KCB Group, Mastercard and Heifer International Kenya have launched a nine-month pilot programme aimed at digitising payments and financial records for 30,000 smallholder dairy farmers.
The initiative, dubbed the Farmer Visibility Project, seeks to help farmers build verifiable financial histories that could improve their ability to access formal credit and other financial services.
Under the programme, farmers and dairy cooperatives will digitally record milk deliveries, payments, savings and purchases of farm inputs. These records will provide lenders with greater visibility into farmers’ income, cash flows and business activities, potentially making it easier for them to qualify for loans and input financing.
The project seeks to address a longstanding challenge in Kenya’s dairy sector, where many small-scale farmers rely on cash transactions and informal record-keeping. The lack of documented financial information often makes it difficult for financial institutions to assess farmers’ businesses and extend credit.
Payment delays through cooperatives can further strain farmers’ cash flows, sometimes pushing them towards informal milk buyers who offer faster payments.
Heifer International Kenya Country Director Wairimu Munyinyi-Wahome said the project would help change how smallholder farmers are viewed within the financial system.
She described farmers as entrepreneurs who run businesses, supply products, create employment and invest in their communities, but noted that many remain excluded from financial systems and markets that could support their expansion.
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The project will use Mastercard’s Farm Pass capabilities through its Community Pass platform to create digital profiles for farmers and capture transactions across the dairy value chain.
The platform will track payments and input purchases while also supporting the issuance of cards and digital payments in rural communities where access to formal financial services remains relatively low.
Mastercard Senior Vice President and Country Manager for East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands Shehryar Ali said establishing secure digital transaction records would strengthen financial inclusion while giving dairy farmers a stronger foundation for sustainable growth and resilience.
KCB will oversee the opening of farmer accounts, digital payments and card issuance under the programme. The bank will also support agents and merchants accepting digital payments and provide farmers with access to financial products such as credit, savings and insurance.
