SunCulture….transforming agriculture through the power of the sun.

SunCulture is an organization based in Kenya that developed the solar-powered drip irrigation for smallholders to address challenges of unreliable rainfall, high energy prices, and low crop yields.

Kenya has 5.4 million hectares of arable land, but only 17% of this land is suitable for rain-fed agriculture; leaving the remainder in need of irrigation and pumping technology. Relying on the rain, however, limits farmers to only harvesting twice per year but irrigation unlocks the rest of the calendar, giving farmers control over market timing. Petrol, electric, and manual treadle pumps for irrigation are presently available in the Kenyan market, but the effectiveness of these technologies is constrained by high input costs and labor inefficiencies. 

SunCulture determined to help farmers in Africa grow more and higher quality crops while spending less money introduced the SunCulture AgroSolar Irrigation System kit which combines the energy efficiency of solar power with the effectiveness of drip irrigation resulting in the best solution for farmers, at a cost they can afford. This makes it cheaper and easier for farmers to grow higher quality crops and increase their yields by up to 300% and a water savings of up to 80% just by using drip irrigation.

                       Women with SunCulture Irrigation System.

How the AgroSolar Irrigation Kit operates.

The Kit is designed to pull water from any water source (lake, river, stream, well, borehole, water harvester, etc.) using solar power. The solar panels provide the pump’s electricity directly without the need for expensive batteries or inverters. 

Water is pumped into a raised water storage tank during the day. When irrigation takes place during the evening, a valve on the water tank is opened and water flows down through a filtration system and onto crop root zones via high quality irrigation tape. The AgroSolar Irrigation Kit includes a custom-designed pole-mounted security kit for the provided solar panels. The security kit raises the solar modules 3 meters above the ground to deter theft. The submersible pump may be secured using a steel-door locking system.

Benefits

• Save money monthly on fuel costs by using the included solar pump instead of a petrol or electric water pump.
• Earn more every season by growing tomatoes, onions, and cabbages for the market.
• Reduce labour costs due to the simplicity of the drip system to operate.

• Reduce fertilizer waste by adding fertilizer directly to your water tank to apply it consistently throughout the drip system
• Produce high-quality vegetables that meet the standards of restaurants, greengrocers, and produce exporters.

Prices

159,000 Kenyan Shillings (about N496000) -       Capacity of 12,500 litres per day)

  89,000 Kenyan Shillings (about N278000) -       Standard One acre kit pricing

  39,000 Kenyan Shillings (about N122000) -        Standard One acre kit pricing.

Compiled by GRAIN-Nigeria from www.sunculture.com