Smart Card Technology To Revamp Milk Collection
KENYA - A smart card system being tested in the country is set to change the way milk farmers do business, by using technology to improve record-keeping and efficiency.
26 June 2007
1 minute read
The new system, being tested around the country, uses the computer-readable cards at milk cooling centres where farmers bring milk for storage.
The Business Services Market Development project (BSMDP), funded by the British government’s Department for International Development (DFID), has introduced the system on a pilot basis.
The one-stop dairy shop, uses information technology to revamp the milk collection system. A weighing scale, fat-content analyser, and payment calculator, are connected to a central computer to determine the amount delivered and how much the farmer is due.
Farmers in milk societies using the system will receive smart cards which will record their cooling centre transactions.
“When farmers bring in milk, they produce the smart card which is slotted into a reader connected to the computer,” explained Kevin Billing, a DFID representative with the programme.
A unique code on each smart card, identifies the farmer, and after determining the amount payable, the system prints out a payment slip the farmer can present to the cashier for payment.
Source: Business Daily
