WO2013084242A2

WO2013084242A2 - System and method for providing a secure electronic identification and management system for livestock with ownership interface, e-governance and global supply chain traceability for products of animal origin

Info

Publication number: WO2013084242A2
Application number: PCT/IN2012/000424
Authority: WO
Inventors: Css RAO
Original assignee: Rao Css
Priority date: 2011-12-07
Filing date: 2012-06-14
Publication date: 2013-06-13
Also published as: WO2013084242A3

Abstract

The instant invention relates to a comprehensive system and method for providing a secure and infallible electronic identification and management system (a) for individual livestock dynamically and irrefutably linked to true ownership of livestock at any given time; (b) for farms and commercial entities engaged in animal agriculture and processing /trading in animal products, by means of an electronic smart ID Card mandatorily issued by government authorities to the owners of livestock and others concerned, which facilitates improved control and management of livestock; and (c) for the creation of futuristic supply chain traceability and e-Governance capabilities in the field of animal agriculture, resting on the platform of a robust, electronic livestock I&R (Identification and Registration) System to be owned and operated by concerned statutory authorities in each country.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A SECURE ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LIVESTOCK WITH OWNERSHIP INTERFACE, E-GOVERNANCE AND GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN TRACEABILITY FOR PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN

Field of Invention

Background of the Invention

Livestock constitute a precious national resource representing high value assets to their owners. Across the world, from time immemorial, livestock identification and proof of their ownership have been sought to be achieved by branding and marking domesticated animals. The symbols used in branding or marking came to be recognised by local practice in pastoral communities. Over the years, progressive village authorities came to create, registers to record brand marks adopted by livestock owners in their precincts. In recent times, local governments in many countries have been following the practice of maintaining a jurisdictional registry of species-wise brand marks allocated to livestock owners, principally for cattle, horses, camels, ostrich, sheep, goats and pigs. Presently, laws make it mandatory for all livestock owners of those countries to register their brands/marks in this Registry, which is nowadays computerised in some developed countries. However, it is important to note that this form of identification merely helps establish the owner of an animal; it does not identify the animal.

In modern times, livestock identification techniques have evolved into two main groups: ( 1 ) "private" or "management" identification operated by individual farmers for their own needs; and (2) "official" or "national" identification, mandated by a government authority. Since the late 1990s, scientific practices have come into usage in many countries in an attempt to overcome the above lacuna, with the introduction of electronic tagging devices for livestock to establish their own identity as well as their ownership. Some countries require mandatory electronic tagging of valuable species such as bovine and equine stock. These devices are usually deployed in the form of ear tags, micro-chip implants under the skin of animals and in the case of bovine species, of ruminal boluses ingested in to the animals. The electronic data stored in these passive RFID devices always includes a unique serial number based on which ownership is established. These modern devices carry RFID (radio frequency identification) capability, and the stored data is recognised and displayed by reader units when brought in proximity to the animal. It is possible to interface these reader units to computers, which support livestock management.

US Patent Application Publication No. US 2003/0051678 Al dated 20th March 2003 titled "Method and Installation for Identifying Animals" provides a method and an installation for identifying animals and managing data concerning said animals so as to control the traceability of the animals and of the data. The inventive installation comprises at least; an identifier borne by the animal; a system for reading the identifier, a self-contained system for communicating with the user, processing and storing in a storage unit data concerning at least an animal, a link between the self-contained system and the reading system; a centralized database assembling data concerning the animals; databases concerning data on the animals are included in the self-contained system storage unit and duplicated in the centralized data bank; means for communicating data between the self-contained system and the centralized database and communication means and between the self- contained system and another self-contained system.

US Patent No. US 6,554,188 Bl dated April 29th, 2003 titled "Terminal for an Active Labelling System" provides a reader / writer device (terminal) for accessing item-related data in rewritable tags of the, "RF-ID" type wherein each tag includes non-volatile memory. In a farm animal application each animal is implanted with an identified tag. From time to time, the terminal can be given a selected security level by reading password-like and individual identity data from a special tag held by an individual. As a result the individual can gain "read" and / or "write" to selected fields in the data record held within the tag. Further information may be added from time to time by empowered individuals; Schemes are enabled for the enhanced management of animals having such tags include accurate descriptors, proving ownership, showing compliance with disease control programmes and withholding periods after possible treatments, traceability of meat products from the shop to the farm, breeding schemes and performance recording. The use of security levels and the traceability of entries adds to the reliability of the stored information.

U.S.Pat. No 5,499,626 to Willham et al describes an implantable programmable electronic data tag, and a scheme for using an individual mammal as its own mobile record capable of receiving changeable information. The document is useful for providing a guide for a livestock record system. A central database is assumed for breed performance averaging (bio-economic values); details of which are described. The data tag is assumed to be battery-driven.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,409 inventor Beigel M, Avid Crop: U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,001 Beige M, and Avid Corp: U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,017 Beige M all relate to a terminal, and an RFID tag having 3 kinds of memory in the tag namely R/O (ROM), R/W (EEPROM), and temporary (RAM) memories (the last for use with tag sensors). A single level of security is provided for.

U.S.Pat. No. 6,012,415 inventor Linseth describes an RFID tag for the first (rumen) and second (reticulum) stomachs of cattle, combined with a heavy magnet also useful for the minimization of "hardware disease" and a plurality of read or write memories.

(U.S.Pat.No.4,709,136) Venda Corporation (W097/22092) describes a physical device providing a form of security for confidential data upon a smart card or the like, in which simultaneous access of the smart card together with a second smart card containing enabling information such as a password is required. Hardware capable of reading two smart cards at the same time is used. The present state of livestock identification systems in various major countries across the world are briefly enumerated below to provide a factual status report on the prevailing prior art.

Many developed and developing countries have during the last decade introduced procedures to record basic livestock data in national databases. However, there is no verifiable method or system presently available in the world to _^establish with documentary evidence, the true ownership of given livestock correlating the identity of the animal(s) with that of its (their) lawful owner— especially upon subsequent sale— barring the minimal usage of animal passports in paper book format for equine stock and domestic pets in certain countries, now proposed to be enlarged to cover cattle and other stock in several countries. The direct linkage of animal identity to documentary proof of ownership is nearly always absent. Great Britain

A computerised Cattle Tracing System (CTS) was launched in Great Britain in 1998 as part of further efforts to retain consumer confidence in beef. The system was introduced as part of the Government's strategy for eradicating BSE and for lifting the EC ban on exports. All bovine animals are required to be identified with a primary and secondary ear tag within 20 days of birth. Secondary tags may include RFID chips at the owner's discretion. Cattle registration involves applying for a paper passport within seven days of tagging. Cattle are not permitted to leave their current location without a paper passport. Keepers of cattle must notify CTS within three days of a movement and within seven days of a death, using paper forms. Australia

The driver behind the development of the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) has been the need to facilitate and ensure export access to European markets. NLIS became operational in 2000. Recording of cattle movements became mandatory in all states and territories by 1 July 2006. NLIS rules require that all cattle must be tagged with an approved low-frequency RFID device prior to moving from the property of birth. The unique tag number incorporates the Property Identification Code (PIC) that links the tag to the property for which it was purchased. When cattle are moved, the recipient is required to notify the NLIS database of the movement, including the source property PIC, thereby allowing whole-of-life traceability to be established for each animal. Canada

The Canadian system is primarily an animal identification system, linking animals back to the property of origin or tagging. The Canadian Cattle Identification program is managed by the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA). The program was fully implemented from 1 July 2002 with legislation setting the requirements for cattle, bison and ovine species. The CCIA sets national standards for approval of bar coded and RFID tags into the program. From 1 September 2006, all cattle leaving their herd of origin are required to be tagged with CCIA-approved RFID tags. Tags are linked to a register and are associated with the animal until slaughter or export.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands is required to maintain a centralised computer database for recording the movements of individual cattle, as a member of the EU. The I&R system is operated and maintained by the Ministry for Agriculture. All cattle are required to be ear-tagged and registered on the database within three days of birth. Officially approved tags are required to include visual unique identifiers consisting of a country code and barcode.

Switzerland The Swiss parliament passed legislation in 1999 establishing the Animal Tracking Corporation, renamed Identitas Ltd in 2006. Identitas is the entity responsible for the design, implementation and operation of the Swiss animal identification and tracing system. Under the Swiss system, cattle are tagged in each ear and are registered with Identitas from birth. Ear tags include country of origin and unique animal identification visual identifiers and a corresponding barcode designed to be compatible with EU requirements. When animals are moved, the sender must prepare two copies of a movement document, one to be kept and the other provided to the recipient. These movement permits contain details of the animals that have been moved: the source and destination premises, the species and unique identification numbers, and health status. The United States of America

The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is administered by Veterinary Services, which is a division of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ~ an agency of the USDA. The NAIS system has been structured as a Federal-State-industry partnership, with responsibility for implementation of NAIS being shared amongst industry groups, private companies, State and Tribal governments, and USDA. The NAIS program is moving through an initial implementation period where participation is currently voluntary, with full program implementation to be under a phased-in plan. Producers opting for registration of their animals under NAIS will have their animals identified either individually with a unique Animal Identification Number; or, if their animals are managed and moved through the production chain as a group, their animals will be identified with a Group/Lbt Identification Number.

Japan

The Law for Special Measures Concerning the Management and Relay of Information for the Individual Identification of Cattle was introduced in June 2003. The system set up by this law links the identifier on an individual animal (bar-coded ear tag) to the final product, such as consumer packaged steak, and allows individuals to search an online web database (the Individual Cattle Identification Register) to find out information on the specific animal. Cattle owners, slaughterhouses, beef wholesalers, retailers and specific dish caterers all have obligations under the law. Cattle owners transferring or selling animals have obligations to immediately notify the National Livestock Breeding Centre of the details of ear tag identification, destination, and date of transaction; and the persons receiving animals have the equivalent obligation. The inspection system is overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

South Korea

The South Korean Government is putting in place a mandatory beef tracing system by the first half of 2009. The South Korean Beef Tracing System (BTS) has evolved from an initial cattle farmer organisation trial that commenced in October 2004. The BTS system is led by government, and individual farming households and processors will have obligations to provide data from 2009. Under new laws, all cattle must be tagged and will not be able to be slaughtered without tags. RFID options are also being explored. Farming households must register with the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service. Each calf must be identified within two weeks of birth with two ear tags.

Argentina

In 2007, Argentina instituted a compulsory cattle identification program, requiring that all calves born after September 2007 carry official tags. This identification program opens the way to make it possible to track cattle from birth to slaughter. The entire Argentine beef herd is expected to be tagged by 2017.

Brazil

In 2002, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Husbandry and Supply published Normative Instruction 1, introducing the Brazilian Bovine and Bubaline Identification and Certification System (SISBOV) for the identification and tracing of all cattle. Implementation of the new system focused initially on premises engaged in providing animals to slaughterhouses that supply products destined for the EU. Since 2003, successive audits of SISBOV, conducted by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) of the European Commission's Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs, have found the system to be unsatisfactory.

As can be seen from the above, a great deal has been done to identify animals in order to achieve "from farm to fork" traceability. Evidently, all countries have consistently overlooked the paramount importance and necessity of also simultaneously identifying and registering their owners, the farms and the supply chain operators following uniform global practices and systems, in order to complete the chain of identification, which is only as strong as its weakest link. It is easy to realise that animals do not end up on their own in edible form at dining tables. A multitude of agencies and operators are essential to make this happen from farm to retail. The huge gap in the global identification process is telling.

The number of livestock covered by electronic tags is a miniscule percentage of livestock population worldwide, and the vast majority of animals continue either to be covered by traditional branding methods, or none at all. Legal ownership is presumed by mere possession and custody of livestock— even if they were to be stolen earlier. There is no codified or uniform method of livestock identification worldwide incorporating authentic ownership interface, which would provide the means of verifying the true ownership of livestock. Some practical examples to demonstrate the above situation:

(1) If authorities stop and check a farmer in transit anywhere in a given country and ask him to irrefutably prove (i) his ownership of the animal(s) in his possession and / or (ii) the authorisation he holds from local authorities to transport the animal(s) from Place A to Place B, it is nearly certain that he would fail, even if the livestock bears an RFID device. Where are his name and ownership data recorded, especially if it is a second or subsequent sale?

What documentary proof does he have in his hands?

(2) Similarly, in the case of livestock sent to abattoirs for harvesting, or exported. (3) Branding identifies the owner, NOT the animal. How then can a livestock owner reliably distinguish one animal from another in a large herd of similar looking, similar aged livestock?

(4) Farm Premises throughout a given country are not systematically included in the enrolment process to register them under regulatory or administrative process.

(5) Commercial entities in the livestock industry including traders, abattoirs, butcheries, transportation companies, cutting halls, meat processing and packing units, exporters, deadstock operators etc are also not compulsorily enrolled under a commonly recognised and codified scheme of identification. Summarized Appraisal of Present Livestock IDT (Identification and Traceability) Systems Worldwide

A LIVESTOCK ID SYSTEMS AND NATIONAL REGISTRY

1 Globally harmonized, codified approach to livestock identity management and traceability absent 2 Official livestock ID systems and laws non-existent in numerous major countries

[example: India]

3 Several countries have Livestock ID Acts [example: South Africa] but are based on age-old practices of branding etc. and lack stringent administrative control

4. Mandatory I&R (Identification and Registration) Systems for livestock and farm premises prevalent in very few countries [USA a notable exclusion]; even amongst them uniform protocol lacking

5 No uniform coverage of all valuable species of terrestrial stock under modern ID programmes [example: cashmere goats]

6 Valid documentary proof of livestock ownership non-existent in most countries - ownership presumed by possession

7 All ID and traceability systems dwell only on identifying individual animals - without linking them to the verifiable ID of their owners. No owner-centric livestock databases / animal ID

8 In many developed countries, RFID Ear Tags available over the counter (OTC) at veterinary supplies stores, devoid of regulatory issuance. Livestock I & R practices are largely insecure. Example: A can steal B's cow, destroy its RFID ear tag and replace it with own tag, then claim to be its lawful owner.

9 No scientific animal and farm premise ID numbering system generated by Authorities of each country.

10 No system of capturing and storing biometric data of (high- value) stock on national livestock database.

ADMINISTRATION. HEALTH AND SAFETY OF LIVESTOCK

1 Electronic ID system linked to national livestock registry providing administrative support to authorities prevalent today in only very few countries; and such registries are not utilized for range of potentially useful applications

2 Few systems in use for formal recording of ownership change with documentary validation of transfer

3 Minimal systems exist to regulate, pre-authorize and record livestock movement

4 Few systems exist to check proof of ownership of animals in transit

5 Rustling menace prevalent worldwide. Few systems exist to expressly detect and combat livestock rustling. Serious lack of verifiable proof of ownership contributory cause.

6 Limited issuance of paper book animal passports provide marginal utility; also cumbersome owing to physical record-keeping

7 Few systems of codified identification of various commercial operators involved in animal agriculture industry

8 Minimal facility for nationaMivestock databases to either 'speak' to each other or to upload data online to world bodies [example: OIE and ICAR]

9 Livestock census operations largely manual process

10 Insurance industry not backed by authoritative livestock related data in most countries for verification processes relating to issuance of policies/ settlement of claims

TRACEABIL1TY

1 No globally uniform practice prescribed / prevalent for traceability of meat supplies 2. Traceability often rests on the weak foundation of deficient / voluntary livestock and farm I & R systems prevalent in many exporting countries

3. RFID reference number of individual animals is the only prevalent data source for traceability in all countries

4. Tracing source farm of animal by mere reference to RFID ear tag numbers unreliable as these can be manipulated

5. Human readable trace codes on retail meat packages not in vogue in most countries

6. No codified system exists for trace-back of non-edible products of animal origin

7. Animal disease traceability does not in itself prevent disease. But knowing the geo- location and movement path of diseased / vulnerable livestock helps emergency response actions contain the disease swiftly

8. Precise linking and correlation of input Livestock ID to output (packaged beef) ID following ear tag numbers of individual animals is difficult to attain owing to merging of tag ID's - and of produce - in an automated, continuous process scenario

9. Concept of 'Farm to Fork' traceability in reality does not measure up to visionary expectation of concerned global authorities.

The instant invention seeks to cure precisely all these lacunae. In one comprehensive solution package, it resolves all these problems by providing instant proof of ownership by means of the Livestock Ownership ID Card herein described, duly linked electronically to the RFID device implanted in the livestock - both verifiable by handheld reader devices, and by accessing the National Livestock Registry.

Over the last few decades, identification systems have gradually evolved from hot branding, ear notches, tattoos, paint marks, metal tags, etc to electronic ear tags, microchips and to a lesser extent, ruminal boluses, though these modern identification practices are neither intensive nor extensive.

Clearly, the requirements of good identity management and governance of large populations of various species of livestock in any country point to the need for deploying sophisticated, tamper- proof identity management systems which also incorporate ownership information, and utilise modern information technology to deliver reliable supply chain traceability and e-Governance capability. Such possibilities are not provided by the above-stated prior art. Reference to them merely serves to underline the unfulfilled need for more advanced and sophisticated solutions than those existing at the present time. Objective of the Present Invention

In any country, existing or planned systems for (a) terrestrial animal identification (b) traceability of animal products and (c) food labelling are three disparate subjects - with different goals, needs and applications, with no common solution in sight. The objective of the instant invention is to provide a harmonised convergence of data concerning all these three areas to efficiently achieve all the three needs mentioned above and deliver a globally implementable. unified solution based on a single, permanent, unique identity reference for each terrestrial animal, farm or commercial entity. which is simple to use, cost-effective and reliable.

