Brasília, March 18, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - In the next few days the Ministry of Agriculture will begin to carry out inspections to verify whether the norms for implanting the Brazilian System of Identification and Certification of Bovine and Bubaline Origin (Sisbov) are being applied correctly.

According to the Ministry, 22 federal inspectors are being trained to visit rural properties, meat-packing plants, and certification agencies to check on the implantation of the Sisbov.

The system makes it possible to identify and track the origins of animals, thus enabling the certification of the Brazilian cattle population. According to the Ministry, around 14 million head of cattle are currently registered in the system.

Translator: David Silberstein