Technology is connecting Tanzania’s farmers to agricultural inputs
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As a father of seven, Isaya Silwimba, living in the remote village of Namtambalala in Tanzania's Songwe Region, has long understood the importance of food security, stable income, and creating better opportunities for his family.
Fifteen years ago, a training in agronomic practices sparked his passion for farming. He began applying new techniques in his own fields, observing what worked, and sharing his experiences with fellow farmers. Over time, his willingness to learn and support others earned him the trust and respect of his community.
Recognising the value of sharing knowledge more widely, Isaya became a Digital Farm Mobiliser under the NOURISH initiative in Tanzania. Trained to use the KM360 digital platform, an AgriTech service provided by Kilimo Maendeleo Enterprises, he started helping farmers access agricultural information, quality inputs, markets, and climate-smart farming practices. Through this role, he has seen firsthand how timely information and improved access to services can strengthen livelihoods and build resilience among farming households.
Challenges facing Tanzania's smallholder farmers
Smallholder farmers produce most of Tanzania's food, yet many live far from agro-dealers and agricultural service providers. Accessing quality seeds, fertilisers, and crop protection products often requires long and costly journeys. As a result, essential inputs often arrive late, are unavailable when needed, or become too expensive.
These challenges are compounded by weak supply chains, limited local production, inadequate distribution networks, poor infrastructure, market inefficiencies, and limited purchasing power among farmers. Limited access to credit, high interest rates, and lack of collateral further constrain both farmers and suppliers, creating a cycle of low access and low trust. Together, these barriers reduce farmers' ability to respond effectively to drought, pests, and diseases, often resulting in lower yields and food insecurity.
To help address these challenges, the NOURISH Tanzania project, implemented by SNV and Farm Africa, partnered with Kilimo Maendeleo Enterprises to introduce the KM360 digital platform. The platform connects farmers with agro-dealers, input suppliers, financial services, markets, mechanisation services, and extension advice through a single integrated system.
At the heart of this model are trusted community members like Isaya. Together with 230 other Digital Mobilisers across Songwe and Rukwa regions, he was trained by the NOURISH programme and Kilimo Maendeleo Enterprises to support farmers in using the platform. Since mid-2025, more than 13,500 farmers have been registered on KM360, while 6,388 farmers accessed agricultural inputs through the platform during the 2025/26 planting season.
Even in communities with limited smartphone ownership or internet connectivity, Digital Mobilisers bridge the gap between technology and farmers, making digital services practical and accessible.
One of the platform's most successful features is Duka Pembejeo, a virtual input shop. Farmers simply tell Isaya what inputs they need, and he enters their requests into the system. KM360 then matches those orders with the nearest suppliers from its network of 307 active virtual agro-shops. Inputs are delivered directly to villages, often at lower prices due to bulk purchasing and stronger supplier linkages.
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Delivering tangible results in one season
In just one planting season, Isaya helped 110 farmers from the Umoja and Tupendane farmer groups access quality agricultural inputs on time, avoiding many of the delays and challenges they had previously faced.
Through the KM360 platform, he coordinated the delivery of 40 tonnes of fertiliser and more than five tonnes of improved sunflower, maize, and bean seeds. Farmers were able to obtain essential inputs closer to home and at more affordable prices.
Last season, we paid TZS 110,000 for planting fertiliser that arrived late and from far away. This year, the same fertiliser cost TZS 80,000 and was delivered right to our meeting point on time after placing orders through Isaya.
Leah Hayola, a member of the Tupendane group, recalls the difference
The transactions facilitated through KM360 generated TZS 5.48 million (approximately USD 2,100) in commissions. While this income provides valuable support for Isaya's work as a Digital Mobiliser, he says his greatest reward is seeing farmers access affordable inputs on time and improve their harvests.
A complete ecosystem of support
Beyond agricultural inputs, KM360 offers a range of services designed to support farmers throughout the agricultural value chain. Through Mazao, farmers access markets; through Pesa, they can connect with financial services; through Maarifa, they receive digital extension advice; and through Makisai, they can access mechanisation services.
This integrated approach enables farmers to buy inputs, sell produce, access finance, receive technical guidance, and rent machinery through one platform, supported by Digital Mobilisers on the ground.
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A scalable model for smallholder farmers
Isaya's story demonstrates the power of combining trusted local leadership with practical digital solutions. With the right training and tools, community-based mobilisers can overcome barriers of distance, cost, and information, ensuring that essential agricultural services reach those who need them most.
Looking ahead, Isaya hopes to obtain the regulatory certifications needed to connect farmers directly with input companies and eventually establish his own agro-input business. His journey reflects a broader opportunity for smallholder farmers across Tanzania.
The NOURISH-KM360 partnership is a testament to how community-centred digital innovation can improve access to inputs, markets, finance, and knowledge. By building on trusted local relationships and scalable technology, the model is helping create more food-secure, resilient, and prosperous farming communities, one farmer at a time.
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