The instant invention thereby creates and synergises a deep underlying inter-connection between these three areas, and to provide a seamless, comprehensive identification system, valid worldwide. Accordingly, the instant invention seeks to provide an overarching, globally uniform electronic Livestock Identification and Management System to instantly establish their true identity and ownership; to provide Governmental Authorities developmental oversight and administrative control via a National Livestock Registry; and to provide Supply Chain Traceability to authorities and customers worldwide to achieve rapid trace-back of all edible and non-edible products to farm of origin ~ all via a single identity reference.

Inexpensive stock such as poultry and non-terrestrial species are outside the purview of this invention, either for lack of economic feasibility or operational impracticality. However, the invention may be applied to cover certain species of non-livestock example, pachyderms, and also deployed only for the traceability function of farms, commercial entities and farm produce such as dairy products, honey, fish etc, without the need for identification of individual animals / birds etc.

Summary of the Invention

The instant invention addresses this serious and hitherto overlooked aspect by covering both animals and agencies involved in the field of animal agriculture under a common holistic identification programme based on smart cards linked electronically to a national livestock registry of a given country. Such a system alone would help bridge the divide between the vastly different domains of identifying live animals versus identifying products of animal origin - and precisely interlinking the two in to one seamless solution. In turn, this directly helps in planning and implementing actions that reduce risks in the animal-human ecosystem interface. The instant invention represents an ideal solution in the field of animal agriculture, advancing from the present stage of knowhow, and represents a high-utility end-to-end packaged solution comprising hardware, middleware and software as well as a full suite of actionable inputs, designed to precisely fulfil the varied needs of modern livestock identity management as well as of emerging imperatives for progressive livestock farming communities to come under futuristic Supply Chain Traceability and e-Governance practices. The instant invention is bolstered by a well-synthesized conglomeration of many individually unique and pioneering sub-inventions which collectively constitute a novel, unprecedented, extremely reliable and robust identity management system for all species of livestock, and can cope with the multifarious e-Governance requirements of progressive countries endowed with large, diverse, geographically dispersed and expansive - often expensive ~ livestock populations.

As a result, the instant invention is capable of delivering reliable, very long term and efficient support to governments worldwide seeking to implement fool-proof, technologically advanced livestock and animal product identity management practices and deploying comprehensive and futuristic e-Governance programmes.

Various developed countries engaged in animal agriculture have introduced livestock identification and traceability systems; however, all these systems revolve around providing an identification number to each animal and endeavouring to oversee their health / movement as well as supply chain traceability solely by referring to this number. These countries appear to have overlooked the importance of also identifying the owners of livestock, and have thus lost sight of the advantage of dealing with those who own livestock in bulk ~ this would readily obviate the need to deal with individual identities of numerous stock. The farm itself has no codified identification.

Animal health care and welfare programmes; movement of stock; and harvesting of animals owned by medium and large farms always occur in sizeable groups, never in isolation. For instance, vaccination or harvesting would be completed for the entire herd. Such being the case, traceability of meat to individual animals would indeed prove to be a pointless and laborious exercise.

The instant invention provides a facile system of also dealing with livestock groups via the Group Livestock & Farm ID System, obviating the present inconvenience. For disease traceability, farm of source is more important and relevant than tracing an individual animal. For the purpose of fixing onus and for initiating restrictive actions, tracing farm ownership and treating the entire farm as one entity are much more important.

From the regulatory, administrative control, operational and commercial angles, reference to the farm / feedlot / commercial entity is of utmost importance - not to individual animals. Example: if a ban is to be imposed on import of beef from certain jurisdictions by a given country, the presently used reference of individual RFID device numbers of animals is of minimal or no relevance, as their farm of origin can only be ascertained from the national database (if it is operational). By the instant invention, such ban can be imposed with utmost ease and efficacy by reference to the appropriate IGs (Identifier Groups) in the 18-digit numbering system of the Type 2 Group Livestock & Farm ID Card, directed at a given country, province or even specific farm which needs to be banned / isolated.

The instant invention provides agricultural authorities a complete method of Livestock Identity Management, e-Governance and Supply Chain Traceability, by inter alia offering the proprietary concepts, technical know-how, do-how, methodology, actionable inputs, integrated hardware, middleware and tailored software solutions, systems, supplies and services, and the wherewithal to create the legal basis, infallible means and products to create irrefutable proof of ownership of livestock by means of issuance of Smart ID Cards to livestock owners which are electronically interfaced to the unique individual identities of each animal covering various species of livestock owned by them on any scale— something which cannot be presently achieved on a scientific and technological basis for any size of livestock population in a given species, with the capability of any existing knowhow.

The instant invention also provides an integrated method of creating and maintaining a government-owned and operated centralised national registry containing all relevant particulars of livestock and their ownership, ensuring secure data storage and transmission as well as a national e-governance system utilising a mandatory livestock ownership identity card comprising a card, front portion of said card is embedded with a memory chip, livestock species name, generic image of species, and unique livestock ID ownership number, name and logo of issuing governmental authority, name and silhouette image of province / state of issue; back portion of said card is imprinted with issuing authority name, batch code, control code, relevant data of livestock, issuing and renewal dates and emergency contact details; wherein the memory chip is stored with livestock personal data and history, ownership and change of ownership data, Livestock RFID to Ownership ID interface data, livestock biometric data, owner's digital signature, livestock transportation data, medical and insurance data, certifications, government interface, livestock welfare data, farm tax data, harvesting termination data, lien/pledge data, special achievements, crime data, other data, additional segments for future use, ID Card history, system files; said card on operation through specially calibrated card reader units will spontaneously display the required information on PC terminals and on mobile / wireless communication devices.

The instant invention is also a method for issuance under Type 1 of the Livestock Identity and Ownership Card comprising filing application form before designated authorities (LIDA or Livestock Identification Authority) with relevant data of both livestock and their owners, completing enrolment procedures, implanting RFID devices in animals, capturing biometric data of animals, uploading said data to local database at Livestock ID Centre (LIC), sending said data selectively to concerned government departments for critical verification selectively where required, if the result on verification is negative, the livestock owner is given an opportunity to correct, if the result is positive, the LIC data is uploaded via Regional Control Office (RCO) and Provincial Control Office (PCO) of LIDA to Central Control Office (CCO) of LIDA where it gets permanently stored in distinct e-Files the National Livestock Registry (NLR) following the Limego® System. The CCO completes its prescribed final verification processes, leading to generation of unique livestock ID Ownership number and authorizing issuance of the Livestock ID & Ownership Card, in respect of all approved applications. This leads to production and personalisation of the ID card, fixing a memory chip on the personalized ID card, storing livestock specific data in specially designed e-files in the National Livestock Registry (NLR), loading of select data from NLR on to the memory chip of the ID Card, despatching of personalized cards to the respective livestock owners by secure post, receipt of said card by said owners with a proof of delivery received by LIC and confirmed to CCO, activating the card by the CCO, and despatching computer generated 6-digit PIN to the livestock owner in a secure manner.

Similar procedures and enrolment protocol are followed for issuance of Type 2 and Type 3 ID Cards respectively to farm (and feedlot) owners and commercial entities engaged in processing / dealing with animal products of all description.

The Livestock Identity Smart Card as disclosed in the instant invention in three principal types acts as the crucial operating interface between livestock owners (and their stock) and the National Livestock Registry in a given country, which constitutes the government-owned and operated centralised repository of all essential data pertaining to livestock including their electronic identification device numbers and key data of the respective owners. The specie-wise livestock data stored on this centralized national-level electronic database— which data is subsequently selectively ported to the chip of the said ID Card as well ~ serves as the foundational platform for implementing a unique system of Supply Chain Traceability and e-Governance via a single, harmonized identity number of the above Livestock Ownership ID Card — issued to owners and traders for single, multiple or groups of animals, specie-wise— valid for the lifetime of respective individual owners or business entities.

This mandatory digital identification system replaces the age-old practice of branding or marking animals to establish their identity; provides numerous advanced, futuristic functionalities, for efficient, facile interface between livestock owners and government (as well as other agencies) covering statutory and non-statutory applications; provides Governments a modern system to oversee efficient nation-wide livestock healthcare and administration, provide reliable traceability of geographic source of livestock and supply chain management for animal products, assist in tracing lost / stolen animals and compliance with laid-down laws and national directives relating to livestock production systems; helps reach welfare measures uniformly to given livestock populace in chosen geo-territories; and to establish stringent administrative control relating to livestock sale / termination practices, internal security and border regulation with respect to transportation of livestock: said invention comprising custom-designed hardware, middleware, software, supplies and services which provide the procedure, know-how, do-how, design, methodology, actionable inputs and wherewithal to collectively deliver the above results seamlessly.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a system and method

1. to create, establish and operate a simple, permanent, single identity for all purposes and applications, and smooth livestock-owner friendly procedure for mandatory enrolment of livestock across the country under the Livestock Identification Programme;

2. to create, establish and operate a centralized government-owned and operated national-level database of all livestock known as the National Livestock Registry (NLR), and thereby provide governments a ready and comprehensive databank of all livestock, livestock premises and commercial entities engaged in the animal agriculture industry— a resource that is non-existent at the present time; yet preserves the confidentiality of stored data and safeguards privacy of livestock ownership;

3. to personalise and deliver high security, tamper-proof Livestock Identity and Ownership smart cards to livestock owners, which can be remotely activated/ deactivated by authorities, thus altogether eliminating identity thefts and frauds, impersonation, forgery and misuse of identity cards, should they be attempted;

4. to create a seamless interface between concerned government and other agencies associated with policy and administrative overview of livestock in given geo-territories, livestock health / vet-care, insurance, police, etc to provide a robust and efficient platform for L2G and G2L interaction; . to forge a strong operational relationship between animal identification, the traceability of animals and products of animal origin and food labelling, and linked through the supply chain by means of a harmonised, seamless system of identity management covering livestock, owners of livestock, farms and all commercial entities participating in the livestock processing industry supply chain worldwide. This reliable system of identification removes the present trust deficit / risk perception regarding product reliability when verifiable human readable trace codes are absent on wholesale and retail animal food packages. . to ensure an efficient and secure system of regulating transportation and verifying true ownership of livestock in transit in any geo-territory and especially across national borders, and to control internal security procedures concerning livestock in movement; to facilitate expeditious customs clearance of livestock imports at international borders by virtue of reliable electronic identity of livestock and health certification offered by the instant invention; to facilitate a reliable, electronically verifiable admission protocol for livestock entry to abattoirs and butcheries; to usher modern e-Governance practices with futuristic features and wide ranging capabilities for efficient administration of livestock populace, species-wise; to create a novel and unprecedented procedure to achieve reliable traceability of country and farm of origin of any species of livestock through electronically verifiable means from any location, at all stages of the supply chain up to point of sale of animal products - be it meat, fibre, hides/skins, feathers or other animal co-products including offals— helping in the supply of safe, wholesome meat across international borders; to create a novel and unprecedented method to achieve reliable traceability of disease of any species of livestock, providing medical relief to affected areas, isolating stock from movement to other areas, and containing spread of disease through appropriate administrative actions including compartmentalisation, in any given geo-location(s); to offer an 18-digit scientifically composed unique livestock identity and ownership number [designed individually for the three types of Livestock ID Cards] valid for the lifetime of the livestock owner or of the commercial entity owning them, as the case may be, with specially designed identifier fields which impart extra-ordinary value-in-use, which serves as the crucial primary identifier and single reference point for all matters relating to the interface of each livestock owner with government and other agencies; to provide for secure storage of data on smart card chip of the identity card covering all facets of livestock in novel, convenient and unique configurations referred to as Tabs; to provide for secure flow of stored data from NLR to chip of smart card via reader- writer devices by means of secure channels of electronic data transmission and stringent, multiple- level data access control ; to hold a host of biometric data pertaining to each livestock both in the NLR and on the smart card chip, which serve as infallible proof of the real identity of each livestock, deployed especially in the case of especially valuable bloodstock and prized species; to provide the means for instant verification of livestock data including their true ownership by authorized personnel of respective government or other agency at conventional, office locations via standard PC terminals or at remote locations via hand-held reader units and mobile/wireless communication devices with inbuilt display units, offered as part of the deliverable supplies ; to provide an instant and reliable means of visual identity by means of the said ID Card, which at the physical inspection stage is adequate to complete many routine applications of identity verification of livestock ownership; to serve as a single identity card for all livestock applications, hence truly multi-functional, and includes the needs of present and future e-Governance and Supply Chain Traceability practices ; to provide the means for federal and state/provincial government authorities to undertake a wide range of statistical analyses covering innumerable parameters which assist in planning livestock production systems and administration actions, implementing, macro health and vet- care actions, formulating breeding policies for given species, observing migratory patterns of livestock, etc; to replace and render redundant the conduct of traditional physical, national-level livestock census operations, by creating and maintaining a dynamic, constantly updated electronic livestock population database species-wise, function-wise, province/state-wise, district-wise via the National Livestock Registry, thus providing instant, up-to-date census datasets in dynamic mode to authorities; to provide RFID device implant services to livestock and render other easy-to-access livestock owner-friendly services close to livestock owners' homes/farms covering all the needs of interaction with governments and other agencies, via Livestock Identification Centres (LICs) in every neighbourhood, manned by specially trained staff under the public private partnership format; where such RFID devices are never re-used in order to preserve the uniqueness of the identity reference once issued to a particular animal which shall never be re-applied to another livestock; to create a method to ensure and oversee compulsive compliance by livestock owners with all rules and operating guidelines pertaining to livestock and livestock production systems prescribed from time to time— especially preventive healthcare and harvesting/ termination regulations ~ thus ensuring a high degree of suasive operational discipline, which is an essential ingredient for safety and welfare of livestock ; to serve as basis for issuance of e-Permits for movement of livestock— inland as well as international ~ with utmost reliability and facility by the provision of Machine Readable Documents (MRD) to true owners of livestock (or their duly constituted agents), thus preventing illegal transportation of stolen livestock by various modes; 24. to hold digital signature of livestock and farm owners and owners of commercial entities, and facilitate affixation thereof in a secure environment controlled by 6-digit user-PIN, for all e- Governance related requirements and online transactions appurtenant to livestock;

25. to assist in livestock auction traceability by enhancing trace-back capabilities at high-risk, high through-put sites where animals from different source farms co-mingle, example, at auction yards, stock yards, transit warehouses.

26. to provide a powerful electronic infrastructure with system of alerts and controls for remote surveillance and tracing of livestock theft, their illegal transportation, illegal termination and other unlawful activities, and to effectively combat misrepresentation of true ownership of livestock as well as false claims to livestock ownership.

27. for authorities to oversee the disposal of dead stock and offals in given geo-territories assisted by NLR with compulsory recordal of deaths and disposal of livestock, species-wise; and ensure environ-mental safeguards against risks of careless disposal of carcasses and offals through appropriate administrative process; and in the prompt recovery and handing over of RFID devices appurtenant to such animals to concerned LIDA.

The instant invention thus provides practical and real-time support to both animal agriculturists and to concerned government authorities alike in the protection, conservation and improved management of livestock including providing qualitative genetic management and propagation improvements, preserving bloodlines, achieved via a homogenised system of identification of both livestock and their owners reciprocally linked through irrefutable electronic means and held permanently on the National Livestock Registry and on the corresponding Livestock ID Card chips.

Furthermore, the entire gamut of people and organisations/business entities in the "farm to fork" chain of livestock related activities are covered under a single, seamless omnibus scheme of reliable identification on a global basis. Thus, the instant invention helps in systematically including and codifying the identity of all entities engaged in animal agriculture as well as in dealing with or processing livestock, following a seamless and inclusive approach. This enables rapid and reliable electronic supply chain traceability on a global basis— of (i) livestock, (ii) of meat products and (iii) of all non-edible products of animal origin including wool, fleece, fibre, hides and skins, feathers, horns, etc— right up to the source of origin of a given product, in a manner hitherto unprecedented, delivering a high level of product reliability and customer confidence, worldwide. In the instant invention, the 18-digit Livestock ID and Ownership Card Number which is globally unique is recommended to be utilised in lieu of all other existing Trace Codes followed by meat packaging and supply companies including all major branded supplies. Consequently, under the present invention, relevant data from the NLR databases of various countries would be available to authorities of other countries in the course of supply chain traceability exercises worldwide. When, for example, major meat importing countries insist on Trace Code being imprinted on every retail and wholesale package, all exporters in various countries must necessarily comply by affixing the relevant Livestock 18-digit code number belonging to the farm of origin as well as to the meat processing and packing company on the packaged products. This automatically provides the most reliable Trace Code, by disclosing at sight, the true origin of the livestock and of animal products.

