Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) is pleased to announce the launch of Phase 1 of a groundbreaking traceability platform, designed to improve transparency, efficiency, and competitiveness in South Africa’s red meat industry. This initiative represents a major step forward in ensuring that every link in the supply chain — from farms to retailers — is accurately tracked and managed.

Phase 1: Identifying Key Locations

The project begins with the identification and numbering of Production Units across every location in the red meat value chain. This includes communal land, commercial farms, auction houses, feedlots, and abattoirs. These Production Unit Numbers will form the foundation of the RMIS Traceability Platform, which aims to:
–       Address disease management and enable recalls
–       Combat stock theft
–       Enhance trade through the sharing of traceability and production data
–       Increase market access to commercial value chains and export markets

A Production Unit Number, also known as a Global Location Number (GLN), is the standard used to ensure and enhance value chain, retail and international recognition. ­­RMIS and GS1 South Africa are committed to providing a transparent and trustworthy international standard. The Production Unit Number will be used to verify the location of a seller to a buyer. In future, Production Unit Numbers will also be used to request digitised transport documents (such as Articles 6, 8, and health declarations). Additionally, the integration of various recordkeeping systems with the RMIS Traceability Platform will rely on the Production Unit Number as a location reference for sharing traceability data.

RMIS partnered with a systems development company, Gendac Software Engineering, ­­­with 26 years of experience to create a dedicated web application that enables value chain participants to identify production units and request GLN numbers from GS1 South Africa. This web application will support accurate location identification, verification, and visualization on a national map. Each site will be       geo-fenced, improving the efficiency of livestock tracking and management.

Following Phases: Capturing and Sharing Traceability Data

After the successful identification of locations, subsequent phases will focus on capturing and sharing essential traceability data through various recordkeeping systems integrated with the RMIS Traceability Platform. This approach promotes decentralized data management while ensuring the standardized sharing of information to maintain data integrity and traceability from production to the end-consumer.

RMIS is currently in the analysis phase of developing a platform to facilitate the standardized sharing of traceability and production data. This platform will meet international standards and effectively support the industry’s traceability needs in collaboration with GS1 South Africa, Gendac Software Engineering, and the RMIS Traceability Task Teams.

Collaborative Effort and Future Outlook
The success of this initiative depends on the collaboration of all stakeholders, including small-scale and commercial farmers, auction houses, feedlots, abattoirs, service providers, and government bodies. Over the past six months, RMIS has worked closely with these groups, and the enthusiasm surrounding the project reflects a shared commitment to building a sustainable and efficient red meat value chain.

According to RMIS CEO, Dewald Olivier: “Traceability could be the most impactful initiative the livestock industry has seen since South Africa became a net exporter of red meat. This initiative as the foundation should, linked with grading and the other initiatives, enable the red meat value chain to achieve its 2030 strategy.”

Dr. Phillip Oosthuizen, RMIS COO, stated: “The success of traceability will depend on an efficient, transparent, and trustworthy platform, a phased implementation approach, and the collaboration of each participant in the value chain.”

The introduction of this traceability platform is expected to significantly enhance the industry’s visibility, competitiveness, and resilience in both local and global markets.