Government launches a digital livestock tracker

Salome Alwanda and Rodgers Omondi-KNA

The Ministry of Agriculture is rolling out an animal identification and traceability system to identify animals from the owner, the breed, to the vaccination it has received.

Speaking during the opening of the Nambale Livestock Sale Yard in Busia County, Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke said the animal identification and traceability system (ANITRAC) software, which is at the piloting stage at government farms, will be rolled out in the county.

“Every animal will have a tag with a chip. The code from the tag when keyed in the system will provide the name of the animal owner, the weight of an animal and when it was born. It will also indicate the quantity of milk it produces and the type of vaccine it has received. This will make it easy for the market and even improve the price of the animal which will be profitable to the farmers,” he said.

Mueke added that the government has put measures in place that will ensure farmers produce high quality animals that will produce high quality products.

“The market demand for our animal products is high but the challenge has been low productivity. We have the National Breed Improvement Programme through artificial insemination and embryo transfer.

“These interventions are done at a government subsidy to help improve the breeds in our farmers. This will also help them to meet the market demand on the quality and quantity of the produce required,” he said.

He lauded the quality of the market, adding that this will create job opportunities for many people in the county.

“This is a modern market, and I can confirm the quality is fine. The market has the quarantine area, sale yard for cattle and goats, shade, stalls and officers.

“This project is going to create job opportunities for youth in all sectors from transport, security, casual works and food sectors. This is among the interventions the government is taking to create job opportunities for the youth of this country,” he said.

The livestock sale yard was constructed by the national government in partnership with the County Government of Busia under the KeLCoP project at a cost of Sh23 million.

The Director of Livestock Production Bishar Fille Elmi stated that Busia County is heavily involved in livestock farming.

“In Busia County, we have 1.2 million poultry. We also have 217,000 cattle, 197,000 goats and 112,000 sheep. The animals are treated annually in this county, for instance in last year 72,000 cattle were treated, 96,000 sheep and goats and 10,0000 poultry were also treated,” he said

Busia County CECM for Agriculture George Mukok stated that the market will stimulate the production of livestock in the region.  

“We need to produce for us to ensure the market continues to operate. This will now call for us to do more livestock production in our county and the neighbouring counties. The quarantine section in this market will ensure that only healthy animals have been bought and taken out with permit,” he said.

Mukok added that the identification project initiated by the national government will help in ensuring there are no theft cases at the market.

“The identification initiative is going to play a key part in ensuring the safety of our livestock from home up to the market. My call to everyone in this country is to get into livestock and poultry keeping because we want to integrate everyone in this so that all of us can get the benefit that comes with this farming,” he said.

He said the county government is formulating a law that will ensure a fraction of the revenue raised at the market will be retained and help to do maintenance.