Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has launched a mobile app, SMS and USSD platforms to enhance its service provision to its more than 600,000 smallholder tea farmers.

The agency says the move is part of its ongoing reforms as it seeks to become more transparent and accountable to tea farmers and allow daily full access to their accounts.

The platforms will see tea farmers receive daily, weekly and monthly alerts on plucked tea weights, payments, fertilizer disbursement queries, news updates and extension services.

The tea agency says the KTDA Farmers App will deliver an interactive interface with information on various services instantly and will be available to all registered tea farmers.

The app is currently available on Google Play Store with its iOS version being developed.

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The SMS platform allows communications from the KTDA factories to their farmers and stakeholders regarding weights (daily, weekly and monthly SMSs) via a subscription service.

One can subscribe to the service by sending a keyword to short code 20213 or use USSD code *302# for queries on green leaf deliveries, payment status and fertilizer distribution.

“We are pleased to be rolling out our Mobile App, SMS, and USSD platforms in what is a deliberate endeavor to transform how we interact and engage with farmers,” said KTDA Management Services Managing Director Julius Onguso.

Onguso says the move will improve transparency and credibility of all KTDA dealings by leveraging technology to boost its communication and engagement with its farmers.

“This move is in line with the organization’s reforms trajectory which aims at ensuring farmers get the best value for their hard work – which extends to excellent and efficient service delivery, which is what we aim to deliver using these platforms.

“This heralds the digital transformation of KTDA’s service offering to its farmers, which, we believe, will go a long way towards sustained efficiency.”