Farmers in Ruvuma Region are expected to benefit from the use of Janja Farmer Smart Cards, which are aimed at simplifying their identification as well as improving access to agricultural inputs and financial services through digital systems.
Speaking during a ceremony to hand over the cards to farmers at the weekend, the Manager of the Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA), Southern Highlands Zone, Joshua Ng’ondya, said the initiative is part of the implementation of directives from the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that all farmers across the country are digitally registered and identified.
“We are here in Ruvuma Region implementing the Ministry of Agriculture’s directive that farmers across the country should be identified through digital systems.
Today, in collaboration with our colleagues from CRDB and BizTech, we are here to hand over Janja Cards to farmers, which will serve as their identification,” said Ng’ondya.
He added that the cards are linked to important farmer information, including the size of their farms and CRDB account numbers, enabling them to conduct transactions digitally.
Meanwhile, CRDB Bank’s Cards Product Manager, Daniel Mugwagi, said that in 2025, the bank collected farmers’ information and facilitated the production of the cards.
He added that the bank had also developed a system to be used by agricultural input dealers, who will be provided with special machines to serve farmers purchasing subsidised fertilizer.
In another development, BizTech Chief Business Officer Kelvin Masai said the company, together with its partners, is working to ensure that farmers benefit from the entire agricultural value chain through technology.
He said the company has developed an application that will enable agricultural input dealers to manage their businesses, including the sale of subsidised fertilizer, while maintaining important business and farmer records.