By Staff Reporter, Ruvuma

National Bank of Commerce (NBC) has officially launched its “Wekeza NBC Shambani Ushinde” campaign aimed at empowering farmers of cashew nuts, pigeon peas, and sesame in Tunduru District, Ruvuma Region. The campaign is part of NBC’s continued commitment to accelerating growth in the agricultural sector by promoting inclusive economic development through access to formal financial services.

The launch event took place over the weekend in Tunduru and was officiated by the District Commissioner, Mr. Denis Masanja. It brought together key stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including leaders of primary cooperative societies (AMCOS) and apex cooperative unions. NBC’s Head of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Agriculture Banking, Mr. Raymond Urassa, led a team of NBC officials at the event to introduce the campaign to the local farming community.

In his remarks, DC Masanja applauded NBC for its sustained efforts to support farmers across the country. He noted that the launch of the campaign in Tunduru would stimulate economic activity within the district by offering financial services specifically designed for this important segment of the population. These include financial literacy training, access to insurance products, and provision of loans and modern agricultural tools.

“One of the greatest strengths of this campaign lies in its emphasis on financial discipline. It educates individual farmers and cooperative societies alike on the importance of saving, the benefits of insurance—including health and crop insurance—and investing in modern agricultural equipment,” said DC Masanja.

“This is a key step toward encouraging farmers to shift from informal systems to formal financial services, which will ultimately drive inclusive economic growth,” he added.

DC Masanja also made a formal request to NBC’s management to consider opening a full-fledged branch in Tunduru. He emphasized that the bank’s offerings align closely with the needs of the district’s residents, most of whom rely heavily on agriculture—particularly the cultivation of cashew nuts, pigeon peas, and sesame—as well as artisanal mining of gold and gemstones.

“At the moment, the financial flow in Tunduru is quite substantial, driven by the annual crop marketing seasons for cashew nuts, sesame, and pigeon peas. Each of these three seasons generates a high volume of transactions that demand the presence of a nearby financial institution like NBC. We therefore earnestly request the bank’s leadership to seriously consider establishing a local branch,” he emphasized.

Explaining more about the campaign, Mr. Urassa noted that it will run for three months and is expected to conclude at the end of this year. The campaign targets farmers engaged in the production of the three crops through AMCOS, cooperative unions, and individual farming activities, all of whom are served by NBC.

According to Mr. Urassa, to qualify for prizes under this campaign—including pesticide sprayers, bicycles, motorcycles, and ‘maguta’ (three-wheeled motorcycles)—farmers are required to open an NBC Shambani account and ensure that their crop payments are processed through that account.

“The core objective of this campaign is to encourage farmers to manage and safeguard their finances through formal banking systems rather than informal means. While we evaluate the District Commissioner’s request to open a permanent branch here in Tunduru, we urge farmers to continue enjoying our services through NBC WAKALA operating in the area, as well as our mobile banking platform, NBC Kiganjani,” he said.

Representing fellow farmers, Mr. Fadhili Salada and Ms. Grace Evarist—both leaders of AMCOS in Tunduru—expressed appreciation for the unique features of the NBC Shambani account. They pointed out that the account’s extended validity period and absence of maintenance charges had already begun to ease longstanding challenges faced by farmers.

“For a long time, we’ve struggled with farmers’ accounts being closed due to inactivity, especially during payout periods. Many banks deactivate accounts too quickly, which creates complications when it’s time to disburse payments,” said Mr. Salada.

“However, that issue now appears resolved. NBC Shambani accounts remain active for two years, which is a much more practical timeframe for our farmers. When we deposit payments, we find the accounts still operational, which saves us from unnecessary difficulties. Moreover, these accounts do not carry any maintenance fees, and farmers even earn interest on the balances held in them,” he added, with Ms. Grace Evarist fully agreeing with his sentiments.