An appraisal of the Maltese national livestock database with regard to bovines.

The creation of a centralised national livestock database for the islands of Malta and Gozo is of crucial importance for the identification and traceability of bovines. It is also important for compliance with the legal obligations that followed Malta's accession to the European Union in May 2004. This paper describes how the processes of identification, registration and traceability of bovines have changed since Malta's accession. The validation and integration of data originating from different departmental sections (such as the identification and registration section), the slaughterhouse and the National Veterinary Laboratory, ensures that any discrepancies are highlighted and can be investigated. Events recorded in the database enable the compliance and eligibility of bovine producers to be cross-checked when applications for European Union benefits are made. The main drawbacks and weak points of the system include financial costs for the government department, potentially late notification of the births and deaths of newborn calves, and insufficient uptake among bovine producers of the latest technology for notification of events such as births, deaths and movement of bovines.