RATIN

State bets on solar-powered irrigation

Posted on November, 23, 2018 at 10:11 am


Nicholas Waitathu

Kenya is banking on solar energy to address low levels of irrigation, currently at less than 10 per cent.

Irrigation Principal Secretary Fred Segor confirmed that the government has partnered with Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and other private sector players to fast-track the new initiative in order to help farmers reduce cost of production.

He said in the recent years, Solar-Powered Irrigation Systems (SPIS) has become a new option to boost agricultural growth and contribute to the general economic growth.

“The future of solar power has looked increasingly bright in recent years thanks to the plummeting cost of silicon solar panels and global push for clean energy sources to address climate change,” Segor said while opening a workshop on Solar-Powered Irrigation in Nairobi.  

Heavy investments

He said the government would facilitate farmers to secure loans at 10 per cent from  Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC). Majority of farmers carrying out irrigation face numerous challenges, for example, high cost of electricity and diesel thus increasing cost of production.

Adopting solar, Segor noted will only be expensive at the start as it will require heavy investments but going forward farmers will enjoy lot of benefits.

“Use of clean renewable energy in an important sub-sector like irrigation will mitigate any adverse environmental impacts of our development programmes and projects in accordance with guidelines for environmental and social considerations,” he said.

“It will unleash the farmers’ agricultural production potential in many counties and enable year round production. This in turn will reduce regional immigration, create jobs and generate incomes.”

The three-day meeting drawing stakeholders from Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Gambia and Kenya sought to come up with resolutions geared towards engaging the farmers and youth in solar technology for irrigation.

Powered irrigation

This will help in replacing the aging farming community. Currently, the average age of a Kenyan farmer stands at 60 years. “All of us need to engage the youth and find innovative ways of incorporating them in various opportunities on how to upscale solar powered irrigation,” he stated.

Segor observed that farmers incur huge cost of production owing to high cost of electricity and diesel to irrigate farms.

Source: MediaMax Network