Innovation Lab For Small Scale Irrigation

Innovation Lab For Small Scale Irrigation

economic growth

New business models bring solar irrigation to Malian farmers / De nouveaux modèles commerciaux apportent l’irrigation solaire aux agriculteurs Maliens

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Researchers and businesses in Mali join forces to overcome challenges and make solar irrigation pumps available to smallholder farmers. Version Française ci-dessous.

More than two-thirds of the people living in Mali rely on rain-fed farming for food and income. But frequent dry spells and droughts threaten incomes and food security, eroding their livelihoods and increasing the risk of conflict.

Using irrigation technologies to supplement rainfall, both during dry spells and during the long dry season, could help safeguard farmers against weather-related shocks and boost their production. Because the price of solar photovoltaic panels has been rapidly decreasing in recent years, solar-powered pumps are emerging as a climate-smart, affordable irrigation technology suitable for production on over 4.4 million hectares. Malian farmers and the broader population could benefit from the opportunities of solar-powered irrigation, such as economic growth and improved nutrition.

However, the market for solar pumps in Mali is underdeveloped, which inflates prices and reduces access for smallholder and resource-poor farmers. That’s why the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) is partnering with two solar energy companies to test and refine new, sustainable business models that can improve farmers’ access to finance and information, strengthen the distribution networks for solar pumps, and ultimately boost small scale irrigation.

Focal points in Mali with an EcoTech solar-powered irrigation pump. Photo: EcoTech Mali.

New financing models for inclusive solar irrigation

Following a competitive process, ILSSI has identified EMICOM and EcoTech Mali as two existing businesses with the expertise to develop new business models for solar-powered irrigation. ILSSI aims to help reduce the risks of these and other private sector companies as they invest in new finance products and distribution approaches to reach smallholder farmers, including women.

One central challenge for farmers is the initial cost of investing in solar pumps. Even if farmers are aware that these technologies exist, few of them can afford the up-front investment, explained Konimba Dembele, Manager of EMICOM. But businesses such as EMICOM and EcoTech Mali plan to offer finance products to help farmers manage pump purchases:

“In the coming months or even weeks this risk will be considerably reduced because the financial support of ILSSI has supported us in the establishment of payment facilities (PAYGO) in order to allow small producers, excluded from the traditional banking system, to pay the pump by credit,” said Dembele.

PAYGO is mobile money platform for asset-based finance and part of a sub-distribution model that offers farmers the option to start using a pump, while they make payments for it over time. EcoTech Mali is also developing a PAYGO-based financing option. PAYGO finance has enabled people across sub-Saharan Africa to access off-grid power solutions and is now being rolled out for solar-powered pumps. Both companies expect that the offer will allow more farmers to afford solar irrigation.

Farmer irrigating with the help of a solar-powered pump. Photo: EcoTech Mali.

Bringing the market to farmers

Another challenge is related to market reach: Smallholder producers are dispersed throughout Mali, many in remote areas with little infrastructure, and it is therefore difficult to reach farmers with information, to ensure that products are available, and to offer after-sales services.

The EMICOM team is looking to fill that gap by traveling into rural areas in Bamako, Koulikoro, and Sikasso to establish 17 sub-distribution points to raise awareness with farmers:

“Thus, the prospective caravans allow us to both advertise irrigation pumps and to communicate about our innovations in terms of financing and options of payment,” Dembele said.

EcoTech Mali is combining their PAYGO finance model with a village-based agent approach in Sikasso. Men and women local agents will demonstrate and educate farmers about solar pumps. The local agents will also be involved from marketing to finance through to after-sales services. This distribution model builds community-level capacity and offers employment, while expanding off-grid irrigation solutions.

Sub-distributors are trained on how to maintain the solar-powered pumps. Photo: EMICOM.

Dembele, of EMICOM, explained the benefits of bringing not only products, but finance, services and learning, to where farmers are:

“This is why the collaboration with ILSSI for the establishment and training of sub-distributors is very important to create this product availability and bring the after-sales service closer to customers, with local technicians learning the basic repair skills. In addition, it allows us to establish dynamic capacity building to increase their skills to be able to repair or even manufacture spare parts in Mali and thus reduce dependence on import of parts.”

A partnership that mitigates business risks

EMICOM and EcoTech Mali are working to bring solar irrigation to farmers, but creating a reliable, stable market for solar pumps and related services across Mali hinges on companies themselves being able to overcome business risks and establish viable ventures.

“When entering the small scale irrigation market, our main risk lies in the adoption of the technology by the farmers. Since we ensure the whole supply chain of the technology—purchase, import, stocking, and distribution—if the famers are not convinced and don’t buy the technology, then we will struggle to sell our stock,” said Olivier Starkenmann, a Founding Partner of EcoTech Mali.

