Heifer International Kenya, Mastercard, KCB Foundation and KCB Bank Kenya have launched a new digital initiative to help 30,000 smallholder dairy farmers access faster payments, formal financing and better market opportunities.

Known as the Farmer Visibility Project, the programme aims to modernise Kenya's dairy sector by replacing cash-based transactions and informal record-keeping with digital payment systems and verifiable financial records.

Helping Farmers Access Credit Through Digital Records

Many dairy farmers in Kenya still rely on cash payments and manual records, making it difficult to qualify for loans, input financing and other formal financial services.

The new initiative will digitise milk deliveries, payments, savings and farm input purchases, creating transaction histories that financial institutions can use to assess farmers for credit and other financial products.

The partners say the project will also improve transparency within dairy cooperatives while reducing payment delays that often force farmers into informal markets.

Mastercard Brings Digital Payment Infrastructure

Mastercard will provide the technology powering the initiative through its Community Pass platform and Farm Pass solution.

The platform will create digital farmer profiles, support transaction tracking and enable secure digital payments, particularly in rural communities where access to financial services remains limited.

The infrastructure will also support card issuance, digital purchases and stronger links between farmers, cooperatives and financial institutions.

KCB to Drive Financial Inclusion

KCB Foundation will oversee farmer engagement, financial literacy, cooperative strengthening and programme implementation.

Meanwhile, KCB Bank Kenya will provide banking services, support digital account opening, issue payment cards and expand access to financial products tailored to farmers' income cycles.

The initiative is expected to improve financial inclusion while helping farmers build more sustainable agricultural businesses.

Pilot Targets 30,000 Farmers

The Farmer Visibility Project will initially run as a nine-month pilot targeting 30,000 dairy farmers across Kenya.

If successful, the partners plan to expand the model nationwide, using lessons from the pilot to strengthen digital payments, improve cooperative systems and accelerate financial inclusion across Kenya's dairy industry.