The Agriculture Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine has called for the obligatory identification and registration of farm animals not only by agricultural companies, but also by households.

The draft law on amendments to some Ukrainian laws on the identification and registration of farm animals was posted on the ministry's Web site on February 6, 2013.

The bill bans the breeding, moving, slaughtering and sale of farm animals that are not indentified and registered according to the procedure established by the state.

The ministry proposed that a fine be introduced for the non-observation of the law – for the owners of the animals it is to be from three to five non-taxable personal income minimums, and for officials from five to ten non-taxable personal income minimums. The fine will be doubled for repeated infringements.

The document foresees the introduction of a group identifier for herds of commodity pigs.

The state will compensate for the cost of services in the identification of cattle by households from the national budget. According to the ministry, some UAH 27.7 million is required for the purposes, calculated at UAH 19.90 per head.

The ministry expects that the adoption of the law will improve the management and projections for the farm animal breeding market thanks to there being a database on age, species, location, transporting and other statistics indicators for animals.

As reported, the State Veterinary and Biosecurity Service indentifies farm animals. According to the law passed in 2009, farm animals – cattle, horses, pigs, sheet and goats bred by farms to sell to external parties, not for own consumption – are to be registered.

The ministry planned to create a single state register of farm animals in Ukraine.