Agri Loan Monitoring Gets Smarter: New Tool Tracks Crop Health & Loan Risk

7 November 2025 12:39

Utrecht, November 2025 - We’re excited to announce that our new Agri Loan Monitoring tool is now live in a secure test environment. The tool is designed to improve how banks manage agricultural credit risk for smallholder farmers. It uses remote sensing data to monitor crop conditions and loan performance. Our partner Coopbank in Ethiopia will begin using the tool to test and operationally explore its features.

Field in Ethiopia

Smallholder farmers are essential to the agricultural economy, but they often don’t get the financial support they need. Their income depends on the seasons and can be affected by weather and market changes. That makes it hard for banks to assess risk and offer the right support.

To help with this, Rabo Partnerships and Coopbank launched and piloted a special loan program earlier this year for about 5,000 farmers in Ethiopia. These loans help farmers buy seeds and fertilizer for barley and wheat.

Field in Ethiopia

How the Tool Works

Because these farms are often in remote areas, we’ve built a tool that uses satellite images and weather data to monitor crop health. This gives us a real-time view of how the crops are doing and helps us spot problems early before they become serious.

What’s Inside the Tool?

The tool is built around three main features:

    Easy-to-Use Dashboards and Geospatial Visualizations – Easy-to-read visuals that show the users (loan officers) what is happening and where it is happening on the map. Satellite and Weather Data – Real-time crop monitoring using open-source data. Smart Analytics – Models that help predict risks and suggest where to focus support.

Some of the smart features include:

    Geospatial Models – Spot early warning signs based on crop and climate data. Resource Planning Tools – Help decide where to send support teams. Basic Language Tools – Turn technical alerts into simple messages for loan officers. In the future, we’ll improve this with AI to give even better recommendations.

Real Results

In early tests, the tool spotted signs of crop stress weeks before traditional methods would have. This allowed loan officers to step in early and help farmers - reducing the risk of loan defaults.

“Can we use this tool for all our agri-business segments?”

Originally built for the Digital F&A Banking program, Coopbank is curious to explore how to apply it in other areas. This is proof that we’re on the right track. The quote was shared by Mr. Aman Semir Ahmed, Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer at Coopbank in Ethiopia.

Landscape Ethiopia

Next Steps for Coopbank

Starting November 3, Coopbank’s Digital F&A Banking team (about 10 people) will get access to the tool. They’ll be able to test it in a safe environment before it’s rolled out more widely. We’ll also provide hands-on training, including live demos and Q&A sessions, to make sure everyone is ready to use the tool effectively.

This is a big step forward in our partnership with Coopbank in Ethiopia. By combining technology with local knowledge, we’re improving how we manage risk and support farmers. We’ll continue to gather feedback and improve the tool in the coming weeks.