The Brazilian government has launched a traceability plan for cattle and buffalo, requiring that the entire country’s herd have mandatory individual identification by 2032.
According to Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), the initiative’s main goals are to enhance and improve traceability by implementing a system that tracks and records the history, current location, and trajectory of each animal.
The measure aims to strengthen animal health programs, improve the country’s response to epidemiological outbreaks, and reinforce Brazil’s commitment to meeting international market sanitary requirements.
The ministry also presented a timeline for the plan’s implementation: by 2026, a national database will be established; between 2027 and 2029, individual animal identification will begin, with the goal of covering the entire herd by 2032.
Animal identification will be conducted using an electronic ear tag or a flag tag capable of electronic identification.
The plan covers not only beef cattle but also dairy cattle, as well as animals not intended for export. Identification will be required when animals are moved or vaccinated against brucellosis.
The initiative could open doors to new markets, such as Japan and South Korea, which are more restrictive but pay higher prices for meat. According to Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, one of these countries’ requirements is that meat originates from a foot-and-mouth disease-free area without vaccination, a status Brazil is expected to achieve in May. “The way to certify this is through traceability,” Fávaro emphasized.