RMIS launches mobile processing units for small-scale farmers

The Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) has launched an initiative aimed at transforming livestock management for small-scale and communal farmers across South Africa.

The new mobile processing units (MPUs) are designed to bring essential livestock services, including tagging, branding, dehorning, and vaccinations directly to farmers.

The RMIS is a not-for-profit company responsible for delivering industry services with statutory funding to enhance the South African primary value chain from farmer to abattoir. The RMIS inclusive growth pillar focuses specifically on the upliftment of small-scale and communal farmers and the concept of mobile processing units was developed to optimise and support this mission.

With over R9 million in funding committed to the project, the RMIS is set to roll out nine MPUs across all provinces in 2025. Each unit is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and operated by trained specialists, ensuring humane and efficient processing. The initiative aligns with the Red Meat Industry Strategy of adding 250 000 weaners to the formal market by 2030, significantly boosting the local and export livestock industry.

A successful pilot phase, conducted in 2024, saw over 2 000 cattle processed across various emerging farms and communal dip tanks. This critical test provided invaluable insights into the operational efficiency of the MPU and helped refine the logistics and technical aspects of the project. The feedback from small-scale farmers during the pilot was overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing the project’s potential to drive meaningful change in local livestock management practices.

Projected outcomes for 2025:

• 9 MPUs processing an average of 150 animals per day
• 27 000 animals processed per month
• 297 000 animals processed annually
• 1 485 000 animals processed over five years

The RMIS invites potential funders and stakeholders to join this collaborative effort, to find out more or to get involved, please visit the website: www.rmis.co.za.

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This article first appeared in Red Meat News October 2024. Read the original article here.

Read the RMIS announcement of the Mobile Processing Units initiative here.

Photo by CP Khanal: www.pexels.com/photo/cow-feeding-a-calf-and-farmers-tending-to-the-herd-in-a-pen-25020306/