In Russia, Even Animals Will Receive Digital Passports
Russia is rapidly deploying advanced digital identification systems in livestock farming, from newborn calves in Tatarstan to reindeer and rare musk oxen in the Far North, strengthening food security and transforming herd management
Digital technologies are reshaping Russia’s agricultural sector, improving transparency, animal welfare, and operational efficiency. In Tatarstan’s Pestretsy District, every newborn calf now receives a digital passport, while in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, electronic identification systems track reindeer and even rare musk oxen.
A “digital passport” for every calf
At the Ak Bars Pestretsy farm in Tatarstan, calves are tagged with individual ear markers within 24 hours of birth. Each tag carries a unique number that accompanies the animal throughout its life. The digital record includes weight, vaccinations, productivity metrics, and health data — creating a transparent lifecycle history accessible to farms and regulators.
Digital identification has significant financial implications. As veterinary specialists note, the size of government subsidies depends directly on the accuracy and completeness of herd accounting. Compliance with reporting standards helps farms secure state support for expansion and technological upgrades.
A revolution in the Far North: reindeer and musk oxen go digital
In the Yamal-Nenets region, authorities are rolling out the “Northern Shepherd” system for reindeer herding. When a herd passes through a specialized RFID frame, antennas instantly read the electronic tags of all animals. This solves a major challenge for herders by eliminating time‑consuming manual counting of thousands of reindeer.
In the Ingilor Nature Park, researchers use Silflex 3D‑A electronic tags for monitoring musk oxen. The tags support long‑distance data collection — even via drones — enabling remote health checks, population tracking, and high‑accuracy pedigree management for these rare animals.
Russia’s experience in digital livestock monitoring across vastly different climates — from Tatarstan to the Arctic — demonstrates the universality of these solutions. These technologies reinforce national food security, boost agricultural efficiency, and provide scalable tools relevant to modern farming systems worldwide.
