Use of Block Chain in Tracking and Tracing Supply Chain of Fruit Products: A Readiness Survey I Makueni County, Kenya

With the growing demand for transparency, quality control, and traceability in agricultural products, blockchain technology offers a potential solution to the agriculture sector's problems with fraud, spoilage, and inefficiencies. A readiness survey was conducted to assess the adoption of blockchain by key participants in the fruit supply chain, including farmers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers. The survey looked into things like local supply chains' perceived potential and problems, technological infrastructure, and knowledge of blockchain's advantages. The findings point to differing degrees of preparedness, with some stakeholders expressing delight about blockchain's potential to increase market access, decrease post-harvest losses, and improve product traceability. However, issues including poor technology access, a lack of digital knowledge, lack of legal framework and the upfront expenditures of implementation were cited as major obstacles. In order to promote a blockchain-enabled, transparent, and effective fruit supply chain in Makueni County, the findings highlight the necessity of customized approaches to increase knowledge and technological capacity, increase awareness, and close infrastructure gaps. This -survey offers insightful information about the viability and uptake of blockchain technology in a rural agricultural setting, as is the case with the four sampled sub-counties.