Partnering with ILSSI helps alleviate this risk, he explained:

“Awareness raising is the key to show the benefit of such technologies. ILSSI’s collaboration is crucial since they share the costs of the social marketing efforts that must be done, and they will bring research that shows both the barriers and potential for this market. To ensure wide adoption by farmers, it is also important to add capacity building and complement the awareness with related topics, such as good practices in irrigation, on-field water management, and how to use solar energy.”

From innovation to long-term solution

Strengthening the solar irrigation supply market in Mali and ensuring that farmers can continue to benefit from small scale irrigation will require collaborative efforts in a few areas.

According to Starkenmann, development partners need to support both social marketing and capacity building with farmers, increasing their awareness of and ability to use the solar pumps, for example through projects that directly link with the products provided by local businesses.

Farmers are trained on how to install solar-powered pumps. Photo: EMICOM.

Starkenmann added that sharing the financial risks inherent in offering new financing models between different actors—such as micro-finance institutions, development partners, and businesses—could help incentivize others to enter the market.

Another approach to accelerating the expansion of solar irrigation is, according to Dembele, to help farmers increase their profits from irrigated production:

“Supporting producers to organize and bring products to the market will help make solar irrigation equipment profitable and therefore expand.”

Indeed, linking businesses providing solar irrigation pumps with both farmers who are interested in irrigating their crops and with other businesses interested in buying those irrigated crops is emerging as a promising approach to generating a robust, sustainable market system around solar irrigation. To support the development of such linkages, both EcoTech Mali and EMICOM will be invited to join ILSSI multistakeholder dialogues already established in Mali.

Finally, Dembele said, while the private sector can foster new innovations that meet local needs, advocating for public authorities to launch a national program in support of the solar irrigation supply chain would also be a significant step toward ensuring that solar irrigation and its benefits becomes accessible to all.

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De nouveaux modèles commerciaux apportent l’irrigation solaire aux agriculteurs Maliens

Des chercheurs et des entreprises au Mali unissent leurs forces pour surmonter les défis et mettre des pompes d’irrigation solaires à la disposition des petits agriculteurs.

Plus des deux tiers des habitants du Mali dépendent de l’agriculture pluviale pour leur alimentation et leurs revenus. Mais de fréquentes périodes de sécheresse menacent les revenus et la sécurité alimentaire, érodant leurs moyens de subsistance et augmentant le risque de conflit.

L’utilisation de technologies d’irrigation pour compléter les précipitations, à la fois pendant les périodes de courte and longue saisons sèches, pourrait aider à protéger les agriculteurs contre les chocs climatiques et à augmenter leur production. Etant donné que le prix des panneaux solaires photovoltaïques a rapidement diminué ces dernières années, les pompes à énergie solaire apparaissent comme une technologie d’irrigation adéquate face au climat et abordable, adaptée à la production sur plus de 4,4 millions d’hectares. Les agriculteurs Maliens et la population en général pourraient bénéficier des opportunités de l’irrigation à l’énergie solaire, en termes de croissance économique et de nutrition

Focal points in Mali with an EcoTech solar-powered irrigation pump. Photo: EcoTech Mali.

Cependant, le marché des pompes solaires au Mali est sous-développé, ce qui gonfle les prix et réduit l’accès pour les petits exploitants et les agriculteurs qui n’ont pas de moyens financiers. C’est pourquoi le Feed the Future Laboratoire d’Innovation d’Irrigation à Petite Echelle Innovation (ILSSI) s’associe à deux sociétés d’énergie solaire pour tester et affiner de nouveaux modèles commerciaux durables qui peuvent améliorer l’accès des agriculteurs au financement et à l’information, renforcer les réseaux de distribution de pompes solaires, et, en fin de compte, stimuler l’irrigation à petite échelle.

Nouveaux modèles de financement pour l’irrigation solaire inclusive

A la suite d’un processus concurrentiel, l’ILSSI a identifié EMICOM et EcoTech Mali comme deux entreprises existantes possédant l’expertise nécessaire pour développer de nouveaux modèles commerciaux pour l’irrigation à l’énergie solaire. L’ILSSI aidera à réduire les risques des entreprises du secteur privé alors qu’elles investissent dans de nouveaux produits financiers et approches de distribution pour joindre les petits agriculteurs, y compris les femmes.

Un défi central pour les agriculteurs est le coût initial d’investissement dans les pompes solaires. Même si les agriculteurs sont conscients de l’existence de ces technologies, peu d’entre eux peuvent aborder l’investissement initial, a expliqué Konimba Dembele, Gérant de l’EMICOM. Mais des entreprises telles que EMICOM et EcoTech Mali proposeront des produits de financement pour aider les agriculteurs à gérer les achats de pompes :

“Dans les prochains mois voire semaines ce risque sera réduit de façon considérable puisque l’appui financier de ILSSI nous a soutenu dans la mise en place de facilités de paiement (PAYGO) afin de permettre aux petits producteurs, exclus du système bancaire classique, de payer la pompe par credit,” a dit Dembele.

