NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 20 – Heifer International, in partnership with agritech startup Hello Tractor, has continued to spur growth in the agricultural sector in Africa through mechanization.
Mechanization for Africa, a recent study released by the Organization on Wednesday in Nairobi, demonstrated how the tech-driven mechanism effort has improved the economic situation of thousands of small-holder farmers.
Speaking during the launch, Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President Africa Programs at Heifer International, said the Pay As You Go (PAYG) tractor financing service program has been providing smallholder farmers in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria with reasonably priced tractor rental services.
“Smallholder farmers are the backbone of Africa’s food systems, accounting for up to 80 percent of food production in Sub –Saharan Africa. Equipping them with the right tools and resources’ including sustainable mechanization, is essential for increased productivity,” said Ifedi.
So far, 104 tractors have been acquired and given to farmers in the three pilot countries enrolled for the program’s implementation, benefiting 21,048 smallholder farmers in need of mechanization services.
According to her, the affordable mechanization services have boosted farmers’ yields as well as their income due to increased productivity.
“The impact of this project has exceeded expectations; the initiative provided service to 21,048 smallholder farmers in need of mechanization services as of December 2022.A total of 104 farmers became tractor owners through a Pay As You Go Model,” she added.
Jehiel Oliver, founder and CEO of Hello Tractor, stated that the project has also improved farmers’ livelihoods and food security for their families and communities.
“With the support of Heifer International, Hello Tractor has scaled up its service to smallholder farmers by growing the equipment available in the market to help farmers with mechanization services,” said Oliver, CEO of Hello Tractor.
“By Injecting Capital at the base of the pyramid and empowering traditionally unbanked entrepreneurs to become tractors owners we are driving economic growth and transforming livelihoods,” he added.
The Ahero community in Kisumu County and the Awe, Nasarawa, and Toto communities in Nigeria were sampled for the research, which aims to promote initiatives to increase agricultural output in Africa.
The research was done in both Kenya and Nigeria.
