The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has successfully completed the installation of anti-tampering gadgets on green leaf weighing scales across its 71 managed factories. These new measures are designed to eliminate any discrepancies in the weighing of Green leaf delivered by over 700,000 smallholder tea farmers at various buying centres.
“The introduction of the anti-tampering technology comes in response to concerns raised by farmers over sporadic cases of tampered scales. These issues could potentially lead to inaccuracies in the weight of green leaf recorded, which directly affects farmers’ payments. KTDA recognizes the importance of addressing these concerns and has taken decisive action to ensure transparency and fairness in the process,” says KTDA in a statement.
Each weighing scale is now equipped with a cutting-edge anti-tampering device embedded with a GSM card. The device is designed to detect any attempts to tamper with the scale and instantly trigger an alert to factory managers and other officials. In the event of any tampering, the system will send real-time alerts, enabling swift action to address the issue.
“The integrity of the green leaf collection process is central to our mission of serving our smallholder tea farmers. These anti-tampering gadgets will provide peace of mind and ensure that every farmer is fairly compensated for their hard work,” said Collins Bett, Managing Director, KTDA Management Services. “We are committed to making the entire tea value chain more transparent and efficient, and this is just one of the many steps we are taking toward this goal.”
In addition to the anti-tampering gadgets, KTDA continues to implement other technologies and innovations aimed at improving operational efficiency, including the digitization of payment systems and the modernization of factory processes. The Agency has also rolled out an app and USSD that farmers use to easily access information on their green leaf weight, payments, and information on the tea sector.
