Capitalizing on Crowdfunding to Scale Up Solar Irrigation
Resource ID
10028
Access
Open
Contributed by
admin
Other
Solar irrigation agriculture climate change ecosystem irrigation pumps groundwater data
Date
07 May 21
Country
Africa, Asia
Summary
According to estimates, only 6% of Africa’s farmland is irrigated, compared to 35% in Asia. As a result, Africa’s agriculture is largely rainfed and has among the lowest productivity in the world.
Solar irrigation pumps have immense potential to address irrigation and productivity gaps, particularly in off-grid areas. Research suggests that 5.4 million farmers in sub-Saharan Africa alone could benefit from their use. Although a vibrant ecosystem of solar irrigation pump manufacturers and distributors has developed to meet demand, the growth of the sector is limited in part by a lack of funding. Loans from microfinance institutions are usually too small and banks are often unwilling to lend to ventures aimed at small farmers, who are seen as high risk.
Source
AgriLinks