The problem
Improving agricultural output is critical to reducing poverty in Kenya. Irrigation is key to increasing farmers’ productivity and output, but just four per cent of irrigable land in Kenya is currently under irrigation. Many traditional diesel-powered irrigation pumps have proven to be too costly and carbon-intensive.
The company
SunCulture, founded in 2012, designs and sells solar-powered irrigation systems that make it cheaper and easier for farmers in Kenya to grow high-value fresh fruits and vegetables.
Project description
In September 2015, SunCulture received a grant from the GSMA Digital Utilities Innovation Fund to develop, trial and set up Rain Maker, an affordable PAYG solar-powered irrigation solution that extends access to water pumping solutions to underserved smallholder farmers and communities in the developing world (starting with Kenya).
Impact
Over 26 per cent of SunCulture’s customers switched from diesel-generated water pumps to using the solar pump as their main source of irrigation, while 70 per cent of customers use the pump to get their household water supply. About 70 per cent of customers pay for the product using PAYG. Most importantly, SunCulture farmers have reported an average increase in crop yield of 300 per cent per year.
Scaling Journey
Videos
Donor(s)
