The Mountain Journal
Anti tampering gadgets have been installed in the green leaf weighing scales, in efforts to eradicate falsifying and theft of green leaf.
The gadgets have been installed in the weigh scales in all the 71 tea factories designed to improve transparency and accountability in the multi billion shillings sector.
The tamper proof gadgets have been installed following a major outcry by the tea farmers after alleged tampering of their green leaf weighing scales at the buying centres.
KTDA MS Managing Director Collins Bett said the new measures are designed to eliminate any discrepancies in the weighing of the green leaf in the tea buying centres.
Mr Bett said each of the weigh scales is equipped with an anti tampering device embedded with a GSM card to assist remittance of information should there be an attempt to tamper with the weighing scales.
Apart from the anti tampering gadgets, the agency continues to conduct research at improving the efficiency including the digitisation of payment and modernisation of the factories.
“The device is designed to detect any attempts to tamper with the scale and instantly trigger an alert to factory managers and other officials” said Mr Bett.
He added that in the event of any tampering, the system will send real-time alerts, enabling swift action to address the issue.
He observed that the introduction of the anti-tampering technology comes in response to concerns raised by farmers over sporadic cases of tampered weighing scales at the factories.
“Tampering of the weighing scales could potentially lead to inaccuracies in the weight of green leaf, which directly affects farmers’ payments,” said Bett.
