Mixx digital payments boost farmers’ incomes, businesses

LINDI: Farmers in Lindi and Mtwara regions are increasingly turning to digital payments to receive crop proceeds, reducing reliance on cash while gaining access to financial services that can support investment, improve business efficiency and strengthen household financial security.

The shift was highlighted during the Vuna na Mixx event at the Nane Nane Agricultural Exhibition at Ngongo Grounds in Lindi, where farmers who used Mixx by Yas services during the previous farming season were rewarded with three-wheel cargo vehicles, motorcycles, smartphones and bicycles.

Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Ayoub Mohamed Mahmoud who presented the prizes, said wider use of digital financial services could improve efficiency and security across the agricultural value chain.

“When farmers receive their payments easily and securely, they are better placed to plan their activities and reinvest in production,” he said.

He said stronger cooperation between the government and private sector was important to ensure technology translated into practical benefits for farmers and other citizens.

Yas Head of Region for Coast South, Ms Fadhila Saidi said Mixx had continued to expand its support for farmers by making it easier to receive payments for agricultural produce, particularly through the Warehouse Receipt System.

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More than 150bn/- was paid to farmers through Mixx during the 2025/26 farming season, while more than 50bn/- had already been disbursed in the 2026/27 season, she said.

“These figures demonstrate the growing confidence farmers and cooperative societies have in digital payments,” Saidi said.

She said the rewards were designed not only to recognise customer loyalty but also to provide productive assets that could support farmers’ businesses.

“A cargo tricycle or motorcycle can make a real difference to a farmer, particularly when it comes to transporting produce and accessing markets,” she said.

Beyond crop payments, Mixx provides farmers with access to other financial services, including Kilimo Pesa, an agricultural financing product, and Afya Mkulima, which enables farmers to access health insurance for themselves and their families.

Beneficiaries Mohammed Chikawe, Hassani Mohammed and Issa Mtiko said the rewards had encouraged them to continue using digital financial services, citing the convenience and security of receiving crop payments electronically.

They said digital payments had reduced the need to travel long distances to collect proceeds or carry large amounts of cash, allowing them to manage their earnings more efficiently.

Saidi said Mixx would continue working with the government, cooperative societies, Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS), produce buyers and other stakeholders to extend digital financial services to more farmers.

The expansion of digital payments is increasingly linking financial inclusion with agricultural productivity, giving farmers faster access to proceeds while creating opportunities to save, borrow, invest and reinvest in their businesses.

For farmers in Lindi and Mtwara, the growing shift from cash to digital transactions could therefore help reduce transaction costs while strengthening their participation in formal financial markets and the wider agricultural economy.