Mbeya. Farmers across Tanzania’s Southern Highlands are increasingly benefiting from digital payment services offered by Mixx by Yas, enabling them to receive payments for their produce directly through their mobile phones and reducing the need to travel long distances to collect their money.
The services have become particularly important for farmers in rural areas, where access to banks and other financial institutions remains limited, providing them with a convenient and secure way to receive and track payments after selling their produce.
Speaking during the climax of the Nane Nane Agricultural Exhibition at the John Mwakangale Grounds in Mbeya, Mixx by Yas Southern Highlands Zonal Commercial Manager Charles Gadner said digital payments were helping address some of the challenges farmers have traditionally faced when receiving proceeds from crop sales.
Gadner said that through Mixx, farmers can receive payments directly on their mobile phones without having to travel to collect cash, saving both time and transport costs while reducing their reliance on cash transactions.
“We want farmers to be able to receive payments for their produce conveniently, wherever they are. Instead of spending time and money travelling to collect payments, the money can be sent directly to their phones, allowing them to use it according to their needs,” Gardner said.
He said Mixx by Yas was also using the Nane Nane exhibitions to educate farmers on digital financial services and how they can use them to simplify their day-to-day farming and financial activities.
Farmers using the services said receiving payments through their phones had reduced the time they previously spent waiting for or following up on payments after selling their produce.
Joyce Mube, a farmer from Tunduma, said digital payments had made it easier for her to receive and keep track of proceeds from her produce without having to travel to collect the money.
“When you receive money through your phone, you have greater certainty about your payment and can easily keep track of it. It also saves the time and costs we would otherwise spend travelling to collect the money,” Mube said.
Meanwhile, Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) Southern Highlands Zone Manager Roodny Alananga urged farmers and entrepreneurs to pay greater attention to the quality and standards of their products to improve competitiveness and access opportunities in both domestic and international markets.
Alananga said TBS was providing education aimed at helping farmers and entrepreneurs improve the quality of their products and ensure they meet standards required in different markets.
The Nane Nane Agricultural Exhibition continues to provide an important platform for farmers to engage with stakeholders across the agriculture sector and access information on technology, financial services, markets and product standards that can help improve productivity and incomes.
