OLX Kenya is setting up pickup points for farm inputs orders from the website, called Kilimo Smart Centers. The centers will cater to their recently added agriculture category and add value to users of the site.
The farmers on the platform would be able to pick up their orders from these smart centers across the country. The head of business development at OLX, Kenya, Priscilla Muhiu, says the first four centers have been opened in Nakuru and Nyandarua counties, and the firm has plans to open more centers across other regions.
In her words, “We rolled out a plan to set up Kilimo smart centers upon realizing the key challenge farmers face is access to good quality farm inputs. Most of the inputs farmers use currently, affect the soil fertility and over a period of time, they realize a decrease in yields. In order to enable these farmers, generate more yields, it is important that right farm inputs are at their disposal.”
According to the company, this service will help farmers on the platform quickly access farming materials like fertilizers and farm equipment and in turn double their yields. This is not the only move OLX Kenya has made regarding the agricultural category on their site. Earlier in the year, OLX released a new feature which allowed farmers who had mobile devices but were not connected to the internet, to make orders via SMS.
OLX Kenya has also partnered with companies like Mavuno Technology, Osho Chemicals and Soil Cares to help farmers access quality inputs such as seeds, fertilizer, equipment and soil testing as quickly as possible.
