Era of Domestic Electronic Ear Tags Begins in Livestock Sector
· GıdaTarım
The Secure Electronic Ear Tag Monitoring System (GEKİS), developed by ASELSAN in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Presidency of Defense Industries, was introduced in Kars, marking the start of a fully digital tracking period in livestock farming.
The Digital Ear Tag Era in Livestock
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has implemented a new technological step that will fundamentally change traceability and data management in the livestock sector. The domestic digital ear tag system, developed by ASELSAN in coordination with the Presidency of Defense Industries, has been made ready for use. The first field introduction of the project, named the Secure Electronic Ear Tag Monitoring System (GEKİS), was held in Kars province. Through this application, livestock population, transportation processes, and disease control efforts will be managed centrally in a digital environment.
An Idea From the Pakdemirli Era
The idea of electronic tracking in livestock was first announced to the public in 2020 by the then Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Bekir Pakdemirli. Former Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli made the following statements at the time:
"The ear tag is this; we will attach a mobile phone to each animal's ear. I explain this at international meetings, and they love it: 'This is not for talking from cow to cow, but for people to have information.' An ear tag with a complete mobile phone infrastructure inside."
This vision, which could not be realized at the time, has now been institutionalized with the new protocol.
Signature of the Domestic Defense Industry
The GEKİS project was officially launched with an official protocol signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Presidency of Defense Industries in 2024. The high-tech hardware and integrated software infrastructure were produced directly by ASELSAN engineers. Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, President of the Defense Industry, emphasized that food security and supply continuity are an integral part of national security, stating that domestic technological solutions play a critical role in Turkey's production security and institutional capacity.
Two Years of Preparation in the Field
The deployment of the GEKİS infrastructure was completed as a result of more than two years of comprehensive engineering and field work. During the project, a total of 46 project review meetings were held with the participation of all stakeholder institutions, according to the data from the Presidency of Defense Industries. Prototypes with microchips were meticulously tested under various climate and terrain conditions. The system's field operations and distribution phase were formalized with the introductory meeting held in Kars on August 7, 2026.
Full Lifecycle Monitoring
Thanks to the microchipped ear tags, the entire life processes of cattle, from birth to the slaughterhouse, will be monitored at 100 percent. Sharing the details of the system, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı said:
"With GEKİS, every animal will now have a digital identity. Starting from birth, its vaccinations, health records, movements, sales, and slaughter processes will be securely tracked electronically. This system is more than just a simple ear tag; it represents secure record-keeping, robust tracking, and healthy production. This will enable us to intervene much faster in animal diseases and manage epidemic risks more effectively. We will also largely eliminate the problem of counterfeit and lost ear tags."
Effective Fight Against Epidemic Diseases
With the new digital infrastructure, real-time control of animal movements will be ensured, rapidly preventing the spread of infection and epidemic risks. Problems such as falling off, getting lost, or using counterfeit ear tags, which are frequently encountered with conventional plastic ear tags, will be completely eliminated with GEKİS. Minister Yumaklı stated that the system will both reduce the administrative burden on producers, strengthen the supervisory power of the public, and enable the provision of much more reliable meat and milk supplies to consumers.
Value of the Cattle Population
GEKİS will play a critical role in obtaining an accurate inventory of the current animal population across Turkey. According to data announced by Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, there are currently over 17 million cattle in Turkey. Minister Yumaklı reported that the economic value of this livestock population exceeds 1.5 trillion Turkish Liras. This immense economic value will be recorded with ASELSAN's domestic electronic ear tags, guiding the country's livestock policies.