For 1.6 million farmers in Nepal, dairy farming is their main livelihood. Most of these farmers largely depend on cooperatives for financial assistance. According to ILO, it is estimated that there are more than 34,000 cooperatives in Nepal, with around 6 million rural members. As per the Finscope Study, 1,700 are dairy cooperatives with a member base starting from 200 to 2000 farmers. These cooperatives provide the best economic means for rural farmers and play a significant role in Nepal’s financial sector. With cooperatives as the key anchor in the rural area, UNCDF partnered with Prabhu Management to digitize the dairy value chain and improve financial inclusion with mobile wallets.

Read more about the pilot project here.