Cocoa farmers in Ghana are expected to benefit from improved access to financial services and agricultural inputs under a five-year digital financial inclusion programme.
The initiative follows a strategic partnership agreement signed between SafeBond Co-operative Credit Union Limited and WebMate Ghana Limited in Accra.
The five-year partnership is aimed at promoting digital financial inclusion and integrating agro-input services for Village Savings and Loan Associations, VSLAs, in cocoa-growing communities, working with SafeBond Credit Union and SafeCrop Limited.
The agreement brought together officials and staff of the three organisations to formalise the collaboration, which seeks to improve financial access and support the operations of farmers and their cooperatives.
Manager of SafeBond Co-operative Credit Union, Victoria Loretta Owusu, outlined five key benefits farmers are expected to gain from the partnership with WebMate Ghana.
Meanwhile, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of WebMate Ghana Limited Charles Annang Darko emphasised the importance of digital financial inclusion and agro-input integration in strengthening Village Savings and Loan Associations across Ghana.
He noted that the initiative would help improve financial services and access to agricultural inputs for farmers, particularly those in rural cocoa-growing communities.
Mr Annang Darko expressed appreciation to SafeCrop and SafeBond for the partnership, expressing confidence that the collaboration would contribute significantly to the development of farmers and their cooperatives across cocoa-growing communities in Ghana.
SafeCrop and SafeBond are Ghanaian agricultural and sustainability organisations working to transform smallholder farming through cooperative empowerment, accessible financing, certified sustainable agricultural practices and tailored agricultural loans for farmers, traders and cooperatives.
The five-year partnership is expected to strengthen financial inclusion, improve access to essential farm inputs and support the economic development of cocoa-growing communities across the country.