DIGIFARM LAUNCH JIPANGE CASH ADVANCE TO EMPOWER TEA FARMERS

DigiFarm in partnership with Access Bank officially launched the Jipange Loan, a digital cash advance solution designed specifically for smallholder tea farmers. 

The launch event, held in Kericho County, brought together hundreds of farmers from key tea-growing regions including Nakuru, Bomet, Kericho and Nandi Hills.

The ceremony was graced by key stakeholders, including County Crop Director Elijah Mutai, Safaricom’s Chief Business Development and Strategy Officer Michael Mutiga, Director of DigiFarm Seema Gohil and Lilian Odhiambo, Executive Director of Wholesale Banking at Access Bank.

The theme of the discussions was the critical role of the Jipange Cash Advance in strengthening farmers’ financial resilience. While acknowledging Kenya’s progress in agricultural productivity, leaders emphasised that access to structured, affordable credit is the next frontier for improving tea quality, enhancing productivity, and ensuring consistent earnings for farming communities.

Jipange was engineered to address the challenge facing smallholder tea farmers: the cycle of waiting a full month for payment, which often forces them into expensive informal borrowing. Our solution allows farmers to access a portion of their expected earnings in advance, directly tied to their factory deliveries.”

The Jipange solution is designed for maximum accessibility and ease of use: Instant Access, farmers can request an advance and receive funds disbursed instantly via M-PESA through a simple USSD journey, ensuring it works on even the most basic mobile phones.

Seamless Repayment, the advance is automatically repaid when the factory payment is processed, requiring no extra effort from the farmer and ensuring full transparency. Integrated Ecosystem into the DigiFarm Kilimo platform, Jipange is poised to connect farmers to other services like input financing and crop insurance in the future.