Method for providing a smart card based national level livestock and livestock ownership identity management system via a single, harmonized identity reference for each livestock / owner encompassing multiple functions and a comprehensive range of applications for operationalising a modern e-Governance programme are described. The instant invention provides a unique livestock identity number incorporating key biometrics data pertaining to each livestock / owner stored in main server known as National Livestock Registry (NLR) and said data selectively stored on the chip of the smart card. The National Livestock Registry comprises a national-level database of all the livestock species-wise held at the National Control Office of the Livestock Identification Authority (LIDA), and thereby provides governments a ready resource of all livestock by creating an interface between various governments and other agencies vs livestock owners.

Discrepancies between national identification of live animals and traceability systems of animal products in various countries make it difficult to trace products of animal origin throughout the food chain at world level. This instant invention provides an adept solution to the pressing need to bring about a convergence of systems that (i) identify live animals and (ii) provide traceability of products of animal origin, and achieve harmonious and seamless unification of both.

However, no claim to invention is made herein in respect of RFID devices or their readers as these are already in use, and do not come under the ambit of the present invention. RPID devices and Reader Units mentioned in this application are only by way of contextual reference to the instant invention. Choice of RFID device species-wise as well as implant location and age of livestock at implant are all left to the discretionary decisions of respective animal agriculture authorities in each country or province.

Brief Description of the Drawings pertaining to the present Invention illustrates some examples of conventional methods of Branding / Marking Livestock for cattle, sheep and ostrich, in a given country. illustrates different types of passive RFID Devices Electronically Interfaced with Livestock ID and Ownership Smart Card showing optionally the Individual Livestock Ownership ID Card and Group Livestock & Farm ID Card channelizing all pertinent data to the National Livestock Registry.

illustrates the flow of Livestock e-Identification Number of the RFID Device implanted in each Animal to the corresponding Livestock ID and Ownership Card (whether Single or Group ID) stored in the National Livestock Registry of the Livestock Identification Authority and ported to the ID Card Chip.

illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Livestock Identification and Ownership Card with the descriptive features thereof in respect of the Individual Livestock option [Type 1].

illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Livestock Identification and Ownership Card with the descriptive features thereof in respect of the Group Livestock and Farm ID option [Type 2].

illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Livestock Identification and Ownership Card with the descriptive features thereof in respect of the Livestock Commercial ID option [Type 3].

illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Livestock Linking ID Card under the Auxiliary Identification System (AIS) with the descriptive features thereof [Type 4]. illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Livestock Herdsmen ID Card under the Auxiliary Identification System (AIS) with the descriptive features thereof [Type 5]. illustrates the obverse view of various livestock ID & Ownership Cards by species with respective unique colour coding of top panels.

illustrates the top colour panel coding pattern of the Livestock ID & Ownership Cards classified by species of livestock.

illustrates the unique numbering methodology with coding pattern for animals beyond livestock.

illustrates the Unique Numbering Methodology for Identification of Livestock and their Ownership appurtenant to the Three Principal Types of Livestock ID Cards viz., Individual Livestock ID, Group Livestock & Farm ID and Livestock Commercial ID. illustrates the ID Card Issuance and Coverage Plan with descriptive classification of farmers, farms and commercial entities appurtenant to the said Three Principal Types of Livestock ID Cards.

illustrates Value-in-Use of the Livestock ID and Ownership Card System. Fig.10: illustrates an exemplary method of flow of Livestock Data from Field Level to the National Livestock Registry of a given country, species-wise and geo-territory wise.

Fig.1 1 : illustrates the Valuable Multiple Roles of Livestock Identification Centres (LICs)

Fig. 12: illustrates the Schematic showing Agencies/Bodies interacting with National

Livestock Registry by means of the crucial interface and facile enabling medium of the three types of novel Livestock ID Smart Cards.

Fig. 13: illustrates the functioning of National Livestock Registry showing the various

Agencies authorised to access the central database and the applications and utility functions relevant to each agency.

Fig. 14: illustrates the global livestock (species-wise) Animal agriculture Metadata

Convergence in common format from the National Livestock Registry of each Country to World Body.

Fig. 15 A: illustrates the segmentation of Livestock data stored in distinct e-Files in the National

Livestock Registry and on Livestock ID Cards in respect of Individual Livestock ID. Fig. 15B: illustrates the segmentation of Livestock data stored in distinct e-Files in the National

Livestock Registry and on Livestock ID Cards in respect of Group Livestock and Farm ID.

Fig. 15C: illustrates the segmentation of Livestock data stored in distinct e-Files in the National

Livestock Registry and on Livestock ID Cards in respect of Livestock Commercial ID. Fig. 16: illustrates the process for recordal of change of Ownership of Livestock in the

National Livestock Registry and on the chip of the Livestock Owner's ID Card.

Fig. 17A: illustrates the Layout of Livestock ID Centres (LICs) for all species, depicting enrolment procedures and vetcare facilities.

Fig. 17B: illustrates the Layout of Livestock ID Centres (LICs) for all species, depicting the adjunct RFID Implant Stations.

Figs 18 to 34: are embodiments of one of the chosen methods of illustrating the content, composition, inter-linkage, sequence and configuration of specially assembled data pertaining to livestock, now seen in the form of uniquely designed and developed Tabs appurtenant to Group Livestock and Farm ID shown under Part A.

Figs 35 to 44: are embodiments of one of the chosen methods of illustrating the content, composition, inter-linkage, sequence and configuration of specially assembled data pertaining to livestock, now seen in the form of uniquely designed and developed appurtenant to individual animals under Group Livestock & Farm ID as well as to Individual Animals belonging to small farmers and other owners, shown under Part

B.

Fig. 45: illustrates Supply Chain Traceability Schematic of livestock procured in retail mode.

Fig. 46: illustrates the enrolment procedure and flow of registration steps for livestock as well as for their owners, at the designated Livestock Identification Centres (LICs).

Fig. 47: illustrates the block diagram describing the stages for Livestock Owners receiving entitled welfare services / benefits from Livestock Welfare Centres (LWC) of the Government, vide block diagram numbers 100 to 120.

Fig. 48: illustrates the block diagram describing the method of proceeding with recordal of sale transaction of livestock as between two parties viz., buyer and seller, vide block diagram numbers 200 to 220.

Fig. 49: illustrates the macro view of compulsory coverage of livestock under National

Livestock Identity Management Project in a given country, by means of the three distinct types of Livestock ID and Ownership Cards shown therein, covering all possible modes of ownership of livestock species-wise.

Fig. 50: shows the macro view of the illustrative scheme of prioritisation for coverage of various species of livestock for timely coverage under the National Livestock Identification Programme of a given country.

Fig. 51 : illustrates the schematic for issuance of Livestock ID and Ownership Card by concerned authorities in a given country, from the stage of owners submitting their application to the final stage of issuing the valid ID Card to eligible owners.

Fig. 52: illustrates flow of steps from issuance of application form to livestock owners seeking issuance of the Livestock ID and Ownership Card from government authorities in a given country, up to the stage of despatch of the secure 6-digit PIN to the card holder. Fig. 53: illustrates the wide range of vital functionalities of the national level e-governance programme using the IDMax, wherein the Livestock ID and Ownership Card serves as the physical medium in L2G and G2L interface.

Fig. 54: illustrates the Livestock Traceability Overview, with species-wise traceability needs.

Fig. 55: illustrates the Traceability Function Utilisation Scenarios under three principal

Options.

Fig. 56: illustrates the Key Parameters Concerning Livestock Traceability (by species).

Fig. 57: illustrates the Traceability Schematic from originating farm to retail in an international scenario, involving all principal operators in the supply chain.

Fig. 58A: illustrates the Traceability Links Management for Edible Animal Products. ,ί

Fig. 58B: illustrates the Traceability Links Management for Non-Edible Products of Animal

Origin: Hides and Skins.

Fig. 58C: illustrates the Traceability Links Management for Non-Edible Products of Animal

Origin: Fibre, Wool and Fleece.

5 Fig. 59A: illustrates the Schematic showing Disease Traceability and Trade Restrictions with resultant benefits of the new IDT System to provide universally verifiable Trace Code to the source farm of disease origin.

Fig. 59B: illustrates the Schematic showing seamless merging of identities of Farm of

Origin/Feedlot with Harvesting and Meat Processing Commercial Entity to provide 0 universally verifiable Trace Code.

Fig. 59C: illustrates the Schematic showing seamless merging of identities of Farm of

Origin/Feedlot with Harvesting and Hides/Skins Processing Commercial Entity to provide universally verifiable Trace Code.

Fig. 60A: illustrates the design and content of compulsory pallet/ wholesale /retail Product5 Labels for Edible Products of Animal Origin, sold in any country worldwide, with human and machine readable Trace Codes and Source Verification Scenarios.

Fig. 60B: illustrates the design and content of compulsory pallet / wholesale / retail Product

Labels for non-Edible Products of Animal Origin, sold in any country worldwide, with human and machine readable Trace Codes and Source Verification Scenarios.

0 Fig. 61 : illustrates the legend to the last Identifier Group of numbers in the 18-digit Numbering

System [vide Figure 8A].

Fig.62: shows an illustrative example of a Sale e-Docket.

Fig.63: illustrates the overview of identification methodology providing assured end-to-end supply chain traceability in the animal agriculture and livestock processing industry,5 using the National Livestock Registry as the operating Hub.

Fig.64: illustrates the benefits and advantages of deploying the Livestock ID & Ownership

Card System.

Detailed Description of the Invention

0 The instant invention is a system and method for creation of a centralised government-owned and operated national level database of all livestock— separately for each species— which is structured as the foundation for (i) implementing a mandatory national livestock identity management system covering all livestock via ownership-interfaced ID smart card; (ii) for introducing secure e- Governance procedures covering a comprehensive range of livestock-to-government and5 government-to-livestock applications; and (iii) for rapid traceability of livestock and all valuable products of animal origin ~ both edible and non-edible ~ throughout the supply chain, on global basis. The present invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment, or any specific use disclosed herein, since the same may be modified in various particulars or relations without deviating from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention herein shown and described of which the system or method shown is intended only for illustration and disclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modifications in which this invention might be embodied, implemented or operated.

The invention is also referred to as the LimeGo System_® ~ which is an acronym for Livestock Identity Management and e-Governance System. The invention provides a unique livestock ownership ID smart card to each and every owner of livestock, which serves as a permanent and reliable means to establish the true ownership of each livestock. It further facilitates a wide range of e-governance programmes. The smart card provides for multiple applications serving as a single crucial interface for all transactions required by livestock owners. When the smart card is inserted in the card reader and writer unit installed at convenient locations at all Livestock Identification (LIDA) Project implementing agencies, the livestock's identity is spontaneously verified and the owner can perform desired transaction having designated application. After the transaction is performed, the updated data pertaining to said transaction is sent to the main server of the Livestock Identification Authority in each location. The data from the main server is then sent via the Zonal Control Office to the National Livestock Registry (NLR) for permanent storage. The same updated data is then transmitted to and stored on the respective Livestock ID Cards (LIC) which are required by law to be submitted for periodic updation at any LIC, by means of the card writer unit, via a highly secure and well-defined data communication channel which embodies stringent control and monitoring procedures. Various e-governance practices are also carried out using the electronic platform of the same NLR as the foundation, where the Livestock ID Card serves as a reliable tool and operating link between livestock owners and concerned government and other agencies.

Presently, there is no secure, tamper-proof electronic Livestock Identification / Ownership card or identity system per se to serve the primary role of irrefutably establishing the identification of livestock linked to their true ownership. In other words, there is no definitive and completely reliable documentary means existing for a person to prove his ownership of given livestock of any species.

Farmers can affix/implant the best RFID devices on their livestock, but unless their owners are traceable with equal efficiency (via Livestock Ownership ID Cards as herein described), no livestock ID or e-Governance programme can prove truly purposeful or beneficial to authorities. Livestock do not comply with laws and regulations, nor do they engage in trade and commerce. Owners do. Hence the need for a modern electronic identity system with convergence of ownership and livestock identities is the real need, presently unfulfilled.

Subsidies and trade (export) incentives are availed by livestock owners or commercial entities in the animal products supply chain, not by livestock themselves. Hence the need for a stringent livestock identity system to recognise and monitor the availment of farm and other subsidies /incentives and State welfare benefits by owners.

Presently, discrepancies between systems for national identification of love animals versus systems for traceability of products of animal origin make it extremely difficult to trace such products through the food chain at world level. The instant invention provides a comprehensive identification system which seamlessly merges the systems required to unify these two areas, and to provide a single, universal ID solution for all needs in this field.

The instant invention provides reliable identity information not only about livestock but also about owners of livestock, farms, feedlots and feed-yards; traders, commercial intermediaries involved in supply chain, abattoirs and butcheries, exporters of livestock, meat and animal products, and the like. This concept is truly pioneering and unprecedented worldwide. It provides a hitherto unknown method for comprehensive management of metadata required for achieve enhanced bio- security, meat safety and brand assurance, product integrity and supply chain traceability on a global basis. The deployment of ID Smart Cards ~ incorporating the unique 18-digit harmonised identity number— to establish livestock ownership is critically essential (a) at the physical level, to officially validate and prove livestock ownership / farm identity; and (b) at the operational level, to access and transact with the concerned e-file in the electronic national livestock registry, where the ID smart card serves as the indispensable functional interface. Without the vital medium of the said cards and numbers issued to livestock owners, farm premises and commercial operators engaged in the animal agriculture industry, neither (a) nor (b) hereinabove can be achieved.

For governments in various countries desirous of seriously implementing national livestock identification programmes, the suasive compulsion for pastoralists, farm owners and commercial operators to adopt mandatory livestock and farm premise identification is achieved by ruling that the new ID number would be an essential pre-requisite henceforth for those engaged in animal agriculture to

(i) secure farm subsidies from government

(ii) secure banking support

(iii) secure livestock / farm insurance or seek claim settlement (iv) obtain livestock movement permits

(v) record sale / purchase of livestock or farms in the national livestock registry

(vi) renew / obtain fresh membership in species-wise livestock associations

(vii) secure livestock related certificates including export clearance

(viii) register stock theft or loss complaints with law enforcement agencies,

all of which would require the allotted ID Number to be quoted compulsorily.

Merely tracing animals is not sufficient to curb disease. It is more important to trace their owners, and hold them accountable to authorities to ensure maintenance of proper health standards and prevent the cause of the outbreak of disease. Said owners are fully responsible for control / mitigation of zoonotic disease, and liable to be charged with contributory negligence, if authorities so rule. The instant invention through its unique ID numbering system combined with facility to store key segmented data in Tabs, provides irrefutable trace-back of zoonotic disease to farm of origin, worldwide, making way for veterinary authorities to initiate rapid remedial action.

One country's neglect to implement a reliable livestock identification system could jeopardise the safety and well-being of large parts of the world by supply of disease-borne meat/ meat products, hence a globally harmonised and standardised system of livestock identification uniformly followed by all countries through legislative compulsion alone can provide reliable trace-back of products of animal origin to their farm of origin, thus enabling food authorities to initiate rapid corrective action, in the event of a problem. Since 2000, governments of various progressive countries have made it mandatory / recommendatory to deploy optional forms of electronic identification of animals via radio frequency identification tags, commonly known as ear tags or micro chip implants which rest permanently under the skin of animals. In the case of bovine stock, the practice of implanting ruminal boluses is being practiced in some countries. However, these devices have no relevance when animals are sold to third parties, as there is no procedure to document and statutorily record such change of ownership of tagged animals.

The offering of the instant invention is a high security identity card issued to each livestock owner which serves the primary function of irrefutably establishing the true ownership of livestock recording therein, and confirming and validating that each livestock described therein is genuinely owned by the person/entity recorded in the NLR and on the Card, without any doubt. This provides the operational basis for a modern, reliable and uniform livestock identity management system on a nationwide basis.

The instant invention is the world's first method of creating a unique and comprehensive methodology to assign unique an" unalterable identification to various species of livestock following a well-defined globally harmonised and unified approach to codify the identification practice relating to various species and to embody hitherto unknown e-Governance practices using Smart ID Cards as the physical interface to access a country-centric Centralised Livestock Registry with manifold advantages and utilities. The novel solution now offered provides both a visual form of identity as well as a more elaborate electronic means of establishing the identity of both livestock and the owner(s) thereof, with all relevant livestock information, available both on-line and off-line.

By this method, an extremely reliable basis is created for issuance and electronic storage of various certifications / registrations to livestock owners of respective livestock in any species, by concerned Government Departments and other Agencies, linked to the single, new high-security Livestock ID & Ownership Card with its unique, 18-digit number.

This procedure imparts high value not only to the process of identity management but also in providing registration/permits/ services to livestock by various Provincial/State/Local Government authorities and other agencies, achieved through the extremely simple, harmonious, unified and fool proof approach of the instant invention.

As a result, the possibility of fake livestock certificates, spurious ID Cards, misrepresentation and data manipulation/falsification— which are all so commonly witnessed today ~ would cease to be of concern to authorities and prospective buyers of livestock, since the stringent operating environment and issuance procedure for ID Cards and Certifications / Permits to be followed under the new system would altogether preclude any manner of physical or electronic manipulation, tampering, malpractice or deceit at any stage, due largely to the stringent enrolment procedures laid down for both livestock as well as for their owners.

In addition to livestock identification, the present invention also embodies a unique method of achieving supply chain traceability in the domain of animal agriculture and products of animal origin.

