Rwanda is testing a digital lending platform designed to reduce the time smallholder farmers wait for agricultural loans from five to seven weeks to less than 48 hours, as the country seeks to increase financing for the sector.
National Bank of Rwanda Governor Soraya Hakuziyaremye announced the six-month pilot on Thursday, Oct. 8, during a presentation on monetary policy and financial stability. The trial began in September and is expected to inform a wider rollout in 2027.
The platform was developed by the central bank in partnership with the Rwanda Information Society Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and the Ministry of Local Government, with support from Access to Finance Rwanda.
Four financial institutions are participating in the pilot: Umutanguha Finance PLC, COPEDU, Bank of Kigali and the Development Bank of Rwanda.
The system is intended to digitise the process of applying for and receiving agricultural loans, shortening the time between an application and the disbursement of funds.
“The digital agricultural lending platform aims to help smallholder farmers access loans through technology while reducing the time they spend waiting to receive them,” Hakuziyaremye said.
Research by the central bank found that farmers currently wait between five and seven weeks for agricultural loans, a delay that can leave them without financing when they need it for particular stages of the farming season.
The initiative comes as Rwanda seeks to raise agriculture’s share of lending by regulated financial institutions to 10%.
During the first half of 2026, agriculture accounted for 5% of total lending, up from 3% in the corresponding period of 2025. New loans to the sector increased by 177% to 57 billion Rwandan francs.
Despite that growth, Hakuziyaremye said agricultural lending remained below the level needed to provide sufficient investment for the sector.
The pilot will test whether digital technology can make loan applications and processing more efficient before the platform is expanded more widely.
If successful, the initiative could help farmers obtain financing more quickly, although the under-48-hour target has yet to be demonstrated through the trial.
