Farmers in Lindi and Mtwara are increasingly embracing digital payments to receive proceeds from their agricultural produce, a shift that is reducing dependence on cash while opening up greater opportunities for investment, savings and access to financial services.
The trend was highlighted during the Vuna na Mixx event held at the Nane Nane Agricultural Exhibition at Ngongo Grounds in Lindi, where farmers using 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 adoption of digital financial services could improve efficiency, security and transparency 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.
The deputy minister also stressed the importance of collaboration between the Government and the private sector in ensuring that technology delivers tangible benefits to farmers and other citizens.
Yas Head of Region for Coast South, Fadhila Saidi, said Mixx had expanded its support for farmers by facilitating electronic payments for agricultural produce, particularly through the Warehouse Receipt System.
According to Ms Saidi, more than TSh150 billion was paid to farmers through Mixx during the 2025/26 farming season, while more than TSh50 billion had already been disbursed during the 2026/27 season.
“These figures demonstrate the growing confidence farmers and cooperative societies have in digital payments,” she said.
The company said the rewards were intended not only to recognise customer use of its services but also to provide productive assets that could help beneficiaries expand their businesses.
Ms Saidi said equipment such as cargo tricycles and motorcycles could help farmers reduce the cost of transporting produce and improve access to markets.
“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 facilitating crop payments, Mixx offers farmers additional financial services, including Kilimo Pesa, an agricultural financing product, and Afya Mkulima, which enables farmers to access health insurance for themselves and their families.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Mohammed Chikawe, Hassani Mohammed and Issa Mtiko, said the rewards had encouraged them to continue using digital financial services, citing convenience and security as key advantages.
They said receiving crop proceeds electronically had reduced the need to travel long distances to collect payments or carry large amounts of cash, allowing them to manage their earnings more efficiently.
Ms Saidi said Mixx would continue working with the Government, cooperative societies, Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS), produce buyers and other stakeholders to expand access to digital financial services among farmers.
The growing use of digital payments is also strengthening the link between financial inclusion and agricultural productivity by giving farmers faster access to their earnings while creating opportunities to save, access financing and reinvest in production.
For farmers in Lindi and Mtwara, the shift from cash-based transactions to digital payments could therefore help lower transaction costs, improve financial security and deepen their participation in Tanzania's formal financial system.
