JESA Farm Dairy, Emata sign MOU to digitize Uganda’s milk value chain

UGANDA – JESA Farm Dairy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Emata to expand digitisation across the dairy value chain and scale financial services for dairy farmers in Central Uganda.

By combining Emata’s fintech expertise with JESA’s extensive network of milk producers, the collaboration aims to transform the dairy value chain into a more transparent, efficient, and financially inclusive ecosystem.

The JESA partnership addresses traditional barriers to credit by leveraging this proven model. For many smallholder farmers, traditional bank loans are out of reach due to a lack of formal credit history.

This collaboration changes the narrative by using digital delivery histories, targeted investment in loans for high-quality feed, veterinary services, and cooling equipment, and streamlined repayments: Loans are recovered directly from milk delivery payments, creating a seamless financial loop that reduces risk for all parties.

Geoffrey Mulwana, CEO, JESA farm noted: “At JESA, we believe that a strong dairy industry begins with strong farmers. The thousands of smallholder farmers who wake up early every day to milk their cows are the backbone of the sector.

“Their success ultimately determines the success of processors like ourselves. Without affordable credit, it becomes difficult to invest in better breeds, quality feed, veterinary care, water infrastructure, and other improvements that increase productivity.”

The potential of this partnership is backed by remarkable growth figures from Emata’s previous collaborations, in which Budimbo Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society (supplier to Jesa Farm Dairy) has seen a dramatic transformation since adopting digital tools.

When Emata began working with Budimbo in 2024, the cooperative was collecting an average of 50,000 liters of milk per month.

Today, that volume has quadrupled to 200,000 liters. Cooperative management attributes this staggering 300% increase to two main factors: reduced side-selling and competitive advantage.

Since its inception in 2021, Emata has rapidly scaled its operations to become a cornerstone of Ugandan AgriTech. To date, the company has partnered with over 90 dairy cooperatives and Milk Collection Centers (MCCs), reaching more than 20,000 dairy farmers across Central, Southwest, and Eastern Uganda.

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