Tracking Livestock with RFID

If you thought the Bhilawadi-based Chitale Dairy Farm's experiment with

Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) tags for buffalos was the ultimate

in the technologies usage in India, here is another pioneering tale, this time

from a government-owned cattle-breeding farm in Goa.

The Kopordem farm at Valpoi in Sattari taluka in North Goa has become the

first farm in India to use RFID microchips that can be injected in the animal's

body. While 50 cows from the farm have been injected with the RFID capsule under

a pilot project for the state government's Animal Husbandry Department, the

device will be implanted in 500 more cows at different state government farms

soon.

Besides providing each animal a unique and secure identification, the RFID

capsules would also help in inventory control and integration of health records

and databases.

According to Bangalore-based veterinarian and Vettrack consultant Dr Gamvetta

D'Costa, the concept of a radio frequency identification device as an

injectable transponder for animal applications has been developed by US-based

AVID. The EX-ID transponder implant (the chip) features AVID electronics sealed

in a glass capsule coated with Parylene C, a compound compatible with living

cells, which invites normal tissue growth around the device. Subcutaneous

transplantation of these transponders in animals is done with the help of a

12-gauge needle. The small size of the injected transponder with its small

antenna produces a read distance of 2-8 inches.

D'Costa added that the devices, classified as passive transponders, are

activated by a signal from an AVID reader. "Each transponder has a unique

nine-digit identification number which is used to identify the particular

animal," he said.

Added Vettrack consultant Dr K Bhagwan, "The microchip is a tiny

computer chip which has an identification number programmed into it. It is the

size of a grain of rice-12 mm in length-and its durability is beyond the

life span of most pets or animals." According to him, once injected under

the skin of the animal, a thin layer of protein, which anchors it in place for

the rest of the animal's life, encases the microchip.

The RFID capsules would provide each animal a unique and secure identification, help in inventory control and integration of health records and databases

Dr Bhagwan also disclosed that the device, which injected with the help of an

injection gun, provides a permanent, positive identification that cannot be

lost, altered or intentionally removed. He said that this device is safe, simple

and assists in identifying the animal and protect it against loss or theft.

Goa-based Vettrack will market this AVID product-microchips, syringes,

injector guns and readers-in India. The company is also in the process of

identifying suitable software for managing backend databases, and is on the

lookout for appropriate and cost-effective interfaces such as PDAs to store the

data onsite.

According to sources, while the chip will be priced between Rs 300 to Rs 400,

the injections will cost Rs 1,000. The costliest equipment for the project,

however, is the scanner, with an approximate price tag of Rs 20,000.

Niraj Naik in Goa CyberMedia News Service