Ideas & Innovation
Solar powered pumps
reduce irrigation costs
Water has been a critical lifeline for
can survive and produce enough to
pump is often the best option for
farmers as a day without proper
feed them.
reducing cost and labor.
irrigation can damage crop quality and
Small farm productivity can be
yields.
doubled through making available
Affordable Solar Powered Pumps
There are several methods for
irrigation water which does not rely on
for Poor Farmers
pumping water in remote areas, such
engine pumps (UN FAO), this is by
Companies, such as Futurepump Ltd
as windmills, gas/diesel pumps, and
decoupling volumes of irrigation water
solve this problem by selling robust,
ram pumps. But most of these options
pumped from volumes of gasoline or
portable, solar pumps to those farmers
are either too expensive to install, or
diesel fuel consumed.
in need.
for fuel and maintenance, or require
Solar water pumps are a cost-
A solar pump encourages smart
specific site conditions to operate.
effective and dependable method for
farming practices and makes the most
Smallholder farmers have been
providing water in situations where
use of the water available in a
affected by drought for many years,
water resources are spread over long
sustainable way. The FAO states that
something which is only going to
distances; power lines are few or non-
improved water management through
increase with climate change. The
existent; or fuel and maintenance
sustainable irrigation and small, low-lift
challenge we face is that water is often
costs are considerable.
pumps holds the key to producing
in the wrong quantities or quality in the
Solar pumps can work for most
enough food to alleviate food
wrong place and at the wrong time!
locations and are at full capacity when
shortages.
These farmers often struggle to meet
needed most: during warm, sunny
In many places, farmers are using
the cost demand of petrol for irrigation
days. In temperate regions, they can
expensive and inefficient petrol pumps
pumps or have to spend hours
be used year-round—which can be
to irrigate their plots. These pumps
per