Heifer International Ethiopia, in partnership with Hello Tractor and the Ministry of Agriculture, has rolled out a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) tractor financing program designed to boost rural mechanisation and youth employment. The initiative enables young agricultural entrepreneurs to acquire tractors through flexible financing, repaying loans from the income they generate by leasing the machines to local farmers. According to Timoteos Borsamo, Heifer’s interim country director, the project merges technology and innovative finance models to raise productivity, create jobs, and strengthen rural economies. Through the Hello Tractor digital platform, farmers can book tractor services and track performance in real time. Similar initiatives in Nigeria and Uganda have shown promising results, improving efficiency, income, and loan repayment rates while reaching tens of thousands of smallholder farmers.

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