Discrepancies between national identification of live animals and trace-ability systems of animal products make it difficult to trace products of animal origin throughout the food chain at world level; developing countries risk losing out on market access because of trade barriers that sometimes are put in place as a result of these discrepancies. The best way to prevent this is for all countries to progressively implement uniform international standards, such as the combined system herein described which provides a reliable and seamless bridge between identification and traceability of live animals and of products of animal origin. This readily enables establishing traceability throughout the whole food chain from primary production down to consumers. Thus, the goal of attaining public health can also be achieved by applying the unified identification protocol herein described— from the farm level to the retailing level.

Identification and traceability systems that suit authorities and the private sector can be based on very different requirements, with complexities involving the conditions of trade in live animals versus products of animal origin. The instant invention helps to uniformly achieve both these needs in an efficient, reliable and seamless manner, avoiding the present divide seen in the two fields of identification. It also helps fully avoid the presently witnessed conflict between national livestock identification standards followed by developing versus advanced countries, which is currently jeopardizing the importation of animal products from developing countries by major developed nations Consequently, experts now seek the development of uniform and reliable global animal identification and traceability systems, as priorities for developing countries. This need is fully met by the present invention, which thereby helps achieve a broader and fairer international trade of animals and animal products.

The present invention embodies a smart card chip. The initial recommended capacity of the smart card chip for all three types of ID Cards presently offered is 1.0 MB, which can be higher, if authorities so desire. The Card is of standard international size of 85.6 x 54 mm (ID 1 ) fully compliant with ISO 7816 (1) to (5) and other international standards applicable to such products and services. The card is extremely secure because of the several in-built stringent protective features, which include embedded hologram, guilloche print, blacklight, variable surface level of livestock owner's signature image, and laser-etched unique 18-digit harmonized livestock ownership number, which altogether preclude the possibility of forgery, identity theft, counterfeiting or misuse of the card. The card also incorporates Issuing Authority details which include computer generated batch code and control code numbers. The card is weather-resistant and extremely user-friendly. The Card can be optionally offered to include RFID and to function as a contactless smart card.

The 18-digit harmonized Livestock ID Card number for each livestock / owner entity has universal application and instant global validity and recognition. This unique ID number is composed of various identifier groups which, when juxtaposed, ensure that only one unique ID valid for life is allocated to each livestock owner /farm / commercial entity, serving as the key primary identifier at all times.

Examples:

The methodology for deriving the numbers for each field is as described below in respect of the three principal Types of Livestock ID Cards:

(A) Individual Livestock Identity and Ownership Card: Identifier Group 1 consists of 3-digit ISO country code, Identifier Group 2 consists of 2-digit issuing Province (State) code, Identifier Group 3 consists of 2-digit issuing District code, Identifier Group 4 consists of 1 -digit ID Card Type code, Identifier Group 5 consists of 5- digit Farmer-specific code, Identifier Group 6 consists of 2-digit Livestock Species code, Identifier Group 7 consists of 2-digit Reference to Year of Commencement of farming, and Identifier Group 8 consists of 1 -digit Farming Quality and Reliability Assurance Rating code.

(B) Group Livestock and Farm Identity Card:

Identifier Group 1 consists of 3-digit ISO country code, Identifier Group 2 consists of 2-digit issuing Province code, Identifier Group 3 consists of 2-digit issuing District code, Identifier Group 4 consists of 1 -digit ID Card Type code, Identifier Group 5 consists of 1 -digit Farm / Ranch Classification code, Identifier Group 6 consists of 4-digit Farm / Ranch specific code, and Identifier Group 7 consists of 2-digit Livestock Species code; Identifier Group 8 consists of a 2-digit Reference of Year of Establishment of Farm/Ranch, and Identifier Group 9 consists of a 1 -digit Farm Quality & Reliability Assurance Rating Code. and

Livestock Commercial Identity Card:

Identifier Group 1 consists of 3-digit ISO country code, Identifier Group 2 consists of 2-digit issuing Province (State) code, Identifier Group 3 consists of 2-digit issuing District code, Identifier Group 4 consists of 1 -digit Type of ID Card code, Identifier Group 5 consists of 1- digit Commercial Entity Classification code, Identifier Group 6 consists of 4-digit Commercial Entity specific code, Identifier Group 7 consists of 2-digit Livestock Species code, Identifier Group 8 consists of a 2-digit Reference to Year of Establishment of Commercial Entity, and Identifier Group 9 consists of a 1 -digit Commercial entity Quality & Reliability Assurance Rating Code. Where the species code vide IG 7 is not applicable to certain commercial entities, example, logistics companies, warehouses or suppliers of animal feed, then the digits '00' shall be used in this slot.

Where a given pastoralist or farm owns several species of livestock in a common location, they will receive separate ID Cards for each species, all having the same 18-digit ID Number, with only the Identifier Group relating to Livestock Species Code (IG 6 for individual farmers and IG 7 for Farms etc) fvide Figure 8A] changing in accordance with the provisions described in Figures 6 and 7.

Where a given pastoralist or farm has animal agriculture operations involving the same species in farms situated at multiple locations in a given country, they will receive separate ID Cards for each location, having the same Farmer/ Farm ID Number, but with Identifier Groups relating to Province and District Code (IG 2 and 3) [vide Figure 8A] changing in accordance with the geo-location codes developed by the concerned LIDA.

Type i: Individual Livestock Owner ID

710 02 15 1 11525 01 90 1

T T ▼ ▼ . T T T

Country Province District ID Card Farmer Livestock * . Year of Farmer

ISO Code Code Code Type Specific Code Species Code Commencement Rating

[3 digits] [2 digits] [2 digits! [l digit] (5 digits] 12 digits! of Livestock Code

Farming [1 digit]

[2 digits]

Type 2: Group Livestock and Farm ID

710 08 10 ^" 2 1 5045 06 00 4

T T T T T T T ▼ T

Country Province District ID Card Farm / Ranch Farm / Ranch Livestock Year of Quality and

ISO Code Code Code Type Classification Specific Code Species Code Establishment Reliability

[3 digits] [2 digits] [2 digits] tl digit] Code [4 digits] (2 digits] of Farm Assurance of Farm

[1 digit] [2 digits] Rating Code

[1 digit]

Type 3: Livestock Commercial ID

710 03 05 3 3 0525 03 89 3

T T ▼ T ▼ T T ▼

Country Province District ID Card Trader Trader Livestock Year of Quality and

ISO Code Code Code Type Classification Specific Code Species Code Establishment of Reliability

[3 digits] [2 digits] (2 digits] [1 digit! Code (4 digits] [2 digits] Trading House Assurance of CE

[l digit] I2 digits] Rating Code

* Including other animals in this generic group · 1 digi ^'l

In addition, a further novelty offered by the instant invention is the Auxiliary Identification System (AIS) referred above, which presently comprises two Types of Supplementary ID Cards, viz., (1) the Livestock Linking ID Card and (2) the Herdsmen ID Card. In respect of these AIS Cards, the same number of the Main ID Card to which they pertain is reflected on them. The Livestock Linking ID Card is issued individually animal-wise to small and marginalised farmers, owners of bloodstock, domestic pets and prized/exotic species of stock. The Herdsmen ID Card is issued to all herdsmen working on a Farm. With minor change of nomenclature, this same Card is also issued to shepherds, kraal keepers, cowboys, ranch assistants, supervisors, foremen, farm hands, storekeepers, vehicle operators, security personnel and others employees in farms and feedlots.

In all cases, this numbering system facilitates efficient administrative control as well as rapid analysis and review of wide range of data relating to various facets of livestock populace, apart from enabling rapid supply chain traceability and effective e-Governance of operational activity. Reliable traceability solutions pre-suppose and depend entirely on the existence of a secure livestock identification system, without which, verification of livestock-related claims are nearly impossible to consider.

The present invention is now described in detail by referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig 1 : illustrates some examples of conventional methods of Branding / Marking Livestock for cattle, sheep and ostrich.

The conventional practice of Branding / Marking cattle which has been in practice from time in memorial is shown at the right side of Fig.1 , depicting various positions normally followed. Similarly, at the top left of Fig. 1 is shown the method of Branding / Marking cattle upon sale of subsequent owners, with branding positions following the sequential numbers 1 , 2, 3, 4 shown in the diagram in respect of chip, the practice followed by conventional is illustrated the middle of Fig. 1 where the First Owner puts a tattoo on the Left Ear and the Second Owner on the Right Ear. Similarly, at the bottom of Fig. 1 is shown the practice followed for marking Ostrich, where the First Owner puts a tattoo on the outer side of Left Thigh while the Second Owner places a similar mark on the outer side of Right Thigh.

These practices are illustrative of the conventional followed in a given country and would vary from other countries. However, the broad methodology and orthodox nature of identification of animals remains the same.

It is interesting to note that Livestock authorities in various countries have enacted laws recognising branding as a legal means to identify livestock and created National / Provincial Registers containing various registered brand marks owned by respective livestock owners.

This practice recognises the exclusive right of registered owner of use their brand / mark on all their animals. By extension, none else can use said marks. In case of lost or theft of animals, the brand marking seen thereon would be sufficient proof to trace the registered owner of such animals.

There are several disadvantages and deficiencies in hot branding / freeze branding / tattooing / ear piercing, etc. as described below.

Among them:

(1) Lost or stolen livestock could be rebranded in the legally-permitted vacant branding position on livestock [see figure 1 tope left drawing] by those claiming to be their lawful owners. (2) Branding is absent in respect of livestock below certain age.

(3) There is no method of affixing brand on sale subsequent to the third sale in case of livestock and beyond the second sale in case of sheep and ostrich.

(4) Animal activists aver that branding is a cruel practice that is painful and injurious to livestock.

(5) The growth of hair over the brand mark is liable to obliterate the original mark over a period of time.

(6) Branding is not possible to impose on certain species of livestock for practical reasons, example sheep, horses, domestic pets.

(7) Branding damages the hide of animals and reduces the realisable sale price in respect of area of hide containing the branding mark and its peripheral areas, apart from causing extreme pain and agony to animals - a procedure strongly opposed by animal rights groups.

Most importantly, there is no systematic practice in any country to record change of ownership of all principal species of livestock. This is evidenced by the prevailing age-wise practice of handing over cattle and sheep / goat and other species from seller to buyer upon verbally concluding a sale at village fairs. The mere handing over of monetary consideration by the buyer to the seller transfers ownership of the traded livestock.

In advance countries, the practice of issuing sale receipt is followed indicating the brand mark of the seller. This document is used by the buyer as the basis for affixing his brand mark on livestock subsequent to purchase, the said brand presumed as having already been registered with the concerned livestock Authorities.

Overall, all the above methods currently practiced are largely unscientific, refutable, alterable and subject to serious legal flaws concerning true ownership, especially of second and subsequent ownership. illustrates different types of passive RFID devices electronically interfaced with Livestock ID and Ownership Smart Card showing optionally the Individual Livestock ID Card and Group Livestock & Farm ID Card channelizing all pertinent data to the National Livestock Registry, according to the instant invention.

This unprecedented method of interfacing the code numbers imprinted on the Passive RFID Device implanted in the animals with the Livestock ID Card of respective owners and recording the combined data electronically in the Livestock Registry provides hitherto unknown and unprecedented method of capturing and storing precise data of both livestock and their true ownership in a scientific manner which helps to irrefutably establish true ownership of livestock both in respect of original ownership and in respect of any number of subsequent ownership.

The above data is stored in convenient, segmented format known as tabs on the centralised database referred to as "National Livestock Registry" in each country. The said data subsequently reported and updated periodically onto the Chip of Smart Card held by respective owners of livestock. Passive RFID Devices are recognised for use on livestock. They include the Ear Tags; the subcutaneous, fixed Microchip Implants; and the Ruminal Boluses (which includes intestinal implants is select cases). No claim is made under the present invention to these three types of electronic devises as they do not form part of the present invention and are mentioned because of the usage in relation to the Smart ID Card covered by the present invention.

Each of the above three types of RFID Devices carries a globally unique code number affixed by the chip manufacturer. This can be aptly compared to the SIM Card affixed in a mobile, telephone which carries distinct numbers originating at the SIM Card manufacturing at the plant. No two SIM Cards ever carry the same number. This is equally true in the case of RFID Devices.

In terms of the present invention, the RFID Devices as chosen for each species of livestock by respective owners / authorities are affixed or implanted in the animals.

Once affixed or implanted, the devices stay for the life of the animal and their unique number can be read by means of handheld reader units placed at a short distance from the animal.

At the National Livestock Identification Centres owned and operated by the Government Authorities country-wide, various species of livestock would receive implant of said RFID devices issued by the authorities responsible for their safe storage.

During the last decade, authorities in several countries have made electronic identification of livestock mandatory. The approved devices mainly include Electronic Ear Tags and to a lesser extent Micro Chips and Ruminal Boluses.

The serious disadvantage of ear tags is that they can be easily removed from stolen livestock, discarded and replaced with another ear tag of the miscreant's choice, thus frustrating the very purpose of affixing the ear tag by the original owner. It is possible for RFID Devices currently in use to hold some basic information about the animal itself as well as its ownership. However, the biggest drawback of such facility is that ownership data stored on the Chip cannot be altered upon sale, unless and until the old device is removed surgically and replaced with a new device - a somewhat impracticable procedure. Such alteration in respect of the ruminal Bolus is well-nigh impossible to achieve as the bolus gets permanently implanted and lodged deep within the animal and cannot be removed except through major surgical process - - an unviable option that can be safely discarded.

The gross shortcomings and deficiencies of existing animal identification methods as described prompted the development of the present invention which is capable of overcoming said deficiencies thoroughly well by following a scientific approach to deliver reliable, foolproof identity management solutions linked irrefutably to the identity of the true owner of livestock at any given time. This, significantly, includes all subsequent owners as well— a feature not addressed by current identity procedures.

It can thus be seen that the concept of an ID Smart Card bearing distinctive 18-digit globally harmonised ID Numbers issued to owners of livestock and interfacing this ID Card with the unique Numbers of RFID Devices implanted in each animal owned by him, and jointly stored on the centralised electronic database known as the National Livestock Registry, represents a hitherto unknown method of scientifically associating and recording the identities of livestock with that of that true owners. This is the primary novelty of the instant invention.

In very select cases, certain equine, bovine stock and domestic pets are assigned paper book animal passports to record the physical and genetic particulars and movement of the animal and wherein particulars of original and subsequent owner is recorded by means of hand entries in the paper book. There is no provision, for example, to store biometric data of the animal or to support e-Governance. illustrates the flow of Livestock e-Identification Number of the RFID Device implanted in each Animal to the corresponding Livestock ID and Ownership Card (whether Single or Group ID) stored in the National Livestock Registry of the Livestock Identification Authority and ported to the ID Card Chip.

As can be seen that the figure illustrates the flow of RFID Device Number from the animal to the computer electronic database of the National Livestock Registry via the RF reading Devices which can be either handled or affixed in the raceway of the farm gate. This RFID Device numbers are tallied with the numbers of the devices issued by the Livestock Authorities to each owner after which said data becomes official record. This data then transferred to the chip of the Owner's ID Card, completing the livestock ownership validation procedure.

In the instant solution, the RFID Device therefore not required to hold any data except the unique code number of the original device manufacturer. All other data will be held in the National Livestock Registry and to the extent approved / required also on the chip of the owner's Livestock ID Card. illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Livestock Identification and Ownership Card with the descriptive features thereof in respect of the Individual Livestock option, according to the present invention.

As seen from drawing of the obverse image of Type 1 ID Card, the top colour coded panel provides instant visual affirmation of the type of ID Card by species, in addition to containing silhouette image of the species of livestock, and the silhouette image and name of the province in which it is issued. It also contains embedded hologram with emblem of the concerned issuing authority. At the bottom left side of the Card, the harmonised 18-digit unique ID card number is seen. This number is composed of eight distinct identifier groups of numbers as elaborated in Figure 8A. The obverse side of the ID Card is affixed to the smart card memory chip of suitable capacity above which the alpha code of the card type is imprinted. The national flag and name of the issuing country and name of the issuing authority are prominently shown at top panel of the card. This card is specifically designed in terms of the instant invention to cover the identification requirements of farmers and their individual animals.

Such need could arise in one of three cases i.e. (i) individual farmers or small farm owners with very limited number of livestock comprising one or more species; (ii) highly priced / expensive breeds of livestock / bloodstock which require elaborate, animal-specific recording of distinctive information pertaining to them; and (iii) individuals owning domestic pets.

The reverse of the Card carries details of card issue date and renewal date, LIDA field office code, card control code, name and address of owner of livestock, photograph of said owner and his or her national ID number. On the outer carrying pouch of the Card, statutory instructions and contact details are included. illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Livestock Identification and Ownership Card with the descriptive features thereof in respect of the Group Livestock & Farm ID option, according to the present invention, which is issued to farms, feedlots and other major livestock-owning entities. This is an excellent basis and system of recording registration of all types of livestock-related premises, something not presently followed in most countries of the world. This Type of ID Card thus provides exemplary administrative and regulatory overview of . all farm establishments and feedlots in each district and province of a given country.

