Livestock owners will soon be required to show identification before selling animals in slaughterhouses.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, through the State Department of Livestock, is in the process of rolling out a livestock identification and traceability system that will help Kenyans track their animals.
Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke said the ministry has been working on the system for the past 20 years but has faced challenges in implementing it.
He said global markets are increasingly demanding to know the origins of the food they consume, including human food and animal feed.
“We are developing a system called Anitrack that will register our animals, track their breed, productivity (such as milk or egg production) and their geographical origins. This will allow us to prove traceability of livestock products, all the way from the farm to the market,” Mueke said.
He said the system would bring financial benefits to farmers.
“Thanks to the identification and traceability system, farmers will also be able to access loans, using their livestock as collateral,” the PS said.
“Banks and insurance companies will be able to access critical data about each animal, such as its vaccination history, breed and age. With this digital identification, animals will become valuable assets.”
Additionally, each animal will have a GPS-enabled air tag. Christopher Wanga, director of livestock policy, research and regulations at the ministry said the system will significantly reduce cattle theft.
“People steal livestock to sell them. With this system, stolen animals will be easily identifiable, making them much less attractive to thieves,” he said.
“This initiative will help protect livestock by linking them to their owners. When selling an animal, the ownership must be transferred electronically.”
As the government works on finalising the Livestock Master Plan, efforts to vaccinate livestock continue.
Wanga said the identification system will be vital in meeting market demands and minimising theft. He said while the system will not be mandatory, it will be highly beneficial to farmers.
“It’s not compulsory, but it’s a smart practice for anyone raising livestock as a business,” Wanga said.
He also said the ministry plans to engage in public participation
and scale up animal registration to
ensure more farmers benefit from
the system.
