hiveonline has reached 50,000 smallholder farmers and savings group members across our platform! Over the past eight months, hiveonline’s dedicated field officers (FOs) have worked tirelessly to bring our digital tools to farmers. With a substantial presence in Kenya (40,000 farmers), Mozambique (10,000 farmers), and in our most recent project in Ghana (2000, and counting, farmers through FOs from our partner, Sung Foundation; see next article), this achievement underscores hiveonline’s commitment to fostering agricultural development and financial resilience in regions with the greatest need and potential.
This milestone strengthens our new and existing partnerships with financial institutions (more details below) that want to be part of the solution and contribute to the inclusion of traditionally unbanked communities. More user numbers also give financial institutions a broader base of potential clients (our platform users) by providing loan types tailored to the needs of farmers as small business owners. These loans will assist the farmers’ efforts to improve yields, expand operations, and enhance their overall financial stability.
Similarly, offtakers like processors and retailers can purchase quality produce from farmers via our myCoop.online platform. In Kenya, for instance, our users’ production plans showcase various crops available for purchase, including maize (accounting for over 40% of production records with an estimated production quantity of 1300 tonnes of maize for the 2023/2024 season), potatoes, beans, poultry, and dairy—to name a few. Our FOs have started working with our partner, the Cereal Growers Associations in Nakuru, to identify farmer service centres (FSEs) that will facilitate offtaking and input supply for our myCoop.online users.
We are particularly proud to empower women in agriculture and improve their livelihoods, with 68% of hiveonline’s user base comprising women farmers. This inclusive approach fosters stronger, more resilient communities and helps women lead by example. Countless research studies have shown that women’s financial inclusion significantly boosts their economic empowerment, enabling them to contribute more effectively to their communities and economies. This financial inclusion is linked to better income opportunities, business ventures, and enhanced decision-making power within households, leading to overall economic resilience and growth (Women’s World Banking) and IMF). It is precisely those opportunities that hiveonline strives to build for women engaged with our platform.
As hiveonline continues to grow, we remain dedicated to supporting smallholder farmers and helping them access the resources they need to thrive. This milestone is a testament to the power of collaboration, community engagement, and the transformative potential of digital tools in agriculture and financial inclusion.
Would you like to learn more about our solutions or to partner with us? Get in touch at sales@hivenetwork.online