Muscat – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) has announced the registration of 55,205 camels under its Camel Numbering Programme.

The programme assigns a unique number to each camel, enabling accurate identification, performance tracking and effective management.

Ahmed Ibrahim al Na’ebi, Director of MAFWR’s Livestock Guidance Department, informed that the programme’s objectives include enhancing camel population management, ensuring their health, and improving the quality of meat and milk production.

Camels are tagged with electronic chips inserted under the skin on the left side of their necks. However, tagging is prohibited in camels younger than one month.

The electronic camel numbering service is available at 26 licensed veterinary clinics across the sultanate.

The programme aims to issue identification cards for tagged camels, containing essential information including the owner’s name, breed, sex, age, colour, identification marks, and the assigned electronic number.

Authorised veterinary clinics must adhere to the technical specifications outlined by Ministerial Resolution 198/2017, which regulates the use of electronic chips. Additionally, the agricultural development departments in respective wilayats must approve camels’ inclusion in the programme, Na’ebi informed.

Since its launch in 2017, the programme has provided accurate information for the development of camel breeding.

It assists in verifying the actual number of camels in Oman, estimated to be around 290,230 according to the ministry’s 2022 statistics.