Khaberni - As part of the digital transformation efforts to enhance tracking, animal health, and directing proper support, Jordan has recently launched a national campaign for electronic livestock tagging (via the application/platform "Sanad" and linking databases), with concrete executive steps being taken, yet the application faces some technical, logistical, and social challenges that demand follow-up policies and effective communication with livestock breeders.
Historically, identifying livestock in Jordan was done using traditional methods (branding with marks/tattoos/stamps), which were used to prove ownership and track animals. In 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture launched a national campaign for livestock tagging during which approximately 1.5 million heads of cattle were tagged electronically using chips, marking the beginning of broad field application of electronic technology in Jordan. In 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the activation of the electronic tagging link on the ministry's website through the Sanad application by launching an extensive national campaign for electronic tagging and operations for holdings census and documentation supported by an awareness campaign, trained and qualified field teams for data entry and linking holdings to actual owners, relying on surveys from the Ministry of Agriculture, statistical information from the Department of Statistics, and cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy, at a total cost of 3 million Jordanian Dinars. The goal is to improve the quality and reliability of these data and step towards building a national digital database, supporting the linking of the tagging process to operational objectives for improving the targeting of support, facilitating the tracing of animal vaccination programs, and enabling tracing of animal sources in the event of different diseases, thereby reducing phantom holdings and facilitating the application of animal health procedures.
However, there is still limited acceptance from some breeders and social concerns about loss of privacy and its impact on support, which necessitates the availability of an effective communications network in rural areas and exceptional database management to ensure quality tracking and security. All this requires effort from the workforce, operational costs, and long-term funding to accomplish the work smoothly and ensure its sustainability. It also requires legal regulatory frameworks that clarify ownership transfer responsibility, penalties in case of manipulation, and guarantees for the community to use data in an effective and fair manner.
Therefore, there is a need to launch an educational campaign targeted at breeders (field workshops, simple videos, mobile registration points) to explain the direct benefits (improving support, protecting ownership, speeding up compensations during diseases) and legal protection for data with transparency in setting data usage regulations, privacy protection, and clear procedures for ownership transfer and proof of possession, with the necessity of linking the tagging system to the animal health system within relevant international agreements if possible, and the General Department of Statistics for work integration and activating obtaining periodic reports when needed, and seeking to find sustainable funding through partnerships with international organizations/funders for the initial phase and subsequently government support to cover long-term operational costs and stabilize the tagging system
In conclusion
The cattle tagging system in Jordan represents a strategic step toward modernizing the livestock sector and linking it to digital transformation, enhancing food security, and ensuring more precise tracing of holdings and combating manipulation. Despite the achievements, there are still real challenges related to breeder acceptance, technical infrastructure, and sustainable funding. The success of this experiment depends on combining a clear legislative framework with effective awareness campaigns and developing an integrated database that serves both the farmer and the policymaker. Thus, tagging becomes not just an administrative procedure, but a tool for improving production efficiency, enhancing trust, and supporting Jordan's journey towards smarter and more sustainable agriculture.
