Farmers can now work in dry season with arrival of new irrigation pump

A new technology, dubbed “MoneyMaker irrigation pump” has been introduced in the country by KickStart, a machines manufacturer, to help farmers farm all-year-round irrespective of the season.

Farmers in most parts of the country have been battling poor rainfall, as the country’s 56 irrigation schemes are not sufficient enough to meet the demands of all farmers.

It is against this backdrop that KickStart, the company behind the innovation, has launched the irrigation pump in Ghana.

“During the dry season, farmers are unable to plant. Ghana, for instance, has just about three months of rain. So we were thinking about how we could help farmers farm all-year-round so that they can get money to cater to their needs,” Alexander Nyarko Anim, Regional Manager, West Africa, for KickStart, said during the launch in Accra.

“We realized that the only way is for them to have constant irrigation throughout the year. That is why we introduced these affordable irrigation pumps for many farmers.”

The MoneyMaker pump is manually operated and does not need any fuel to power it.

The pump can irrigate as far as 200meters away from it and goes for GH¢650 and GH¢480 depending on the type.

The Minister of Food and Agricultural, Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru Limuna, in a speech read on his behalf at the launch, commended KickStart for the introduction of a technology that he believes can further transform agriculture in the country.

“I wish to commend Kickstart for introducing this cost effective technology aimed at targeting smallholder farmers. The launch of the pump, which has can irrigate farms all year round, has the potential to transform the agricultural sector.

The success stories of farmers in other regions of Africa are testimonies that farmers in Ghana can also positively improve their livelihood using the MoneyMaker irrigation pumps,” he said.

He encouraged all farmers in the country, especially those in areas where rainfall patterns are sporadic and where no irrigation schemes exist, to patronize the pumps.

According to Mr. Anim, the name of the pumping machine—MoneyMaker—was borne out of the reason that farmers can make money throughout the year as opposed to the previous situation where farmers had to wait for the rainy season before they could plant.

Hajia Fati, one of the farmers who has tried the pumps, said previously she could farm on just half an acre but ever since she bought the MoneyMaker machine, she has been able to extend her production to two acres.

thebftonline.com