Said Type 2 ID Card contains the same features as Type 1 described above. Issuance Plan for this type of Card is described in Figure 8B. illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Livestock Identification and Ownership Card with the descriptive features thereof in respect of the Livestock Commercial ID option, according to the present invention, which is issued to commercial entities engaged in the animal agriculture and livestock processing industry. This is an excellent basis and system of recording registration of all such entities, something not presently followed in most countries of the world. This Type of ID Card thus provides exemplary administrative and regulatory overview of all commercial entities in the entire supply chain of this industry in each district and province of a given country.

Said Type 3 ID Card, contains the same descriptive features as Type 1 stated above. Issuance Plan for this type of Card is described in Figure 8B.

Figs 4D and 4E relate to an Auxiliary Identification System (AIS) functioning as a satellite to the main ID Cards under Types 1 and 2. These ID cards are made of less expensive but durable material compared to the main ID Cards, and bear the same 18- digit ID Number as their mother Card. illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Type 4: Livestock Linking ID Card under AIS, applicable only in conjunction with Type 1 ID Card, with the descriptive features thereof in respect of the Individual Livestock Linking capability, according to the present invention, which is issued to farmers and owners of livestock including bloodstock; and to owners of pets and exotic / prized species of animals.

This auxiliary ID Card is issued to each farmer / livestock owner /pet owner, specific to each and every animal owned by him, delivered concurrently with the main ID Card. It shall be readily available for inspection by authorities whenever sought. In particular, said Card must be carried by the person accompanying the animal(s) during transit/movement by vehicle or foot anywhere outside the property of birth or residence. This is a reliable and cost-effective auxiliary identity document for all species of animals linked to lawful ownership, which is vastly superior on all counts to paper book passports currently used in many countries.

Obverse of the Card carries issuing country flag and name, name of issuing authority, the same ID number as the mother Card, name of issuing province, hologram of the seal of issuing authority, RFID Device type and number specifically allocated to said animal, its sex, main body (hair) colour, date of birth and age at implant, given name, and LIDA office location.

Reverse of the Card carries name and address of the owner, his(her) photograph and national ID number, owner's livestock serial number, livestock's blood group, date of implant of RFID device and its implant location position, livestock breed, and date since which owner has been owning said livestock. On the outer carrying pouch of the Card, statutory instructions and contact details are included.

Said Card shall be surrendered to nearest LIC for cancellation on the happening of any of the following events: death of concerned animal; irretrievable loss of animal; sale, barter or gift of animal; harvesting of animal. In case of sale/barter/gift of an animal, a new similar Card is prepared by LIDA in favour of the buyer/receiver of the animal bearing his LID Number on the obverse, with the animal's RFID device Code on the reverse remaining unchanged. This process is completed concomitant with corresponding entries on the national livestock registry.

This type of Card is not presently envisaged for Group Livestock and Farms as it is customary to sell livestock from such farms is bulk for harvesting from beef cattle farms for example. Such bulk sales get recorded on the national livestock registry via Sale e-Docket (vide Figure 56) without need to rely on auxiliary ID Cards. Similar procedure applies to all other species of livestock. illustrates the obverse and reverse sides of the Type 5: Livestock Herdsman ID Card under the Auxiliary Identification System (or AIS) applicable in conjunction with Type 1 and Type 2 ID Cards, with the descriptive features thereof in respect of the Individual Herdsman's ID capability, according to the present invention, which is issued to individual herdsmen only and always in relation to specific farmers or farms. By extension of this concept, said Card is modified for issuance to farm managers and supervisors, cowboys, shepherds, farm equipment operators, farm hands, ranch assistants, storekeepers, helpers, cleaners, security personnel employed at farms, feedlots and ranches, kraal keepers, and the like. By this method, all such persons / employees are compulsorily enrolled under the National Livestock Registry Identification Scheme of a given country, enabling appropriate authorities concerned with animal agriculture to monitor the employment of each such category of employees, in addition to providing farm owners and other principals the assurance of having their data on a central government database, available to law enforcement agencies in the event of any untoward conduct by said personnel, example: colluding in rustling activities, misfeasance, etc. Said Card is required to be carried by the person to whom it is issued whenever on duty and when accompanying animal(s) during transit/movement by vehicle or foot anywhere outside the property of their birth or residence, and shall be presented for inspection by authorities whenever sought.

Obverse of the Card carries issuing country flag and name, name of issuing authority, the same ID number as the mother Card, name of issuing province, hologram of the seal of issuing authority, name, age and sex of herdsman, livestock owner's name, and LIDA office location.

Reverse of the Card carries name and address of the hedsman, his(her) photograph and national ID number, owner's herdsman serial number, herdsman's blood group, date of start of employment, and ID Card renewal date. On the outer carrying pouch of the Card, statutory instructions and contact details are included.

Said Card shall be surrendered to nearest LIC for cancellation on the happening of any of the following events: death of concerned herdsman; resignation; termination of employment. Fresh Card is issued to said herdsman upon acceptance of new employment. Corresponding entries are always reflected on the national livestock registry.

Fig. 5 illustrates the obverse view of various livestock ID & Ownership Card Options by

Species with respective unique colour coding of top panels.

As can be seen from the drawing, nine types of ID Cards are shown. These are coded according to the species of livestock covered with corresponding top colour panels. Graphic image of the species of animal covered is prominently displayed at the central card. This helps in ready identification by authorities and others.

Colour Code Panels and livestock images are shown in respect of Individual Livestock ID Card. The same methodology shall be followed for Type 2 and Type 3 Livestock ID Cards covering group livestock and farm ID and livestock commercial ID respectively, which ensures complete uniformity throughout a given country. illustrates the top colour panel coding pattern of the Livestock ID & Ownership Cards classified by species of livestock. The Colour Code Pattern is illustrative and can be modified and enlarged according to the needs of authorities in each country. illustrates the numbering methodology with coding pattern for animals beyond livestock, according to the instant invention. It describes the generic classification of animals other than livestock and other classes of animals shown therein. By these, it is implied that the scope of the present invention can be enlarged and to include various species of animals beyond livestock, following the same principles enunciated in this invention.

illustrates the Unique Numbering Methodology for Identification of Livestock and their Ownership appurtenant to the Three Principal Types of Livestock ID Cards viz., Individual Livestock Owner ID, Group Livestock and Farm ID, and Livestock Commercial ID, according to the instant invention.

Each of these Cards contains 18-digit harmonised ID numbers which are made up of distinct Identifier Group of numbers as shown therein.

The First Identifier Group of Numbers shows the Country ISO Code. All other Identifier Groups are differently composed for each type of Card, as shown and described in the drawing.

This renders the scientifically evolved numbering patterns extremely useful and as high utility in practical application.

Numerous identification options are available in international markets for- livestock identification. But none is available to identify their lawful owners and correlate (and reconcile) the two identities whether for national records or for private records of the owners themselves. The instant invention uniquely satisfies both requirements.

It is very important to understand that livestock have no legal existence independent of their owners, hence reliable correlation of livestock identity with respective owner's identity is of fundamental importance for the enduring success of any National Livestock Identification Project. illustrates the Unique Card Issuance and Coverage Plan for the three types of ID Cards, with descriptive classification of farmers, farms and commercial entities, as shown in the figure. This classification is appurtenant to the fifth Identifier Group of numbers under Type 2 and Type 3 ID Cards, and helps in bringing about complete standardisation countrywide and even internationally, in this behalf.

Fig.9 illustrates Value-in-Use of the Livestock ID and Ownership Card System, according to the present invention.

As can be seen from the drawing, the Identity Management System for livestock including their ownership covered by the instant invention as capable of delivering significant value when deployed. This includes :

1. Permanent lifelong, tamper proof Identity for all Species of Livestock with complete life cycle record.

2. Irrefutable Proof of Livestock and Farm Ownership.

3. Real time Data to Authorities on Livestock Nationwide.

4. Reliable Support in Health Care Planning and Administration.

5. Prompt Support in Zoonotic Disease Management.

6. Reliable perpetual Census Data.

7. Traceability in Supply Chain Helps Validation of Produce Source.

8. Proof of Geographic Territory Indication of Livestock

9. Rapid Tracing of Lost / Stolen Livestock

10. Efficient Herd Management

1 1. Efficient Livestock Management including Breeding

12. Livestock Brand Management

Fig.10 illustrates an exemplary method of flow of Livestock Data from Field Level to the

National Livestock Registry, species-wise and geo-territory wise.

This clearly describes the flow of Livestock Data from the field units to the Sub- District and District databases which then reach provincial database online, for each species. Similarly, database for each species are then aggregated to form the overall livestock database for each province. The aggregation of such provincial databases constitutes the National Livestock Registry. It must be understood that strictly compartmentalised provincial level electronic data silos are created and maintained under the instant invention. Exchange of electronic data between provinces is easily achieved, however, would require appropriate level of stringent authorisation and user- authentication. The advantages of such an electronic data as embodied in the instant invention include the following:

1. Instant data retrieval pertaining to required species of livestock animal in huge territory within the country pertaining to any chosen timeframe.

2. Generation of statistical reports covering myriad parameters which help in analysing trends and preparing plans and strategies to achieve stated objections or goals of government authorities as well as of national level bodies of respective species of animals.

Fig.1 1 : illustrates the Valuable Multiple Roles of Livestock Identification Centres (LICs) ~ a world-first concept— covering 22 important and valuable roles and functions fulfilled by them, in any given country. Role examples include regulated issuance of RFID Devices for livestock, enrolment of livestock and their owners to the national livestock identification programme, issuance of livestock ownership ID Smart Cards, creating and supporting operation of national livestock registry database, registering change of ownership of livestock, assisting revenue authorities in collection of farm taxes and other fees, issuance of various certificates relating to livestock, issuance of movement e-permits for livestock including export certification, initialising livestock health and welfare programmes, issuance of public alerts in case of animal disease outbreak, overseeing livestock administration, etc.

These pioneering Centres serve as the nodal agency for all interaction between livestock owners and others including government agencies. They function as the field level units for implementing the national livestock identification programme in a given country. By virtue of being permanent outfits representing the government, with adjunct veterinary facilities, they are fully equipped to play an enduring role in the protection and promotion of livestock welfare and safety. An important aspect of LICs is that they provide sustainable employment to large numbers of skilled and semi-skilled workforce on permanent basis, and make significant contributions to livestock preservation and the progress of the animal agriculture industry.

Fig.12 illustrates the Schematic showing Agencies/Bodies interacting with National

Livestock Registry by means of the facile enabling medium and active electronic interface of the three types of Novel Li vestock ID Smart Card.

This Figure provides the most comprehensive overview of the capabilities of the present invention whereby 16 or more distinct beneficiaries of the Identification System herein developed are listed. Each of these beneficiary agencies would derive significant value by interacting with the National Livestock Registry of a given country interfaced with the three principal types of Livestock ID Card herein developed.

(i) National Livestock Administration

(ii) Department of Agriculture and Farming

(iii) Department of Revenue [Federal/Provincial/District/Local]

(iv) Livestock Healthcare and Zoonotic Disease Mgmt Agencies

(v) Law Enforcement and Security Agencies

(vi) Species - wise Livestock Owners' Associations & Bodies

(vii) Livestock and Farm Insurance Companies, Banks and Investors

(viii) Commercial Entities, abattoirs, supply chain agencies, meat processors and packers, branded meat producers, and suppliers of animal products

(ix) End customers worldwide of meat and other products of animal origin

(x) Livestock and Farming Research Bodies, NGOs

(xi) Providers of Feed and Medicare Supplies

(xii) Other Livestock Industry Suppliers and Service Providers

(xiii) Farmers, Feedlot Owners and Breeders

(xiv) Buyers and Sellers of Livestock (including livestock Exchanges and e- Commerce Platforms)

(xv) Policy Makers and Macro Level Govt Planning Bodies (national and international)

(xvi) International Regulatory Bodies and Agencies, for example, FAO, OIE, ICAR, FDA etc. illustrates the functioning of National Livestock Registry showing the various Agencies authorised to access the central database and the applications or functions relevant to each agency.

It is an elaboration of Figure 12 and describes the principal beneficiaries/ agencies interacting with the National Livestock database and essential details of the method of interaction, the purpose of interaction and resultant benefits to them. illustrates the Global Livestock (species-wise) Animal Agriculture Metadata Convergence in Common Format from National Livestock Registry of each Country to World Body (ies). It is a representation of the seamless and efficient flow of vital meta-datasets from respective NLRs of various countries to the World Body Global Database and Livestock Information System. The principal segments of data are as described in the drawing, starting with livestock census data and ending with supply chain data appurtenant to livestock.

More importantly, this fulfils a long-felt and much-sought after requirement to achieve harmonisation and standardisation of databases and animal identification systems originating from various countries, which facilitates data analyses by world bodies based on common protocol as well as smooth data exchange between countries.

Figures 15 A. 15B and 15C depict synoptic view of one of the exemplary methods of storage of data in well-defined tabulated formats, for the three Types of ID Cards described earlier; said Tabs (being an acronym for Tabulated Authenticated Biographies) are designed in three main Parts, all of which are recommended to be mandatory, and shown as stored on the NLR as well as (selective data) imported to the chip of respective ID Card: Part A for Group Livestock and Farm (Feedlot) Identification; Part B which is for Individual Livestock ID as well as Supplementary to Group Livestock ID; and Part C which is for Commercial Entities engaged in the livestock processing and service industry.

The drawings illustrate the various important segments of data held on the said ID Cards which can be seen either directly on the NLR database when accessed online or which can be accessed offline by inserting the Smart Card into a ready unit connected to a computer. The 20 or more principal segments are clearly shown in the figure. illustrates the process for recordal of change of Ownership of Livestock in the National Livestock Registry illustrates the method by which a sale transaction in respect of Livestock is recorded in the National Registry.

The simple procedure requires the completion of a Livestock Sale Form referred to in the drawing as Form 5. This is completed in triplicate by the seller in favour of the buyer and both sighed thereon along with two witnesses: one representing the buyer and one representing the seller. These forms will contain the serial number of Livestock being sold, date of sale, and the respective RFID Device numbers of each livestock being sold, the price consideration of each livestock and reason for sale. The completed forms along with prescribed fee are submitted to named authorities. The completed forms can be attested by one of the following agencies conveniently located close to the transacting parties (1) Local Identification Authority Unit (2) Local Livestock Protection Force Unit (3) District Magistrate (4) Mobile Livestock Identification Authority Unit (5) Village Chief (recognised by District Authorities) (6) Freelance Notaries appointed by Livestock Identification Authorities in every sub- district. The mobile LIDA units would function into 2 ways namely, (a) at designated time and venue on all working days in each village cluster and (b) demand call to Seller's Premises for which additional surcharge to be payable on prescribed fees.

After Form 5 has been duly attested and stamped by any one of the above agencies, it is to be submitted to the sub-district level LIA office with the prescribed fee, which can be on a per head of livestock basis fixed per species. The physical sale of livestock from the Seller to the Buyer and the physical delivery of monetary consideration from the buyer to the seller are completed at the time of such attestation.

The Sub-district level LIDA office would verify the Form 5 and uploaded the scanned Form to the LIDA database. This data would flow uploaded via the district level LIDA office to the provincial registry where the National Livestock Registry database would stand updated immediately.

The original of Form 5 is retained by LIDA, Copy 1 is issued to the buyer and Copy 2 to the Seller, for their records.

The total process would take less than 20 minutes ensuring 100% local validity of change of ownership of livestock apart from imparting 100% commercial validity of sale and commensurate transactional safety and peace of mind to both seller and buyer. The quantum of fee payable for recording of each sale transaction and importing necessary amendments to the central database in the National Livestock Registry shall be decided by respective governments sharing expenses between seller and buyer shall be laid down by the authorities or as accepted by conventional. Fig.HA illustrates the Layout of Livestock ID Centres (LICs) for all species, depicting enrolment procedures for livestock owners.

Prescribes layout of Livestock ID Centres (LICs) depicting at the left portion of the drawing, the procedure by which Livestock owners submit their Application Form duly completed which are verified, scanned and uploaded with supporting documents to create an e-File for each respective owner. The original applications are then stamped to acknowledge, receipt and return to the owners, thus making for a subsequent paperless regime. Various facilitation services are provided at the LICs to respond to emergency needs of livestock owners and other agencies which may require information from the authorities. On the right side of the layout, drawing provision can be seen to capture the biometrics of livestock under the supervision of Veterinary Duty Doctor. The Biometrics would include photograph, muzzle print, height and weight and blood group of each animal.

The bottom right portion of the layout drawing shows the area for storage and issuance of RFID Devices intended for implant in authorised animals.

Fig.l7B illustrates the Layout of Livestock ID Centres (LICs) for all species, depicting RFID

Implant Stations. It describes the recommended layout of livestock RFID Implant Stations which are located adjunct to the LICs shown in Figure 17 A. By this drawing, it can be clearly seen that distinctively separate channels are created for each principal species of livestock for animal entry and transit area to the movement into the RFID

Implant Station and subsequent exist after completion of the procedure.

From this layout it can be observed that the entire operation is completed in a systematic, efficient and quick manner under the supervision of the Veterinary Duty Doctor shown in Figure 17A, whose role includes overseeing all RFID Device Implant operations.

