Development of an electronic ear tag for cattle identification

• Grant number: 04/09187-7
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: February 01, 2005
• End date: June 30, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Electrical, Magnetic and Electronic Circuits
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Gustavo de Camargo Ferraz Machado
• Grantee: Carlos Gustavo de Camargo Ferraz Machado
• Company: Korth Rfid Ltda

Abstract

The Ministry of Agriculture is implementing Sisbov, a system which aims to identify, record and monitor, individually, all the cattle and buffaloes born in Brazil or imported. According to the chronogram, the entire national herd should be entered in the system by December 2007. Identification can be achieved by means of a conventional plastic ear tag, firebrand or tattoo, which gives the user the animal’s identification number or code. Electronic identification systems record the animal’s number on a collector together with data such as weight and vaccines. The collector transfers the data to the computer (PC) through a serial connection. The process is error free. The electronic ear tag is a management tool which enables an improvement in the efficiency and competitiveness in the rearing of slaughter or dairy cattle, pigs, sheep and goats.However, it is an expensive system, which makes it unviable for the vast majority of producers. The aim of this project is to develop and train the company to manufacture, at low cost, this electronic identification ear tag. Its design entails the development of the transponder, which is an electronic device which retains a number in its memory and, when activated by radio frequency, transmits the data to a receiver. This involves an innovative proposal by promoting the development of a technology held by few companies in the world. (AU)