The Green Farming and Chase Bank signed a partnership Agreement. “Chase Bank is looking to target the one billion shilling horticultural sector as it braces for its next phase of growth” , said Chase Bank Business Development Director Ken Ouko. With the close cooperation between the consortium of Dutch private partners with local partners, the aim is to improve local entrepreneurship in Kenya in field of food security and food safety for all types of farms: large, mid and small-scaled.
Many small-scale farmers share the common challenge of little to no access to finance, and thus technology to maximize their business potential. With the cooperation between Chase Bank and Green Farming, small-scale horticultural farmers now can gain easy access to financial services, and applicable greenhouse technology, support and training from Green Farming partners Bosman - Van Zaal, Hoogendoorn Growth Management, PDI and DVL Plant.
Moreover, farmers are able to profit from accessing the domestic market under ‘Growing Solutions Kenya’, which is a program managed by Green Farming. In turn, Kenyan farmers will achieve better growth yields, improve the quality of their crop and thus receive better prices at the market. Green Farming works together with Kenyan partners to find sustainable solutions adapted to the Kenyan climate and economic circumstances.
This partnership with Chase Bank enables us to tie together financial and technical aspects of our project to ensure their success,” said chairman of Green Farming Harm Maters. With the proof of concept complete and commencement of business development phase of the program, Chase Agri will leverage on the program to target, SME horticulture Growers, to finance the acquisition and implementation of the greenhouse packages.
“As a bank, we cherish strategic partnerships that help us satisfy the ever changing needs of our customers. We believe this partnership will be useful to our current and prospective customers in the agricultural sector by creating added value for horticulture entrepreneurs through the continuous marketing of innovative and contemporary services and products,” said Mr. Ouko.
“Our strategy included working closely with partners in the horticulture industry who offer technical support, optimal inputs and access to market such as the one we have signed with Green Farming,” he added.
