Overview Livestock is critical to Uzbekistan’s food security and rural livelihoods, providing 90% of domestic animal protein consumption and employing 27% of the agricultural workforce. It accounts for 45% to 67% of farming households’ income, while small-scale farms (dehkans) account for an overwhelming share of livestock production. Dehkans raise 94% of the beef cattle, 95% of the dairy cattle, and 83% of the goats and sheep.[1] Many smallholder farmers, however, make decisions about animal health, feeding, vaccination, and sales based on limited information. A veterinarian may be far away, records may exist only in the farmer’s memory, and prices or suitable inputs may be difficult to compare. When an animal falls ill, the delay between noticing a symptom and receiving reliable advice can turn a manageable problem into a costly loss. A mobile application helps close the gap between farmers and veterinary care for their livestock, bringing together information and services that farmers can access anytime. Challenges Uzbekistan’s smallholder livestock farmers face degraded pastures, feed shortages, and growing climate pressures that reduce productivity and threaten rural incomes. Access to veterinary care remains limited, with services focused largely on treating illness rather than preventing it. Women, who undertake much of the daily livestock work, face additional barriers to veterinary services, productive resources, and markets.[2] Conventional extension services are costly and difficult to scale, requiring regular staff training and extensive travel. Fragmented or missing service records, livestock information, and diagnostic results further limit continuity of care and follow-up support. These gaps underscore the need for timely, accessible advice backed by veterinary expertise and reliable farm records. Solution A digital livestock platform, Bizon puts farm management, veterinary support, markets, and finance in a free-to-download mobile application. Launched in February 2026, with support from the Asian Development Bank's regional technical assistance, Digital and Artificial Intelligence Solutions for the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development Sector,[3] the smartphone app works like a digital passport and pocket adviser for each animal. Farmers can record health and production information, receive vaccination and feeding reminders, and obtain artificial intelligence (AI)-supported advice validated by licensed veterinarians. The same platform connects users with veterinary providers, input suppliers, livestock buyers, and participating financial institutions. By turning scattered farm information into usable records, Bizon helps smallholder farmers detect problems earlier, make better-informed decisions, and access services that may otherwise be difficult or costly to reach. How does the mobile app work? The smartphone app allows farmers to create a digital record or “passport” for each animal. The record can include weight, lactation, treatments, diagnosed diseases, and other production and health information. Based on such data, it provides vaccination and feeding reminders and recommendations. Instead of relying on scattered notes or memory, the farmer has an organized record that can be updated over time and shared when advice or services are needed. What is the role of AI? AI is used to analyze information provided by farmers and generate preliminary advice on animal health, feeding, and farm management. AI does not replace veterinarians: licensed veterinarians review and validate its recommendations before they are shared with farmers. This "human-in-the-loop" approach combines the speed and reach of digital tools with professional judgment, which is essential when advice can affect an animal’s health and a household’s income. As more farmers use the mobile app and contribute reliable data, the AI can be trained on a wider range of cases, helping to improve the relevance and accuracy of its recommendations over time. How does the mobile app connect farmers to markets and finance? The digital platform connects farmers with veterinary service providers, input and medicine suppliers, and livestock buyers, reducing reliance on informal networks and improving access to services, products, and market information. When an animal is sold, its digital record can be transferred to the new owner, giving buyers greater confidence in its health and production history, while ensuring continuity of recordkeeping. A working-capital financing model with participating financial institutions is being developed. Instead of disbursing unrestricted cash, financing can be paid directly to approved suppliers for productive inputs and medicines. Over time, farmers’ transaction and livestock records could help build credit profiles, improving access to finance for those with limited conventional financial documentation. How can farm-level data have a wider impact? When many farms contribute timely information, the platform can become part of a wider livestock information system. Aggregated data may help authorities identify unusual disease patterns, plan vaccination campaigns, and respond more quickly to outbreaks. With appropriate data-sharing arrangements, compatible national systems could also support regional surveillance of diseases that cross borders. This wider use depends on strong safeguards: livestock represents wealth for many households, so users need clear information about what data is collected, how it is protected, and who may use it. Results Since its launch, Bizon has surpassed 13,000 downloads. It has also attracted more than 9,000 of active farmers as of October 2026, indicating strong demand for accessible livestock services. Ozoda Sattarova of Zangiata district, Tashkent region, says that the mobile app enables her to make decisions for their livestock based on information, not guesswork. Among others, it helps her recognize early signs of the animals’ health problems and informs her what action she needs to take. She also uses it to plan feed rations for each animal, reducing waste feed and helping the animals stay healthy. Photo credit: Bizon, BetterFuture Group. Nodir Vakhobov of Kibray district, Tashkent region, says he uses Bizon to manage his small herds of livestock, saving him and his team a lot of time and resources. He adds that the mobile app helps him calibrate daily fodder ratio for each of his 50 cows and enables him to identify diseases with simple diagnosis. Photo credit: Bizon, BetterFuture Group. Early experience shows, however, that technology alone does not drive sustained adoption. Farmers often need in-person support to install the application, understand its features, and build confidence in using it. Access also remains uneven: although women frequently manage household livestock, they account for only 10% of users, highlighting the need for targeted outreach and content. Domestic application developers are well-placed to address these challenges because they understand local farming practices, institutions, languages, and operating conditions. Lesson The mobile application illustrates a broader development principle: digital platforms create value when they combine practical functions, trusted human support, and incentives for farmers to keep using them. A useful livestock application is not simply an online veterinary manual—it is an ecosystem that connects animal records, expert advice, markets, finance, and public disease surveillance. If it reaches sufficient scale while protecting user data, the same model could be adapted in other countries. [1] Asian Development Bank (ADB). 2026. Social Due Diligence Report for the Resilient Livestock Development Project in Uzbekistan. [2] ADB. 2026. Report and Recommendation of the President on the Resilient Livestock Development Project in Uzbekistan. [3] ADB. Regional: Digital and Artificial Intelligence Solutions for the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development Sector. Resources Asian Development Bank. Resilient Livestock Development Project in Uzbekistan. Bizon (@bizon.uzb). Instagram account. Bizon mobile application. Ask the Experts Murod Khusanov Founder and CEO, BetterFuture Group Murod Khusanov leads the development of two mobile applications, Bizon and Growz, aimed at helping smallholder farmers manage their animals and crops through artificial intelligence. He leads consulting company BetterFuture Group and has more than 15 years of experience in project management in international development organizations. He holds bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Tashkent State Agricultural University and an MBA from ESCP Europe Business School. Follow Murod Khusanov on Leonard H. Leung Senior Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist at ADB’s Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, Sectors Department 2 Leonard Leung specializes in rural development, agribusiness, agriculture value chain, and financial and economic analysis. Before joining ADB, he worked at the African Development Bank on project finance, transaction structuring, and blended finance. He holds a PhD in economics from Queen’s University, Canada. Matthias Leitner Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist at ADB’s Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, Sectors Department 2 Matthias Leitner focuses on project design and preparation for agri-business, value-chain, and water resource projects. His particular interest lies in livestock, resilient agriculture, precision farming, and meaningful youth engagement in the sector. Prior to joining ADB, he worked for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization on nutrition and the World Food Programme on private sector resource mobilization. Leave your question or comment in the section below: View the discussion thread.