Figs 18 to 34 are embodiments of one of the chosen methods of illustrating the content, composition, inter-linkage, sequence and configuration of specially assembled data pertaining to each animal, now seen in the form of uniquely designed and developed Tabs according to the present invention, with the functionalities and utilities of said Tabs being expandable / upgradeable without restriction, and the memory storage space for each Segment originally allocated both in the NLR and on the card chip being seamlessly variable to accommodate varying needs of data storage of each livestock.

Figs. 18 to 34 depict the scientifically designed formats under Part A for Group Livestock and Farm ID, for entry and storage of relevant data pertaining to livestock and their owners. Said data is capable of being stored in the language of choice of the authorities concerned and would usually conform to the official language of the country / province where the Livestock ID Project is implanted.

Fig. 18 Contains the Livestock Profile. Figs. 19 A, B and C contain details of Ownership of said Livestock and Officer-in-Charge. Figs. 20 A, B and C provide for recordal of RFID / Livestock ID Interface details, comprising 3 separate Tabs. Figs. 21 A, B and C relates to the Provision of Group Insurance with facility to hold the scanned images of Insurance Policies issued and to record succinct details of insurance claims and settlements as well as policy precludes.

Fig. 22 provides for recordal for Breeding History of Livestock with relevant information pertaining to the breeding history and propagation/stud services.

Fig. 23 provides for recordal for Change of Ownership of Livestock with relevant information pertaining to the buyer.

Figs. 24 A and B provide for recording details of movement of livestock, and to upload the scanned images of Movement e-Permits.

Figs. 25 A, B and C provide for recordal of and uploading scanned images of documents in digital form relevant to Government Interface, covering various levels of authorities; random inspection reports; and annual farm inspection reports.

Fig. 26 provides space to upload and store permanently in digital format various e-Certificates issued to the livestock owners upon issuance.

Fig. 27 provides for recordal of various Welfare Measures and Programmes initiated / availed in respect of the livestock.

Fig. 28 provides space for recordal of various Taxes and Levies paid by livestock owners and traders to federal, provincial and district / local authorities on recurring basis, including fines levied. Tabs can be further expanded to accommodate entries relating to levy of livestock birth tax, sale or gift tax, import tax, harvesting tax, and the like, as decided by concerned authorities in each country.

Fig. 29 provides spaces for record of Crime relating to livestock which would principally include data pertaining to stock theft, wilful damage or harm caused to livestock, natural or circumstantial accidents and catastrophes or unusual events causing death or serious injury to animals, etc. are recorded. Space is also provided to record the progress of police complaints filed and the eventual outcome.

Fig. 30 provides space due to enter details of Pledge / Lien in respect of livestock which usually occurs when loans are availed from banking institutions by the livestock owners were required to pledge their livestock as security.

Fig. 31 provides space to record the History of Group ID Card issued including details of card lost and replacement as well as ID Card surrendered. Fig. 32 provides for recordal of Herdsmen's Profile; this Tab can be expanded to include all other categories of farm employees described in Figure 4E.

Fig. 33 A and B provides for recordal of details pertaining to Harvesting and Termination of

Livestock.

Fig. 34 provides space for any future requirements that may arise.

Figs. 35 to 44 depict similarly designed formats under Part B : Individual Livestock

Supplementary Docket [ILSD] for Group Livestock and Farm ID category. The same formats are also valid for use by individual livestock owners under Type 1 Card. In the first scenario, this set of formats is to be maintained individually for each animal on a farm or feedlot, traversing the various segments and tabs described in each of the figures. Similarly too, in the second scenario.

Fig.45 illustrates the Supply Chain Traceability Schematic of Livestock procured in retail mode, and aggregated for consolidated, bulk sale to abattoirs or for export. By this exemplary method, responsibility for sourcing and supply is fixed in the agent who must possess the Type 3 ID Card applicable for commercial entities, and deploy his ID Number on all transaction documents. Respective animals' RFID device code number is listed in respect of each lot of livestock purchased from various sources, and made part of the Livestock Sale e-Docket [vide Figure 62]. These will provide ready source data of each animal, though channelized through a trading intermediary - a fool-proof method currently unavailable in the world. This schematic shows how Licensed Commercial Entities beyond Farms and Feedlots source livestock from numerous small farmers and aggregate them for sale in bulk to abattoirs or for exports, after mandatorily deploying the Livestock Commercial ID Card Number assigned to them.

By this procedure, end customers of animal products are reliably assured of the source of retail livestock originating from proprietary or small farm holdings which do not have their own Farm ID; also of the true identity of the abattoirs, meat processing and packaging units, the branded product suppliers, and other principal agencies involved downstream in the supply chain.

Fig.46 illustrates the enrolment procedure and flow of registration steps for livestock as well as for their owners, at the designated Livestock Identification Centres.

Fig.47 illustrates the block diagram describing the stages for receiving entitled welfare services / benefits from Livestock Welfare Centres (LWC) of the Government, vide block diagram numbers 100 to 120. Fig.48 illustrates the block diagram describing the method of proceeding with recordal of sale transaction of livestock as between two parties viz., buyer and seller, concluding with official entries made on the electronic database of the National Livestock Registry, vide block diagram numbers 200 to 220. Fig.49 illustrates the macro view of compulsory coverage under National Livestock Identity

Management Project in a given country, by means of the three distinct types of Livestock ID and Ownership Cards shown therein, covering all possible modes of ownership of livestock species- wise.

Fig.50 illustrates the macro view of the scheme of prioritisation for coverage of various species of livestock in different geo-locations and owned variously by different classes of individuals and business entities and others, following indicative prioritisation plan under key parameters with appropriate thrust for timely coverage under the National Livestock Identification Programme of a given country.

Fig.51 illustrates the schematic for issuance of Livestock ID and Ownership Card by concerned authorities in a given country, from the stage of owners submitting their application in the prescribed form at the Livestock Identification Centre nearest to their own location, to the final stage of issuing the valid ID Card to eligible and qualifying owners.

Fig.52 illustrates flow of steps from issuance of application form to livestock owners seeking to secure the Livestock ID and Ownership Card from government authorities in a given country, up to the stage of despatch of the secure 6-digit PIN to the card holder.

Fig.53 illustrates the wide range of vital functionalities of the national level e-governance programme using the IDMax, wherein the Livestock ID and Ownership Card serves as the physical medium in L2G and G2L interface. Figures 54 to 63 relate to the domain of Livestock Traceability in the animal agriculture and livestock processing industry throughout the supply chain, up to the stage of reaching retail points of sale of both edible and non-edible products of animal origin.

The underlying belief and approach herein is that traceability is both necessary and achievable for groups of livestock considered as one batch or lot in the supply chain ~ NOT for individual animals— when the traceability of end products is to be achieved.

This is because if a disease or defect is detected in the processed meat upon testing random samples in the cutting hall, the entire lot shall stand rejected by custom and trade practice, not just the defective package(s). This is based on the rightful premise that diseases occur in animals including their cohorts, not in isolation. Yet again, disease can spread not at the farm of origin or at the feedlot, but when perfectly healthy imported livestock co-mingle in holding areas, after arrival in the country where they are due to be slaughtered and processed. So each batch or lot of livestock shall always be considered as one unit for quality accountability, and the instant invention provides the means and method to trace exactly this.

Another important issue which must be well understood is that mere traceability in itself does not assure supply of wholesome meat products to end customers. A reliable traceability system merely provides a sure path to quickly trace the farm of origin and processing unit, so that in case of defective meat, the source thereof can be isolated and swift remedial actions initiated by authorities. Thus, traceability is NOT a panacea for faulty meat supplies. illustrates the Livestock Traceability Overview, with species-wise traceability needs, which are classified under two broad groups: live animals and products of animal origin. Six types of traceability requirements are captured under the first group. Under the second group, the products requiring traceability are further grouped under two heads: edible and non-edible. Two main classes of products appear under edible products and three main classes appear under non-edible products. In sum, these cover all marketable products of animal origin. illustrates the Traceability Function Utilisation Scenarios under three principal Options. The first Option covers Full Scale Use of Farm ID and Individual Livestock ID, supporting all identification and traceability requirements. This Option is applicable to all valuable species of terrestrial stock, as shown in the drawing. The second Option covers Partial Use of only the Farm ID for administrative oversight and traceability, sans Individual Animal ID. This Option is applicable for poultry farms, fish farms, apiaries, aviaries etc. where it is either not economically viable or practically feasible to deploy individual IDs on animals/birds; however it is necessary to trace the farm of origin. The third Option covers Limited Use of only Farm ID for Geographic Indication and traceability function. This Option is applicable in the case of seafood, freshwater aquatic specialities, dairy products, honey, eggs (especially exotic varieties such as ratite eggs), etc. illustrates the Key Parameters Concerning Livestock Traceability (by species), covering nine critical parameters: 1. Purpose of Traceability; 2. Territory of Movement; 3. Mode of Movement; 4. Purpose of Movement; 5. Stock Ownership Mode; 6. Stock Group Size; 7. Forms of Animal ID Acceptable as Official Identification; 8. Essential Documents to Accompany Stock Movement; and 9. Exemptions granted by respective Authorities in each Country / Province (State). illustrates the Traceability Schematic from originating farm to retail in an international scenario, involving all principal operators in the supply chain. This drawing illustrates the identities of various operators involved in the supply chain, from farm of origin to retail, incorporating their respective 18-digit ID numbers. This enables authorities and customers to rapidly trace the origin and flow path of end supplies of, for example, packaged meat. illustrates the Traceability Links Management for Edible Animal Products. The Data Flow Schematic is compliant with EC Regulation 1760/2000 and EC 1825/12 according to the present invention. It provides a schematic showing the value of using the Unique ID Number developed under the present invention from the farm of origin up to the end customers, in respect of edible animal products. From this illustration, it can be readily seen that throughout the supply chain, the traceability of livestock remains assured even after harvesting, processing, packaging and despatching end products downstream in the supply chain all the way up to retail stores, by deploying the unique ID Number of Farm of Origin combined with the commercial entity processing the livestock, as the "Trace Code" in all documents throughout the food chain. illustrates the Traceability Links Management for Non-Edible Products of Animal Origin: Hides and Skins, following the same concepts described in Figure 52A. This capability traverses beyond meat to include animal co-products such as wool, fleece, fibre, hides and skins, feathers, horns, ratite eggs, etc. illustrates the Traceability Links Management for Non-Edible Products of Animal Origin: Fibre, Wool and Fleece. This is an extension of concepts covered in Figures 52A and B. illustrates the Schematic showing Disease Traceability and Trade Restrictions with resultant benefits of the new IDT System to provide universally verifiable Trace Code to the source farm of disease origin. illustrates the Schematic showing seamless merging of identities of Farm of Origin/Feedlot with Harvesting and Meat Processing Commercial Entity to provide the eventual universally verifiable Trace Code. It is well known that a given meat processing plant can accept carcasses originating from various countries shown as examples in the drawing. The chosen source could be a farm, feedlot or export house. Their 18-digit ID Number shown as A is combined with the processing plant's ID shown as B, to form C, which is the Trace Code for both raw beef in any form as well as for beef products in any form. By accessing the relevant websites (or other methods described in the Label shown in Figures 60 A & B), concerned authorities and end customers anywhere in the world can instantly verify the source as well as the meat processing unit. In the example shown, the source farm is located in Brazil (ISO country code 076) and meat processing unit is located in England (ISO country code 826).

illustrates the Schematic showing seamless merging of identities of Farm of Origin/Feedlot with Harvesting and Hides/Skins Processing Commercial Entity to provide universally verifiable Trace Code. The same description given for Figure 57A applies to this Figure equally, the only difference being that the animal products in this case are non-edible.

A and B illustrates the design and content of compulsory pallet/ wholesale /retail Product Labels respectively for Edible and non-Edible Products of Animal Origin, sold in any country worldwide, with human and machine readable Trace Codes and indicative list of Source Verification Scenarios. This provides readily verifiable data to wholesale and retail customers of original source of livestock and the entity responsible for its processing, unified to form a globally relevant and accessible trace code. This drawing illustrates the flow-through of data from Figures 59A and B in summarised form. illustrates the legend to the last Identifier Group of numbers in the 18-digit Numbering System [vide Figure 8A] appurtenant to Type 2 and Type 3 ID Cards. This helps achieve national and trans-national standardisation in evaluating the quality and reliability of the original source farm, as well as the commercial entity responsible for processing such livestock in the food chain. shows an illustrative example of a Sale e-Docket. This provides for clear recordal of each animal's RFID device code in the sale/export of livestock, along with full particulars and ID reference of Farm of Origin and Feedlot, as well as similar details of Buyer. It also requires recordal of reference of all statutory permissions and approvals from concerned authorities of respective countries to transport the listed animals to destination. illustrates the overview of identification methodology providing assured end-to-end supply chain traceability in the animal agriculture and livestock processing industry, using the National Livestock Registry as the operating Hub. This represents a method of achieving global uniformity and standardisation in the entire identification process. illustrates the benefits and advantages of deploying the Livestock ID & Ownership Card System, according to the present invention. This drawing vividly illustrates the numerous benefits and advantages of deploying the Livestock ID covered by the present invention. Its benefits and advantages includes the following:

• Provides Distinctive Farm Level Electronic ID Individually for all Domesticated Animals irrevocably linked to true Ownership throughout their life cycle plus Farm Premise ID.

Provides Extremely Reliable Traceability of Livestock from Birth to Harvest and consequent Traceability of Meat Source and Origin under (for example) EU Regulation 1760 / 2000 and forms basis for downstream Product Coding.

• Thus becomes eligible to receive Fiscal Incentives from major NA & EU Beef Importing Countries.

• Creates Serious Disincentives to Livestock Rustling / Misappropriation.

• Also Helps Rapidly Trace Lost Animals via Electronic Tracking Systems.

• Enhances Security and Affords Strict Regulatory Check on Movement of Livestock (especially cross-border) via e-Permit based on a Province-wise Animal Registry.

• Project Provides fresh large scale Permanent Employment to tens of thousands of technically qualified and semi / un-skilled people in given Country.

• Greatly Improves Herd / Flock Management.

• Improves Delivery of Govt & Non-Govt Services relating to Animal Health & Livestock Management including Disease Control.

• Promotes Improved Livestock Administration by Provincial and Local Governments. Advantages of the Present Invention

The instant invention embodies the following benefits, novelties, utilities, value-in-use and very significant, sustained and tangible benefits to the field of animal agriculture as a result of its many original, unique and unprecedented proprietary concepts, features, know-how and methodology to provide (a) a single, comprehensive national level livestock and farm premises identity management solution interfaced with true ownership, inclusive of e-Governance functionalities, together with (b) matching solution to achieve global supply chain traceability relating to all products of animal origin - both capable of seamless performance when implemented on any scale.

IT PROVIDES:

1. Permanent, distinctive, tamper-proof electronic identity reference lifelong for all species of livestock with complete life cycle record, with RFID device reference of each individual animal irrefutably referenced and linked to true ownership by means of one of three types of smart ID Livestock Ownership Cards.

2. Permanent, distinctive, tamper-proof electronic identification and registration reference of all farm premises, feedlots and commercial entities involved in animal agriculture and its supply chain in any form or domain.

3. Real-time spatial data to authorities on any aspect of li vestock, nationwide and globally.

4. Reliable, support in animal healthcare planning and administration of farms and livestock production systems.

5. Prompt support in zoonotic disease management and countering bio-terrorism attempts. . Reliable basis for authorities to implement conservation projects in respect of rare breeds of livestock and endangered species. . Uniform global standards and practices for livestock identity management and supply chain traceability of products of animal origin ~ both edible and non-edible - to achieve "one world, one health" goals. . Reliable, perpetual dynamic species-wise, geo-territory-wise census data with multitude sub- national datasets connected with animal agriculture and livestock administration for use by national and international bodies and statutory /developmental agencies. . Authentic official record of change of ownership of livestock, farms and commercial entities pertaining to the livestock industry.

10. Accurate official record of livestock insurance including claims and settlements. Official record of lien / pledge on livestock. Official record of movement of livestock from one farm / zone to another and basis for issuance of e-Permits for transportation of livestock across any geo-territory as well as for export.

Reliable traceability of livestock from birth to harvest, and consequent accountability for meat quality and source of origin of meat, fibre, wool, fleece, hides, skins, feathers, horns and other animal co-products supporting robust supply chain management with validation of produce source.

Proof of geographic territory source indication of given livestock and products of animal origin.

Basis for efficient import-export management of livestock between countries. For example, if a beef importing country strict traceability as a pre-condition for allowing import, only products that comply and are easily verifiable would have access to such markets. In other countries which do not have such strict import rules, traceable products would always command a premium in prices over non-traceable beef supplies. Support in rapid tracing of lost / stolen / missing livestock with or without GPS / GPRS interface.

Harmless identification of animals via RFID device implants, which are recovered at slaughter (for harvested animals), hence will not pass down in the food chain; consequently, no harm is caused to consumers either. Where animals are exported, the same RFID device shall continue to remain in the anatomy of the animal, after entering the importing country. Efficient herd management including identification and recordal of key data of herdsmen. Valuable assistance to countries exporting products of animal origin—both edible and non- edible - to gain entry in to valuable international markets and seek premium prices; conversely, prevents unjustified trade barriers imposed on countries not adopting such modern livestock identification systems.

Option to utilise only the supply chain traceability function of products of animal origin, without implementing the individual animal identification part, for tracing source farm appurtenant to supply of, for example, honey, eggs, poultry, fish and the like.

