Africa-Press – Kenya. The government is banking on the electronic Warehouse Receipt System to modernise agricultural commodity trade and cut post-harvest losses.
Launched on Wednesday after a piloting, the digital platform is expected to unlock access to structured markets and financing for farmers and agribusinesses.
The system to be managed by the Warehouse Receipt System Council (WRSC) is backed by TradeMark Africa with funding from the British High Commission in Nairobi.
It is a secure government-owned digital platform that automates, centralises and manages warehouse receipts issued under the Warehouse Receipt System.
Warehouse receipts are legal documents issued by licensed warehouse operators as evidence that specific, quality-certified commodities such as grain, coffee, have been deposited, acting as a document of title, collateral for loans or a negotiable instrument for trading.
They enable farmers to store goods, avoiding post-harvest price dips and improve financial liquidity.
According to the Warehousing council, the platform enhances transparency, traceability and trust, enabling seamless participation by farmers, warehouse operators, financial institutions, traders, regulators and other market actors across the agricultural value chain.
Supported by the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry through the State Department for Trade, the launch marks Kenya’s transition from pilot implementation to national adoption of a structured and digitised Warehouse Receipt System.
It positions the eWRS-CR as a critical pillar in strengthening agricultural markets and improving farmer access to finance.
Speaking during the launch in Nairobi, Industry PS Juma Mukhwana emphasised the platform’s role in building trust and catalyzing participation across the agricultural value chain.
“By enhancing transparency, strengthening trust and enabling access to finance, this system empowers farmers, attracts private sector investment and contributes to Kenya’s broader economic transformation,” Mukhwana said.
Agriculture remains central to Kenya’s economy, with smallholder farmers contributing over 75 per cent of national agricultural output.
However, access to formal credit remains limited, with less than five per cent of bank lending directed to the sector.
Post-harvest losses, estimated at 30–40 per cent for some commodities, continue to undermine farmer incomes and national food security.
The eWRS-Central Registry addresses these challenges by enabling farmers and commodity owners to safely store produce in certified warehouses and receive electronic warehouse receipts as proof of ownership.
These receipts can be used as collateral to access financing, empowering farmers to meet immediate financial needs while avoiding distress sales and enabling them to sell when market conditions are good.
Warehouse Receipt System Council chairman Patrick Mbogo said: “The system lays a firm foundation for structured agricultural trade and positions Kenya as a regional leader in agricultural market innovation.”
WRSC acting CEO and Registrar, Lucy Komen, noted a growing private sector uptake of the system which she termed “critical” to its success.
TradeMark Africa’s Kenya Country Director, Lillian Mwai affirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening structured agricultural trade and improving market access for farmers and agribusinesses.
“By improving traceability and enabling access to finance, this platform empowers farmers and agribusinesses to compete more effectively in domestic and regional trade. And this is how our wider ambition of the No Stop Border becomes practical, by fixing systems at source,” she said.
Deputy High Commissioner and development director at the British High Commission in Kenya, Diana Dalton, also reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting Kenya’s agricultural modernisation and financial inclusion agenda.
“Kenya and the UK are injecting innovation into agriculture. Not only does this system put more money into farmers pockets, but it also means produce like maize can be used to take out a short-term loan to pay school fees, without a farmer selling their produce at a cheaper price,” Dalton said.
So far, 114 warehouse receipts for nearly 600,000 Kgs of deposited commodities have been registered.