PAYGO est une plate-forme d’argent mobile pour le financement basé sur les actifs et fait partie d’un modèle de sous-distribution, qui offre aux agriculteurs l’option d’utiliser la pompe, pendant qu’ils effectuent des paiements au fil du temps. EcoTech Mali est entrain également de développer une option de financement basée sur PAYGO. Le financement PAYGO a permis aux populations de toute l’Afrique subsaharienne d’accéder à des solutions d’alimentation hors réseau et est entrain actuellement d’être déployé pour les pompes à énergie solaire. Les deux sociétés s’attendent à ce que l’offre permette aux agriculteurs de s’offrir l’irrigation solaire.

Farmer irrigating with the help of a solar-powered pump. Photo: EcoTech Mali.

Apporter le marché aux agriculteurs

Un autre défi est lié à la portée du marché : les petits producteurs sont dispersés dans tout le pays (Mali), beaucoup dans des zones/régions reculées avec peu d’infrastructures, et il est donc difficile d’atteindre les agriculteurs avec des informations, de s’assurer que les produits sont disponibles et d’offrir des services après-vente.

L’équipe EMICOM cherche à combler cette lacune en se rendant dans les zones rurales de Bamako, Koulikoro et Sikasso pour établir 17 points de sous-distribution afin de sensibiliser les agriculteurs :

“Ainsi, les caravanes de prospections nous permettent à la fois de faire connaitre les pompes d’irrigation mais aussi de communiquer nos innovations en matière de financement et de moyen de paiement,” Dembele a dit.

EcoTech Mali combine son modèle de financement PAYGO avec une approche d’agent local (agent basé au village) à Sikasso. Des agents locaux, hommes et femmes, présenteront et informeront les agriculteurs sur les pompes solaires. Les agents locaux seront également impliqués dans le processus du marketing au financement en passant par le service après-vente. Ce modèle de distribution renforce les capacités au niveau communautaire et offre des emplois, tout en développant les solutions d’irrigation hors réseau.

Sub-distributors are trained on how to maintain the solar-powered pumps. Photo: EMICOM.

Dembele, de l’EMICOM, a expliqué les avantages d’apporter non seulement des produits, mais aussi de financement, des services et de l’apprentissage, là où se trouvent les agriculteurs :

“C’est pourquoi la collaboration avec ILSSI pour la mise en place et la formation de sous distributeurs est très importante pour créer cette disponibilité du produit et rapprocher le service après-vente aux clients avec l’acquisition des bases techniques de l’irrigation par les techniciens locaux. De plus cela nous permet de créer une dynamique de renforcement des capacités de façon à les faire monter en compétence afin de pouvoir réparer, voire fabriquer des pièces de rechange au Mali et réduire ainsi la dépendance aux importations de pièces.”

Un partenariat qui atténue les risques commerciaux

EMICOM et EcoTech Mali s’efforcent d’apporter l’irrigation solaire aux agriculteurs, mais la création d’un marché fiable et stable pour les pompes solaires et les services connexes à travers le Mali dépend de la capacité des entreprises elles-mêmes à surmonter les risques commerciaux et à créer des entreprises viables.

« En entrant sur le marché de l’irrigation à petite échelle, notre principal risque réside dans l’adoption de la technologie par les agriculteurs. Puisque nous assurons toute la chaîne d’approvisionnement de la technologie – achat, importation, stockage et distribution – si les agriculteurs ne sont pas convaincus et n’achètent pas la technologie, nous aurons du mal à vendre notre stock », a déclaré Olivier Starkenmann, Fondateur Associé de l’EcoTech Mali.

Le partenariat avec l’ILSSI aide à atténuer ce risque, a-t-il expliqué :

« La sensibilisation est la clé pour montrer les avantages de telles technologies. La collaboration de l’ILSSI est cruciale car ils partagent les coûts des efforts de marketing social qui doivent être faits, et ils apporteront des recherches qui montrent à la fois les barrières et le potentiel de ce marché. Pour assurer une large adoption par les agriculteurs, il est également important d’ajouter le renforcement des capacités et de compléter la sensibilisation avec des sujets connexes, tels que les bonnes pratiques en matière d’irrigation, la gestion de l’eau sur le terrain et l’utilisation de l’énergie solaire. »

De l’innovation à la solution à long terme

Le renforcement du marché de l’approvisionnement en irrigation solaire au Mali et la garantie que les agriculteurs peuvent continuer à bénéficier de l’irrigation à petite échelle nécessiteront des efforts de collaboration dans quelques domaines.