Efficient livestock management including breeding practices. An effective system for barring livestock sans electronic identification from entering the food chain pathway, as this will majorly help prevent transmission of zoonotic diseases, likely in the absence of certified health standards assured by following the system herein described.

23. A readymade system to assist in livestock auction traceability by enhancing traceability capabilities at high-risk, high through-put sites where animals from different source farms co-mingle, example, at livestock fairs, auction yards, stock yards, transit warehouses.

24. Improved brand management of livestock and products of animal origin.

25. Record of crime related to livestock and redressal actions by law enforcement agencies.

26. Permanent, tamper-proof storage of all Certificates pertaining to livestock in electronic format, such as birth certificate, breed/ pedigree certificate, change of ownership certificate, special attainments certificate, halal certificate, harvesting certificate, termination certificate, death certificate, etc

27. A smart card based identity management system for livestock and farms etc which constitutes a reliable basis to usher e-Governance programmes, as it is directly linked to a National Livestock Registry which contains all relevant particulars of each livestock owner, farm and commercial entity.

28. System of alerts created on the National Livestock Registry of a given country which record lost, stolen and missing animals; livestock, farms or feedlots which are notified as disease- borne or disease-prone; defaulting or black-listed farms and commercial entities in the animal agriculture supply chain; quarantined farms/zones within a given magisterial district. 29. Reliable basis for delivering welfare measures and social benefits by various Government departments and private agencies directed at only genuine and approved recipients, eliminating fraud, misrepresentation of identities of livestock or their owners.

30. Ready means of curbing livestock rustling and detecting illegal transportation of livestock within any jurisdiction and particularly in border areas and 'hot spots' to check / curb illegal * crossing-over of rustled livestock, including tracing and investigating rustling perpetrated or abetted by farm 'insiders'.

31. Harmonised codification provides reliable supply chain trace-ability of all products of animal origin on a global basis, with rapid trace-back of any edible (meat and dairy) or non-edible product to its originating farm as well as processing sources following human readable codes, avoiding the complex machine readable codes presently followed in the EU, for example, under EAN 128, which are of little use to end customers. 32. A reliable and cost-effective auxiliary identity documentation system for all species of animals linked to lawful ownership, which is vastly superior on all counts to paper book passports currently used in many countries.

33. Safeguard against low literacy levels of pastoralists and tribal populace in developing countries does not in any way diminish the utility or operating efficiency of the ID System.

34. Facility for deactivation of ID Card to deny errant / delinquent / defaulting livestock and farm owners from accessing livestock welfare services, fiscal subsidies, bank loans etc.

The instant invention when deployed as a national level programme fosters discipline among livestock owners, ensures prompt compliance with laid down rules pertaining to livestock, curbs livestock theft, facilitates effective macro-policy formulation, enables efficient governance of livestock populace species-wise by various government and concerned nongovernment agencies, significantly improves livestock breeding, production systems and health management practices, assists in livestock disease management— in a manner that preponderates all known practices in this behalf.

Utility offered by the Instant Invention

• Introduces a globally pioneering concept in livestock identity management with unprecedented functionalities and benefits

• Transformational solutions based on novel concepts expected to provide extra-ordinary value to all stake-holders

• Comprehensive system comprises three critically-related compo-nents seamlessly integrated to deliver One Solution worldwide ~ fulfils vision and mission of global bodies such as OIE, CAC and ICAR

• Recognises livestock as invaluable national resource - seeks to protect and promote their welfare and bring sustained all-round benefit to animal agriculture industry

• Caters to the I & R and Traceability needs of both developed and developing countries

A. IDENTIFICATION OF LIVESTOCK AND FARM PREMISES. NATIONAL LIVESTOCK REGISTRY HNLRl

1. World's first technology-driven system for global livestock identification and traceability based on patented concepts which fulfil all present and emerging needs of stock owners and authorities

2. Provides globally uniform, harmonized system for electronic identification of Livestock with correlation to their owners

• Farms, feedlots and all other livestock related establishments

• Commercial operators and entities engaged in animal agriculture and livestock processing industry with single identity reference valid for life

3. Covers all valuable species of terrestrial stock and all forms of ownership under mandatory enrolment programme in each country

4. Delivers systematic, scientifically derived livestock-owner centric ID numbering system for all countries, independent of animal RFID device code numbers but directly correlated to them

5. Envisages certification, inventory control, issuance of RFID devices by appropriate government livestock authorities, administered in co-operation with veterinary authorities, simultaneously creating link to owner's ID on National Livestock Registry

6. All key life-cycle data relating to livestock and their owners stored on NLR in specially designed Tabs, and selectively ported to chip of ID Smart Card. Example: provides reliable age and health proof of each individual animal

7. Provides livestock ownership ID smart cards to all pastoralists, farms, feedlots and other establishments and linked to National Livestock Registry of each country

8. Under the Auxiliary Identification System [AIS] corresponding Linking ID Cards as well as Herdsman ID Cards are issued to bolster animal safety and deter rustling

9. Fulfils both private and official livestock identification needs with equal facility

10. Obviates all conventional methods of ID such as branding, tattooing, etc.

1 1. Project excludes identification of individual non-terrestrial species [example: avian, aquatic] and terrestrial species with low unit monetary value [example: poultry], being either not practically achievable or not economically viable. LIVESTOCK ADMINISTRATION. HEALTH AND SAFETY. ANIMAL AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY- INTERFACE, e-GOVERNANCE

1. Introduces world's first e-Governance-enabled NLR with over 20 distinct data segments held in electronic format Provides superior administrative control and developmental oversight of species-wise livestock to authorities in each country / province Facilitates livestock movement control Facilitates livestock performance and yield recording Tab system provides for stringent health verification and export clearance certification prior to sale of livestock and products of animal origin, includes provision for recording DNA profile Enables facile data exchange between NLRs of various countries via common protocol and standards Facilitates global animal agriculture metadata flow online to world bodies Compatible for interface with all farm management software packages Operational efficiency of Identification System not affected by low literacy levels in developing countries Enables progressive shift to paperless regime in animal agriculture administration No stake-holder's interests are adversely affected. Y CHAIN TRACEABILITY Creates globally uniform system for rapid traceability of both livestock as well as edible & non-edible products of animal origin Establishes true 'Farm to Fork' traceability with human readable twin trace codes of farm of origin + commercial entity engaged in livestock processing with facility for rapid online verification by wholesale and retail customers Fulfils all statutory directives by authorities in various countries concerning livestock identification and traceability— issued, proposed or planned - concerning animal health and food safety Traceability system designed to cover both domestic sales as well as export sales of livestock and all products of animal origin Traceability helps monitor consumer preferences for products based on originating geographic indication 6. Only the traceability function of the system can be activated to ascertain farm of origin of, for example, honey, eggs, poultry, fish, seafood and the like, without involving the ID aspect. This is a unique advantage to inspecting officials as well as customers.

Novelties of the Invention

A. IDENTIFICATION AND NATIONAL LIVESTOCK REGISTRY

1. Creation of new Livestock Identification Authority l under Dept of Agriculturel in each country, suitably empowered by law to implement and oversee codified ID system

2. Creation of uniform National Livestock Registries worldwide owned and operated by respective governments operating on secure Oracle database, using principal official language(s)

3. Creation of livestock owner-centric ID system electronically correlated to individual and group livestock I & R System verifiable from any geo-location. as opposed to present systems which merely seek to identify individual animals via RFID Devices

4. Establishment of country-wide Livestock Identification Centres (LICs) [Govt-owned but operated as PPP] to complete enrolment procedures for owners and their stock, with adjunct Vet services to administer RFID devices and assist stock owners in animal healthcare, recording sale of stock, issuing certificates, livestock transportation e-Permits, etc

5. ISO 7816 compliant secure ID Smart Cards linked to central database provide irrefutable proof of stock ownership at any given time

6. Creation of system to identify single / groups of animals in relation to their lawful owners whose ID is also recorded— enduring identity preservation

7. Coverage of all valuable terrestrial species of livestock and beyond under uniform ID System - whether farm-based, domestic or otherwise

8. Coverage of farms, feedlots and all commercial establishments involved in processing livestock or engaged in the animal agriculture industry under uniform ID system

9. Effective replacement for (i) paper book animal passports and (ii) ownership documents presently issued by authorities and species-wise associations

10. Canine and feline species not livestock, yet covered under this ID Scheme to (i) provide administrative and health control to authorities (ii) provide benefits of uniform ID System to owners and (iii) to help deter theft and trace lost / stolen animals Greatly mitigates livestock ownership disputes amongst tribals / pastoralists in certain countries ID System represents a powerful tool to assist in protection and promotion of animal and human health All ID Cards operate online / offline and have near field communication [NFC] capability World's first system of classifying farms and commercial operators based on the quality standards and reliability of their products and processes - reflected by the last digit of the 18— digit ID Card Numbering System Numbering System ideally fulfils needs of AIN, ΡΓΝ, FIN, GIN, LID, etc. being planned for introduction, for example, by APHIS in the US System expected to create pride of ownership of new ID Cards, especially among pastoralists and small farming communities Same ID card serves as reliable identity proof of pastoralists etc for other applications as they are issued after thorough verification and contain owner's biometric data [optional feature] ISTRATIVE CONTROL AND e-GOVERNANCE Single ID Reference with globally unique and readily distinguishable country-specific 18-digit ID Number valid for life of each livestock-owning entity, used for all purposes and applications ID Smart Card is the crucial interface linking the animal's RFID device ID to the owner's ID under the Livestock Identification Programme, and reflected online in the electronic National Livestock Registry records of each country Since owners - not livestock - comply with laws and regulations, the ID system with convergence of livestock identity with owner's identity now offered ensures responsible conduct and better accountability by owners Since subsidies and fiscal incentives are granted and paid to pastoralists and farm owners— not to livestock— the authentic identity of former established by this System — with the latter's identity being correlated thereto— precludes fraudulent claims Creates reliable basis for insurance and banking industry to serve the animal agriculture sector, mitigating risk Only RFTD devices can work as official identification of animals moving inter-State. Branding marks cannot as, for example, in the US, 36 States do not have brand inspection authorities, hence brand listing not possible System designed to create serious barriers to livestock rustling and illegal transportation / trading in stolen stock Traceability based on a good animal and premise ID system as proposed does not in itself assure food safety, product quality or prevention of animal disease. It only provides a reliable dataflow path to support these goals Merely tracing animals in case of disease outbreak not sufficient. Tracing their owners rapidly is more important to fix responsibility and to hold them accountable to authorities. Being an owner-centric identification system, the ID numbering methodology enables just that, regardless of change of ownership or country of origin Unique geo-territory based numbering system provides effective tool to rapidly trace- back and isolate source farm and / or processing plant of affected stock and contain spread of disease; and to place embargo on livestock and meat supplies from countries / provinces / specific farms or abattoirs reportedly facing livestock disease or contamination, from entering the food chain. This is hardly possible with individual animal RFID device numbers System absorbs existing and conventional ID practices of various countries. Facile migration of all existing, species-wise databases to new National Livestock Registry enabled The needs of national bio-security, livestock data security and stringent livestock health administration dictate that (mandatory) Livestock ID Systems + NLRs must always be government owned and operated ABILITY Traceability solutions now offered cover

(a) animal health: for trace-back of disease

(b) food safety for trace-back of source of defective meat supply and (c) geographic indication of valuable non-edible products of animal origin to validate sellers' claims Recognises that owner-centric traceabilitv of livestock movement is more important to pin responsibility and initiate disease control actions

Provides simple yet reliable traceabilitv links for each stage of animal life-cycle from birth until harvest

Providing human and machine readable codes for rapid worldwide traceabilitv of products of animal origin - edible and non-edible - to farm of origin + processing establishment

Tabs provide ready traceability of IDs of individual animals at (i) farm of birth (ii) feedlot (iii) sale-yards (iv) abattoirs (v) cutting halls Traceability links lead to source farm of group animals in a batch, not to individual animals. When beef is processed and packed on high speed flow-line machines, source farm / feedlot IDs are relevant

However, given batch code on label of packaged beef, for example, will disclose complete data of individual animals comprising the group + ID No. of each operator in the supply chain, up to the retailer

Similar trace-back capability now provided for non-edible products as well. Provides reliable audit trail and measurable performance criteria to gauge significant benefits of new system

Project transcends CAC Vision by also covering non-edible products of animal origin with equal efficiency

Helps fix product liability with precision and speed any where in the supply chain. No longer possible to dodge onus in event of faulty supplies. Helps rapid product recall and issuance of advisory to concerned Fulfils objectives and needs of both private and public traceabilitv Even good traceability systems do not per se assure higher end product quality / safety. They only provides reliable dataflow linkage For traceability systems to impact quality and reliability of end products, they must be associated with stringent QA and operating standards applicable uniformly worldwide to all farms and operators, drawn up by appropriate authorities [Ex. CAC in cooperation with ISO] The last digit of the 18-digit ID Number relating to Group Livestock and Farms as well as CEs engaged in processing livestock, does exactly this by providing official O & R rating GPS interface to Trace Codes is possible and recommended.

Multiple Needs - One Cost-effective Solution. Uniform worldwide.

Claims

I Claim:

1. A digital identification and registration system for animals covering terrestrial species of valuable livestock individually with electronic RFID like devices implanted in the animals being referenced on a ID Card with the lawful owner recorded both on a Livestock Registry · and on the chip of the ID Card converging into a centralized National Livestock Registry containing their key data species-wise and linked electronically via smart cards to their owners' identity with enrolment under the a Livestock Identification Project of a given country, functioning as the foundation for Livestock Identity Management with ownership interface and e-Governance and optionally traversing beyond, to include identification of farm premises and commercial entities engaged in the livestock processing industry for supply chain traceability worldwide of all products of animal origin, edible and non-edible, up to the point of retail sale.

2. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said smart card serves as the crucial operating interface between livestock (and their owners) and the Livestock Registry, and front side of the Card is printed with the flag, name and federal insignia of the country of issue; name of the ID Card; silhouette map and name of the province (state) issuing said Card; generic image of the species of livestock covered by the ID Card; distinctive colour panel on the upper portion of the Card corresponding to the species of livestock; the symbol of the Type of Card; various physical and electronic security features including embedded inscribed laser hologram of the seal of the appropriate authority; a memory chip with appropriate data storage capacity; and the harmonized 18- digit number unique to each ID Card; back side of said ID Card is printed with name of the authority issuing the Card and its seal; control code of card issuance, name, address, photograph and national ID number of owner of livestock, date of card issuance and renewal due date.

3. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said smart card is one of the three types:

1. . Individual - for Individual farmers, pastoralists, households

2. Group - for group livestock and farms / feedlots and

3. Commercial- for commercial entities engaged in the livestock and animal products supply/ processing/distribution sector.

4. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said livestock and owner-specific data of a country is securely stored in the said National Livestock Registry in specially designed, segmented formats known as Tabs and selectively ported to the memory chip of the Livestock ID Card, comprising relevant information pertaining to Livestock Profile, Ownership, RFID/LID Interface, Livestock Insurance, Ownership changes, Transportation, Transhipment e-Permits, Government Interface, Biometric Data, Medical & Vetcare, Pedigree/Bloodstock Certifications, Welfare, Breeding Data, Farm Taxes and Levies and Commercial Transaction related Taxes, Crime, Lien/Pledge, Livestock ID Card History, Brand Name(s) and Trade Mark(s) in use, Livestock Sale Docket, additional Tabs for Future use, and system files, these segments being appurtenant to the Group Livestock ID Card [Type 2], and suitably modified for Type 1 and Type 3 ID Card respectively, wherein ID Card on operation via specially calibrated Card Reader Unit displays said stored data on the terminal of desktop or handheld device, the required information from the Tabs being accessed by duly authorized person(s) online directly from National Livestock Registry, or accessed offline from the memory chip of the Card, which is required to be compulsorily updated periodically.

5. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said e-Governance System provides comprehensive nation-wide Livestock-to-Government and Government -to-Livestock interface using the centralized electronic database comprised in the said Livestock Registry, using the Livestock ID Smart Card as the critical operating medium to achieve such interface, where the arrangement and storage of livestock data serves as the platform which enables Government to seamlessly implement e-Governance Programmes using public key infrastructure and digital signature with full scale interoperability.

6. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein .said supply chain traceability for all products of animal origin both edible and non-edible is achieved by using the national livestock registry and the unique 18-digit ID Number of the ID Cards issued to farms and commercial entities involved in the animal agriculture industry

5 as the operating basis to provide rapid trace-back worldwide, linking such products (by referring to their mandatory labels) to the. source of their originating farm and processing units.

7. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ID Card is uniquely designed for instant visual recognition as a Livestock ID Card and

10 produced using specially formulated polycarbonate or polyvinylchloride acetate base with other specially formulated additives, and laminated with layers of protective films for National Livestock Identification and Management System (LIMS) with Ownership Interface and e-Governance.

8. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 6 wherein 15 said Livestock ID Card provides irrefutable proof of true ownership of given livestock at any given time, regardless of geographic location of either animal or its owner, on perpetual basis, throughout the lifecycle of the animal, of one or more numbers of animals in any given , species, with scientific inter-linkage to true ownership and farm identity achieved by electronically recording the unique digital ID code number of the Radio Frequency 20 Identification device implanted in each animal onto the respective Tab of the National

Livestock Registry of concerned Owner and ported onto the chip of the Smart ID Card issued by Authorities to such Owner.

9. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 or 3 further comprising Auxiliary Identifications System (AIS) comprising at least two types of

25 satellite ID Cards viz., the Livestock Linking ID Card and the Herdsmen ID Card to provide additional ownership and operational control on livestock and overview of farm employees respectively.

10. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claims 1 and 2 wherein (i) said individual Livestock Ownership ID Card is issued to small farmers who own one or few livestock belonging to a given species, (ii) said Group Livestock and Farm ID Card is issued to medium and large farms where the number of livestock species-wise can be recorded in numbers ranging from 20 to 5000 or more as the case may be, and (iii) said Livestock Commercial ID Card is issued to animal agriculture industry operators and other commercial intermediaries, who for example source limited numbers of livestock of each species from different owners and/or geographic territories within a given country and aggregate such livestock for sale in bulk batches for harvesting or for other purposes; further, the Livestock Commercial ID Card also includes and covers animal feed and medicare suppliers, livestock transportation and logistics companies, warehousing and cold storage facilities, abattoirs, butcheries, cutting halls, meat processing and packaging operators and organisations, branded meat producers, exporters of live animals, meat & meat products and all products of animal origin.

11. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 2 wherein 18-digit Livestock Identity Card Number is unique, universally harmonised and allocated by an appropriate authority of each country and contains several identifier groups of sub- numbers which serve to irrefutably establish the country of origin, the province and sub- district of origin, species covered, the unique and distinguishing farmer number, and year of establishment of farm, or a Farm (Feedlot) Specific ID Number and year of its establishment, or of the Commercial Entity Specific ID Number, as the case may be.

The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 3 said Type 2 and Type 3 ID Cards have the last identifier group of numbers showing the Product Quality and Process Reliability Assurance Rating Code of the farm / commercial entity holding the Card, such code being assigned by appropriate animal agriculture authorities having jurisdiction over the property in each province (state).

The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 said National Livestock Registry provides authorities the basis to spontaneously trace lost, strayed, missing or stolen livestock (a) by creating alerts on the National Livestock Registry with appropriate "lookout" or "do not transact" categories of Hot Lists displaying the RFID Device Numbers of lost/stolen Animals and/or (b) utilizing GPS / GPRS systems to track missing or stolen animals, where countries have deployed such modern systems.

14. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said unique numbering system of the said ID Cards comprises classification of epidemiological units of livestock for enabling Livestock Health Authorities to spontaneously identify geo-location of source of various zoonotic disease / epidemics, clinically study their pathogenic causes, and to isolate affected livestock and quarantine them, at the same time compartmentalising the affected areas, thereby precluding the spread of epidemics outside the affected geographic zone.

15. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said National Livestock Registry provides up-to-date, systematic data online, enabling policy makers and federal, provincial and local Governments as well as trans-national animal agriculture bodies to take informed decisions and appropriate administrative measures to regulate the populace of livestock in given species, addressing simultaneously concerns relating to their health, yield enhancement, breeding, feeding, vet-care, genetic selection and enhancement programmes, and other crucial areas.

16. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claims 1,2 and 9 wherein said owners of animals including all persons, entities herdsmen, farms, traders, commercial entities in possession of or dealing with livestock are covered in a thorough and comprehensive manner via a strictly regulated system of livestock identity and ownership management nationwide.

17. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claims 1, 2 and 9 wherein said Smart ID card has specially designed Tabs to include facility to record key data and profile of herdsmen and other employees engaged on farms and the system requiring compulsory issuance of Herdsmen ID Cards under a unique Auxiliary Identification System (AIS) adjunct to the main system, to all herdsmen and other farm employees in each jurisdiction, the ID Cards can be required to be tendered on demand by inspecting authorities or livestock protection police forces, during grazing, in transit, en route livestock fairs, etc.

18. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein Smart ID card number linked to unique number of the Government-issued RFID device against the legal owner's identity is generated via strict data entry protocol via local jurisdictional livestock identification and enrolment centre for a stringent and fool-proof livestock identification system and is uploaded to the National Livestock Registry to prevent illegal replacement of devices or identity theft.

19. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said National Livestock Registry provides authorities reliable data on call of existing livestock population species-wise in any given geographic territory at any given time, together with key related data such as their breed, age, sex etc. with statistical analyses, obviating need for conventional physical census operations.

20. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said system facilitates the functioning of an electronic livestock exchange providing a modern digital platform for the sale and purchase of livestock species-wise, breed-wise in any geo-location sans boundary restrictions or limitations of distance, thus enabling worldwide online trading in livestock supported by the National Livestock Registry allowing e-commerce including forward trading and entering into future purchase contracts of livestock by prospective buyers such as processors and packers of branded animal meat products, fibres, wool, etc., aligned to their territorial demand in each upcoming quarter.

21. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said National Livestock Registry enables authorities to periodically collect applicable taxes and fines from farm owners and commercial entities in a reliable and timely manner by accessing all Livestock ID Card owners electronically or manually as the case may be and ensuring compulsive compliance of all statutory procedures required by the governmental authorities including filing of periodic returns prescribed for farm owners.

22. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said system provides a reliable basis for authorities to plan, implement and oversee with utmost facility, conservation projects in respect of rare breeds of livestock and endangered species in any given geo-territory, and to measure accurately the ensuing results periodically; apart from notifying concerned owners in matters relating to such projects.

23. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein the combination of said Livestock ID Card and said National Livestock Registry forms the basis for issuance of e-Permits for movement of livestock from one place to another by any mode which enables law enforcement agencies to instantly ascertain the true ownership of livestock in transit and the lawful purpose of their transportation, thus precluding illegal movement of stolen livestock intended for clandestine disposal, particularly at border posts within the country and at international border check-posts.

The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 23 wherein said e-Permits can be readily verified online by law enforcement agency with reference to National Livestock Registry electronic database using handheld reader units capable of instantly confirming the authenticity of the e-Permits furnished by the transporters.

25. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said system enables issuance of harvesting approval certificate (incorporating health certification) by concerned authorities with reference to specified animals belonging to particular owners forms a reliable and legal basis for abattoirs to be permitted to accept livestock for harvesting, at the same time, providing assurance of the safety of food chain inputs.

The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claims 1 and 2 wherein said Smart ID Card is capable of being activated and deactivated remotely whereby lost or stolen ID Card will cease to function instantly when such event is reported by Card Owner and recorded on the National Livestock Registry.

27. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said system includes a provision to record the pedigree / blood line of livestock accompanied by e-Certificates pertaining thereto and uploaded to the National Livestock Registry to provide irrefutable proof of the lineage of given livestock and their registration with appropriate National / Provincial bodies pertaining to that species.

28. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said National Livestock Registry authorities record at field level birth of each animal and health record validated by local, field-level livestock authorities following a simple procedure accompanied by official Birth Certificate issued in respect of all notified livestock especially expensive breeds / bloodstock.

29. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein scientifically designed data segments referred to as Tabs in said National Livestock Register has provision to hold data pertaining to the health and vet-care of livestock as well as yield parameters as applicable which in turn lend themselves to rapid scientific analysis leading to corrective steps in livestock production systems as required by the owners of livestock / concerned authorities.

30. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said enrolment of livestock and their owners under the National Identification Programme is enabled by means of a world-first concept of Livestock Identification Centres (LICs) conveniently located in every neighbourhood throughout the length and breadth of inhabited areas of a given country, and playing at least twenty-two important and valuable roles and functions, in any given country.

31. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 30 wherein said Livestock Identification Centres further stock, regulate issuance of RFID devices and assist in their deployment for each animal under the direct control of designated veterinary authorities of the Government and for issuing corresponding certification to livestock owners, with the added option of mobile RFID implant facilities to cater to specific needs of certain livestock and/or livestock owners.

32. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 further comprising identification and registration of animals beyond livestock, including wildlife, especially exotic and prized species, whether owned privately or by the State.

33. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 30 wherein said Livestock Identification Centres are provided with facilities to capture biometric data of livestock including muzzle print, facial image digitisation, blood group test, retina imaging, iris scan, DNA profiling, full body profiling, etc. as per requirement for expensive breeds of livestock and bloodstock, and chosen species of animals.

34. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 30 wherein said Livestock Identification Centres serve as Government Offices to record transactions relating to sale / purchase / gifting of livestock as well as to assist insurance and law enforcement authorities to resolve disputes or claims arising in respect of livestock.

The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 wherein said National Livestock Registry provides a multitude of sub-national meta-datasets as well as a single point of contact for several government and private sector agencies connected with livestock including (i) National Livestock Administration, (ii) Department of Agriculture and Farming, (iii) Department of Revenue [Federal / Provincial (or State) / District / Local], (iv) Livestock Health and Preventive Care Services, (v) Law Enforcement and Security Agencies, (vi) Species-wise Livestock Owners' Associations & Bodies, (vii) Livestock and Farm Insurance Companies, Banks, Investors etc (viii) Traders, Abattoirs, Commercial establishments engaged in the Supply Chain of products of animal origin; institutional, wholesale and retail end customers worldwide, (ix) Livestock and Farming Research Bodies, NGOs, (x) Providers of Feed and Medicare Supplies (xi) Other Livestock Industry Suppliers and Service Providers, (xii) Farmers and Breeders, (xiii) Buyers and Sellers of Livestock, (xiv) Policy Makers and Macro Level Govt. Planning Bodies and (xv) International Regulatory Bodies and Agencies e.g. FAO, OIE, ICAR, FDA,CLIA, CCIA,NAIS, NLIS, NLMD, SISBOV, (xvi) NGOs, etc. all assisted by the compulsory interface of the distinctive Livestock ID and Ownership Card.

The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claims 1 and 2, the unique 18-digit Identification Number of each farm provides unique and valid reference when deployed in supply chain traceability worldwide, provides instant correlation of packaged meat and all other products of animal origin to their source of origin / processing, with further capability provided for GPS interface to facilitate physical viewing of each premise.

The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 36, wherein said farm ID code provides correlation of source of animal product with its brand and authentication of the claims of product processing companies owning such brand, as regards to the quality and origin of livestock bringing transparency throughout the supply chain.

The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 3, wherein said 18-digit Livestock ID Card Number of Type 2 and Type 3 Cards when imprinted on every package of meat/meat product as well as all other products of animal origin such as wool, fleece, fibre, hides, skins, feathers, horns, etc serves as a reliable "Trace Code" providing customers with the means to instantly verify the, origin of the concerned product.

39. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 38, wherein said verification is facilitated in one of four ways, namely, (i) by accessing interactive websites functioning as globally valid and operational sites; (ii) via e-mail; (iii) via SMS on mobile telephones; or (iv) by accessing toll-free help lines.

40. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 39 wherein these websites can also be accessed by wholesale, institutional and retail customers desirous of verifying source; by regulatory, vet-care and healthcare authorities in any country, for routine checks and brand name to source correlation; for emergency response action; for preparation of advisory directives to countries, provinces or farm (er)s; for creating import or logistics bans; for directing healthcare actions in affected source area(s); for enforcing quarantine of livestock from affected areas to prevent spread of contagious diseases, and the like; to disseminate product knowledge, to post alerts, publish reports, provide statistical data and analyses, etc— with options of both free and fee-based services.

41. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the true age of each animal can be instantly ascertained by inspecting the appropriate tabs in the national livestock registry, which is especially useful to ascertain in the course of sale, breeding and harvesting stock, as also for insurance coverage /claims.

42. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1, wherein said Type 3 card ID number allotted to each livestock-industry commercial intermediary is required to be mandatorily quoted in

• all transactions relating to purchase, sale, export and processing of livestock and animal products and the RFID device number of purchased animals are recorded against said ID number on the National Livestock Registry and corresponding contra entries are recorded on the Seller's ID

• all sale/export of aggregated lots of Livestock by a commercial entity to an abattoir, and the unique RFID device number of each animal is entered in the "Arrival Register" along with the said commercial establishment's ID Number enabling instant traceability in all subsequent operations.

43. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1, wherein said Livestock ID Card Number is required to be mandatorily quoted by farmers and farm owners for claim of Government subsidies, incentives and other benefits, and to process claims for fiscal incentives and export benefits under tariff and quota system relating to international trade.

44. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unique numbering system for the Livestock Identification Card enables instant identification of the source of geographic territory indication of livestock.

45. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unique numbering system with its distinctive identifier groups helps authorities in countries worldwide to monitor prescribed quota systems for import of meat and other animal products from designated countries/ regions of the world.

46. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said National Livestock Registry has scientifically designed tabs to provides safe, ready-to- access, permanent holding areas for all certificates pertaining to livestock in electronic format i.e. e-Certificates, including but not limited to birth certificate, pedigree/bloodline certificate, medical/health certificate, yield certificate, special attainment certificate, change of ownership certificate, harvesting certificate, termination certificate, etc. which can be accessed by livestock owners and authorities from any geo-location within a given country; with further facility to obtain certified true copies thereof either online from the NLR from any LIC against payment of the prescribed fee.

47. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said Smart ID Card can be deactivated by the authority if required in particular circumstances including deactivation of errant/ delinquent / defaulting livestock / farm owners and commercial entities such as those who have failed to pay their due taxes or to file obligatory returns to the authorities, and prevent them from accessing banking facilities and government subsidies, availing livestock welfare services, engaging in exports, etc as well as to initiate appropriate recovery and/or punitive action against such owners.

48. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said ID. card has nine or more types of distinct top colour panels accompanied by silhouette generic image of corresponding animals are embodied on the obverse of each card, providing instant visual recognition of the species covered by said card, including bovine, ovine / caprine, camelidae, porcine, equine, ratite, cervid, asinine, canine / feline species and further varieties of numerous livestock species and other exotic/prized animals beyond livestock, that exist in various counties, as may be chosen and notified for inclusion under the National Livestock Identification Programme by authorities in a given country.

49. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 3, wherein 18-digit numbering methodology for said three types of ID Cards is composed of distinct Identifier Groups to achieve global standardisation of livestock identification and numbering methodology, which provide instant visual proof and electronic validation of source location — country, province, district and actual farm— of livestock and its species, also the identity of farm and feedlot premises, and the identity of commercial entities engaged in the complete supply chain appurtenant to the animal agriculture and animal products industry.

50. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said system has means to provide instant statistical meta-data and analyses including graphic representation of data on livestock in any geo-territory, based on any set of given search parameters including species, breed, type of ownership - country-wise, province-wise, district-wise.

51. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 4, wherein said National Livestock Registry has tabs to provide permanent, lifelong, tamper-proof identity and lifecycle data from birth until harvesting or termination of animals individually in all notified species of livestock recorded in a given country, stored scientifically in digital format and retrievable / accessible from any location by concerned Authorities within their country.

52. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claims 1 and 2, wherein said Livestock ID Cards can be deployed either online or offline, and have near field communication capability.

53. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said system has means to instantly verify the true ownership of livestock at any given time online by recourse to the National Livestock Registry or offline recourse by accessing the Livestock ID Card chip holding unalterable record of the distinctive RFID Device Code implanted in each animal belonging to respective owner recognized and demonstrated by the valid ID Card issued to the owner.

54. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scientifically designed tabs contained in National Livestock Registry allow relevant data of each animal to flow online from the field level via the sub-district and district level database to the provincial level electronic database separately for each species, which get aggregated to constitute the national database embodied in the National Livestock Registry.

55. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1, wherein said Livestock ID Cards contain various physical and electronic security features which prevent and preclude the prospect of tampering, falsification or creation of fake ID Cards, said features include exclusive remote activation and self- destructing nature of the electronic chip on the ID Card when tampered with. .

56. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said system represents an effective risk management tool in the hands of authorities responsible for animal health and food safety by enabling rapid trace-back of source of problem and initiating expeditious safety measures such as quarantine as well as product recall and issuance of appropriate advisory to concerned.

57. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 and 56, wherein the stringent health certification requirements stipulated applicable to both (a) harvesting stock as well as (b) harvested meat, preclude presence of (i) disease such as BSE, TB, FMD, Brucellosis, etc in respect of (a); and (ii) contaminants such as drug residues, pesticides, meat-borne pathogens, etc in respect of (b).

58. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said system contains means for validation of lack of ownership of livestock, where stray/isolated or lost animals not linked to an owner can be tracked down and confined to animal care shelters species-wise in each sub-district and retained there at until suitably disposed of; said means further provides ready statistics of stray/isolated/ abandoned livestock geo-territory-wise, species-wise at any given time. .

59. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said system provides authorities the means to oversee and regulate the performance of dead stock operators and the disposal of dead stock and offals in any given geo-territory, species- wise, thereby ensure environmental safeguards; and to oversee the prompt return of RFID devices recovered from such dead-stock, to jurisdictional LICs.

60. The digital identification and registration system for animals as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system provides a holistic codification of the identity of all (i) livestock species-wise and animals beyond livestock; (ii) farm and feedlot premises; and (iii) commercial entities engaged in animal agriculture and animal product supply chain worldwide by electronically interfacing the identity of each animal with its true owner including, owner(s) in due course, at the same time facilitating comprehensive e-Governance and supply chain traceability following a paperless regime.