Livestock Tagging

The UAE has begun tagging livestock to make it easier for farmers to track their livestock and obtain services. Too bad the officials didn't tell anyone they were going to do it or how it works. One man returned to his farm to find that all his goats and camels had been tagged without his knowledge or without an explanation.

It seems that this is a way for the UAE government to help the farmers produce home grown meat. Theoretically, the system sounds pretty good. It helps the UAE keep track of the number of livestock. Farmers are able to get free vaccinations and feed subsidies. It would help prevent the spread of animal borne diseases.

The only problem is that in typical UAE fashion, the agency in charge is slow to get information out and is giving answers that people don't understand. What is the procedure for selling the animal? What does the farmer do with the chip if the animal is slaughtered for meat? What happens if the animal just dies? Because the chip is under the skin, it needs to be removed by an official. I can imagine the wait to have someone come to take the chip out. With the efficiency here, you'd be lucky to have someone come out in a few days. Having a dead animal carcass rotting in the 100 degree summer heat for a few days would cause anyone to lose faith in the system.

What am I thinking? I'm sure everything's well planned out.