Dodoma. Farmers in Tanzania’s Central Zone have been urged to embrace digital financial services to receive crop payments more securely, access agricultural loans and reduce the inconvenience of travelling long distances to collect their earnings.
Mixx by Yas Central Zone Business Manager Charles Gasper said during the ongoing Nane Nane agricultural exhibitions in Dodoma that increased use of digital financial services could help address some of the challenges farmers face in accessing and managing their money.
He said through Mixx Kilimo, farmers can receive payments for their produce directly on their mobile phones, while also accessing Kilimo Pesa loans of up to Sh3 million and livestock health insurance services.
According to Mr Gasper, the services are designed to give farmers easier access to financial support while enabling them to conduct transactions safely and conveniently.
Dodoma Regional Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies Joseph Chitinka said the growing use of digital payments was already changing the way farmers and cooperative societies in the region handle transactions.
He said cooperation between the Office of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies and Mixx by Yas had enabled more farmers to receive payments for their produce directly through their mobile phones after auctions.
The shift, he said, has reduced the need for farmers to travel long distances to collect payments, while also reducing the risks associated with handling cash.
Mr Chitinka added that cooperative societies and Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (Saccos) in Dodoma were also increasingly using digital services to conduct transactions more efficiently.
He said expanding access to such services would help strengthen financial inclusion among farmers and cooperative members while making it easier for them to manage their earnings.
