Ethiopian Agricultural Corporation, Lersha Partner to Digitize Farm Services and Finance for 1 Million Farmers

EBR_News Mar 18, 2026

The Ethiopian Agricultural Works Corporation (EAWC) and Green Agro Solution’s digital platform Lersha have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to modernize agricultural services for smallholder farmers, aiming to facilitate credit access for one million farmers by 2030 through digital technology, according to an announcement made at the Skylight Hotel on Tuesday.

The agreement focuses on improving farmers’ financial capacity using digital platforms, facilitating access to agricultural inputs and mechanization services, and enhancing technology adoption through training. Lersha will connect smallholder farmers to input suppliers, including seeds, fertilizers, and agrochemicals as well as mechanization service providers, while providing advisory services on climate change adaptation.

The collaboration aligns with the National Agricultural Finance Implementation Roadmap (NAFIR) 2025–2030, jointly led by the National Bank of Ethiopia and the Ministry of Agriculture. NAFIR aims to transform Ethiopia’s agri-finance ecosystem through three pillars: the National Agri-Finance Accelerator (NAFA) to mobilize and de-risk capital, the Farmer Access to Streamlined Financial Services (FAST) framework for rapid loan approvals, and an Agri-Finance Centre of Excellence for capacity building.

Lersha, an Ethiopian agritech startup, has previously partnered with financial institutions including Siinqee Bank and Nib International Bank to offer input-linked loans. The platform collects real-time soil, crop, and weather data to share tailored planting and fertilizer guidance, with trained agents 40 percent of whom are women managing demonstration plots and linking farmers to cooperatives, banks, insurers, and off-takers.

Under the partnership, EAWC will provide agricultural machinery, spare parts, and technical training, while Lersha will establish a one-stop service for farmers and youth to purchase or rent machinery. The two institutions will implement weather advisory services, input supply systems, and digital contract farming to accelerate Ethiopia’s digital agriculture roadmap.

The partnership builds on Lersha’s previous collaboration with the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), which aimed to create digital profiles for 1,050,000 smallholder farmers and provide agro-climate advisory and fertilizer recommendations over a three-year period concluding in August 2026.

The agreement was signed by EAWC CEO Yeshemebet Negash and Green Agro Solution CEO Abrhame Endrias, with both institutions noting they will work to ensure food security by collecting farmers’ needs in advance and providing appropriate agro-chemicals, improved seeds, and fertilizers through the corporation.

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