will close 2008 with $280 million in exports.
Representatives from the National Livestock Commission of Nicaragua (Conagan) and from the Federation of Livestock Associations of Nicaragua (Faganic) had a meeting yesterday with the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Magfor), Ariel Bucardo, to whom they expressed the "urgent need" for the Government to fulfill several demands presented by the farmers.