Visit of Government officials from Kosovo

The TAG management team hosted a delegation of high ranking Government officials from Kosovo on Tuesday October 11th. The aim of the visit was knowledge exchange in the area of sheep traceability, as Kosovo has been actively registering livestock and livestock holdings after many years of disruption due to military conflict.

The day began with a visit to the Dunbia plant in Llanybyther, where Paul Edwards, MD Dunbia Wales outlined the processing industry in the UK, followed by a tour of the lairage, where the EID race reader was in operation. A detailed conversation was undertaken with the Official Veterinarian, Food Standards Agency, on her duties within the context of traceability and also animal health and welfare within the lairage. The processing industry in Kosovo has been decimated with only two major plants still in operation, and a rebuilding strategy is being devolved.

The visit then continued on farm, with a demonstration of the TAG database by Sion Ifans, and in contrast a briefing on the new system that is being developed and implemented in Kosovo to track bovines by one of their senior officials. The Kosovo Government see EID as key in preventing illegal counterfeiting and the changing of tags by illegal traders and smugglers.

It was agreed to maintain a dialogue and knowledge exchange.

Participants

Jeton Muhaxhiri - Deputy Project Leader for Leader for Identification and Registration (I&R) of Livestock Project, Kosovo

Sadik Heta - Head I&R Unit, Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) Kosovo

Bafti Murati - Head Animal Health, Kosovo

Eroll Shehu - Head Border Veterinary Inspection, Kosovo

Arsim Arifi - Head Veterinary Field Inspectors, Kosovo

Xhemajl Dervishi - Director Kosovo Veterinary Laboratory

Tony Wilsmore - Project  Manager Kosovo

Huw Davies – TAG

Sion Ifans – TAG

Paul Edwards – MD Dunbia Wales