CRDB dish out 6bn/- to boost farmers
DAR ES SALAAM: CRDB Bank Foundation has disbursed over 6.0bn/- to support smallholder farmers with agricultural inputs, modern tools and equipment aimed at enhancing crop value, since the beginning of this year.
This financing forms part of a newly signed partnership with MazaoHub, an agricultural technology company, to empower farmers across Tanzania to farm more efficiently and commercially.
The collaboration targets more than 500,000 farmers, providing entrepreneurship training, financial literacy and access to technology that supports soil health assessment, fertiliser management, crop selection and market access.
CRDB Bank Foundation Managing Director, Tully Esther Mwambapa said the partnership combines financial support with technology solutions to strengthen smallholder farmers’ contribution to the national economy.
“By joining forces with MazaoHub, we can offer our training, market linkages and financing alongside technology that helps farmers compete on a commercial scale,” Ms Mwambapa said.
MazaoHub CEO Geophrey Tenganamba said that technology plays a critical role in farm management, from tracking soil health to guiding crop planning and market facilitation.
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“We facilitate cooperative farming and, after harvest, help farmers find markets. By partnering with CRDB Bank Foundation, I believe we can reach up to 500,000 farmers,” he said.
The CEO said their service centers, operating in 15 regions with over 300 points of access, allow farmers to receive professional advice and access markets efficiently.
The three-year partnership also engages other stakeholders to provide financing and education for farmers who often fall outside conventional banking criteria, ultimately aiming to increase production, improve incomes and modernise the country’s agriculture sector.
MazaoHub currently operates in Kagera, Kigoma, Mbeya, Morogoro, Rukwa, Tanga and Mtwara, as well as Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Singida, Mwanza and Shinyanga, where farmers can access professional advice through more than 300 service points.
