PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN EQUITY GROUP  AND JOHN DEERE TO BOOST KENYA’S SMALL SCALE FARMERS

 During the second edition of US Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman’s investment roadshow series to the United States, Equity Group Holdings and farm equipment maker John Deere signed a comprehensive agreement to offer tractors into the Kenyan market through well-defined and affordable finance programmes for both large scale and small-scale farmers.

The agreement underpins Equity Group’s strategic vision plan for social economic transformation in the `Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan’ which puts a focus on value addition and mechanization of agriculture in the East and Central Africa market. It was signed by John Deere’s  head of business for Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Jason Brantley and Equity Group’s  chief executive officer, Dr. James Mwangi. “Through this collaboration between Equity Group and John Deere, a world-renowned agriculture, turf and construction equipment maker, small scale farmers, builders and landscape providers in Kenya will benefit from state-of-the-art technology which will equip them with capability to scale and grow their yields and businesses for larger markets,” said Dr. Mwangi. “Kenyan farmers have the opportunity with the implementation of the Africa Free Continental Trade Area Agreement to increase production for global supply chains which were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” he added.

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Equity Bank will provide finance products to customers initially in Kenya for a current term of two years under the agreement. The equipment dealer MASCOR who has dealerships throughout East Africa will be the partner dealership.  Equity, John Deere and MASCOR will conduct joint trainings and marketing campaigns together to enhance farmers’  education on the usage of the Deere equipment. The goal is  to enhance agriculture productivity and to understand the value of mechanization in yield improvements. For farmers –  including emerging and commercial farmers, part-time contractors, full time contractors and farmer groups –  the intention is to support profitability by improving revenues linked to yields, reducing losses as well as  operational costs related to agriculture production.

Equity’s ‘Africa’s recovery and resilience plan’ is committed to supporting the advancement and scaling of Africa’s small-scale farmers with training, mechanization  and market access.  Dr. Mwangi  further  said : “ This partnership aligns to the Africa recovery and resilience plan, which seeks to foster a more coordinated, connected and capacitated primary supply chains to drive higher productivity.”

This is the second roadshow in partnership with the US Embassy Kenya, Ambassador Meg Whitman   and Prosper Africa which Equity Group  and  Dr. Mwangi  have participated in. The  first one was   in March 2023 in New York City with US financial investors. In addition to the Equity-John Deere agreement signing, Dr. Mwangi participated in the opening panel moderated by Ambassador Whitman entitled, “Why Africa, Why Kenya?” during which he articulated the Africa opportunity for assembled US and Kenya companies, US and Kenya government officials and American investors.