The project will be implemented in Kenya, in the village of Elburgon, Nakuru County. Here Mani Tese, in collaboration with its partner NECOFA, has been supporting a pig breeding centre for several years. This area has seen a gradual increase in population, which has led to an increased consumption of meat. The meat market, especially the pig market, is currently managed by large-scale farms and small and medium-sized producers, mainly at family level, who sell their pigs to processors, middlemen and local butchers at prices that are much lower than the work done and the costs incurred. Another problem with this market is that consumers are not provided with information on the origin of the animals and their feed.

The project aims to transform the meat value chain through improved traceability of pigs, so as to promote healthy, sustainable and controlled feeding while offering small producers more market opportunities.
The action envisages the introduction of solar tags to be applied, initially, to individual animals at the Elburgon breeding centre to ensure better management of the animals and higher quality for consumers. The data collected through the use of the solar tags will allow the health and growth status of the animals to be monitored. Monitoring will also give the centre itself more opportunities to access the market.

30 ear solar tags will be applied to the animals and training will be organised for the staff of the Elburgon pig breeding centre on the importance of traceability and the management and analysis of data from the tags.

The system will be included in the centre’s management protocols to ensure better and sustainable growth of the animals.

The new blockchain technology will be made known to a wide audience of local farmers and traders, who will be properly trained on the positive impact the new system will have on food safety.

The system will also be promoted to local authorities in order to create a national policy on product traceability.