Georgia compensating for farmer-reported Anthrax cases

In a milestone achievement, the National Food Agency (NFA) of Georgia, with the technical and financial support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has, for the first time, begun assessing, calculating and paying monetary compensation to farmers with confirmed cases of anthrax in their livestock (bovine and ovine) — this is a major landmark for animal health, farmer protection, and the country’s livestock disease control framework, as Georgia lacked both the regulatory framework and finances for implementation of such animal disease control mechanisms.

A key driver of the achievement has been Georgia’s National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS), technically supported by FAO and with financial support from the Austrian Development Cooperation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Georgia’s NAITS is used to validate the farmer ownership of the affected animals and to confirm participation in state animal health campaigns, a precondition for qualification for compensation essential for disease surveillance.

Among the background regulatory work, rules and procedures have been developed jointly with MEPA and NFA, establishing how anthrax cases must be reported, how laboratory confirmation is done, and how the compensation calculation and qualification requirements are implemented.

The compensation for anthrax also covers the winter transhumance of animals— traditional seasonal movement of livestock between pastures, that poses particular challenges for animal identification, vaccination, disease monitoring, and now compensation eligibility.

The development is more than an administrative tweak: it is one of the core ideas that led to NAITS’ creation. When designed, one of its intended functions was to improve disease control and provide mechanisms by which farmers can be supported (including compensation) in disease-outbreak situations. The compensation scheme was always envisaged as a way to give farmers the confidence to report disease cases, to engage with vaccination and diagnostic systems, and to trust that the State will support them in case of losses.

“This compensation scheme is an important component for effective disease control,” Dragan Angelovski, FAO Technical Adviser, mentioned. “It not only ensures the farmer who suffers loss is fairly treated, but it also builds trust in reporting systems, strengthens early detection, and ultimately reduces risk to both animals and humans. By making compensation a reality, Georgia has taken a big step toward aligning with the international best practices in animal health and zoonotic prevention, as well as with World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and EU expectations.”

“Resolution No. 332 of the Government of Georgia came into effect on January 1, 2024, and provides for the payment of compensation from the state in the event of the death of an animal from anthrax. Farmers are eligible for compensation when their livestock are identified by an ear tag; information about the animal and the farmer is registered in the electronic animal identification and registration system and the farmer has not refused to vaccinate/revaccinate the animal. The owner/keeper of the animal is obliged to immediately notify the National Food Agency in the event of possible infection or death of the animal and request the conduct of appropriate epidemiological work; to receive compensation, anthrax cases must be confirmed in the laboratory. In Georgia, cases of animal anthrax have decreased by 94% compared to 2013,” says David Goderdzishvili, Deputy Head of the NFA Veterinary Department.