To address these concerns, we are developing a USSD/SMS based system for connecting rural farmers to weather, agricultural, and financial services. By leveraging our connections with cooperative leaders and farm managers, we will safely and efficiently distribute cash loans via USSD, which can then be used to purchase various AG inputs from our partners. Allowing farmers to receive cash as opposed to AG input directly provides an opportunity to gain financial literacy and autonomy. Farmers can sign up for our SMS weather station and get weekly forecasts, and will be able to enroll in our crop specific education program. In this way, we enable rural farmers to better manage their crops and maximize output while mitigating default risks.