Selon Starkenmann, les partenaires de développement doivent soutenir à la fois le marketing social et le renforcement des capacités des agriculteurs, en augmentant leur sensibilisation et leur capacité à utiliser les pompes solaires, par exemple par le biais de projets directement liés aux produits fournis par les entreprises locales.

Starkenmann a ajouté que le partage des risques financiers inhérents à l’offre de nouveaux modèles de financement entre différents acteurs, tels que les institutions de micro-finance, les partenaires de développement et les entreprises, pourrait aider à inciter d’autres à entrer sur le marché.

Farmers are trained on how to install solar-powered pumps. Photo: EMICOM.

Une autre approche pour accélérer l’expansion de l’irrigation solaire est, selon Dembele, d’aider les agriculteurs à augmenter leurs bénéfices de la production irriguée :

“Un accompagnement des producteurs dans l’organisation du marché pour la production, la collecte jusqu’à leur écoulement sur le marché contribuera à la rentabilisation des équipements d’irrigation solaire et donc à leur expansion.”

En effet, mettre en relation des entreprises fournissant des pompes d’irrigation solaires avec les agriculteurs intéressés par l’irrigation de leurs cultures et avec d’autres entreprises intéressées par l’achat de ces cultures irriguées apparaît comme une approche prometteuse pour générer un système de marché robuste et durable autour de l’irrigation solaire. Pour soutenir le développement de tels liens, EcoTech Mali et EMICOM seront invités à se joindre aux dialogues multipartites de l’ILSSI déjà établis au Mali.

Enfin, a déclaré Dembele, alors que le secteur privé peut favoriser de nouvelles innovations qui répondent aux besoins locaux, le plaidoyer auprès des autorités publiques pour lancer un programme national à l’appui de la chaîne d’approvisionnement de l’irrigation solaire serait également une étape importante pour garantir que l’irrigation solaire et ses avantages deviennent accessible à tous.

Supporting solar irrigation companies to break down markets and lift up smallholder farmers in Ghana

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byThai Thi Minh, Senior Researcher, and Abena Ofosu, Senior Research Officer, Innovation Scaling, IWMI

In the Upper East region of Ghana, most smallholder farmers still rely on watering cans and buckets for irrigating the tomato, pepper, onion, and other vegetable crops they grow during the dry season. This type of irrigation is both labor intensive and time consuming, while more advanced irrigation technologies, such as motorized pumps, could boost farmers’ incomes, improve their health and resilience, and increase the supply of nutritious foods.

In the past, farmers in this area have used both electric irrigation pumps, running off the electric grid when available, and petrol- and diesel-powered motorized pumps, but both options are costly. Now, solar-powered irrigation pumps are emerging as an attractive, affordable alternative, but these kinds of pumps are not yet readily available in the Upper East region.

Solar-powered irrigation pumps are emerging as an attractive, affordable solution. Photo: Thai Thi Minh/IWMI.

That’s why the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), through the USAID-supported Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI), has been supporting irrigation equipment suppliers in Ghana to expand into this new market, including by breaking the market down into distinct segments of farmers that could access and benefit from solar-powered irrigation pumps in different ways.

Market segmentation for solar-powered irrigation pumps

Ghana’s Upper East region offers an attractive market for companies selling solar-powered irrigation pumps, with opportunities for them to establish sales outlets, expand customer bases, and reach and improve profitability by making their products accessible at the doorsteps of farmers.

These opportunities were discussed at the recently held third meeting of a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform in Ghana, established by IWMI and ILSSI to bring together stakeholders from government, research organizations, irrigation equipment suppliers, financial services, and value chain actors to innovate and facilitate the expansion of small scale irrigation.

Stakeholders from government, research organizations, irrigation equipment suppliers, financial services, and value chain actors met to discuss opportunities and challenges. Photo: Thai Thi Minh/IWMI.

Precise market segmentation is key for companies expanding into new markets. It allows them to plan for and use diverse business models to reach different and diverse groups of farmers. However, few solar pump companies have assessed and targeted market segments as they have established operations in Ghana.

IWMI scientists therefore undertook a market segmentation exercise within the Upper East region, basing it on farmers’ access to land, water, irrigation and production arrangements, financial capital and potential, and product preferences. As a result, four market segments were identified, namely resource-rich individual farmers, resource-limited individual farmers, farmer groups, and mobile farmers who during the dry season move from their residential area to irrigate fields close to publicly funded irrigation schemes.

Understanding these segments is useful for companies because each group of potential customers has distinct options and needs, particularly regarding what type of pump is suitable for them, whether they have capital for the investment on hand, and whether their preference is to make a one-time payment or to access some type of financing.

Creating opportunities for companies and farmers

During the meeting, held on held on May 4, 2021, Osman Sahanoom Kulendi, managing director of Pumptech, a distributor of solar-powered irrigation pumps, shared insights into how they have segmented the market for their range of LORENTZ PS2 solar irrigation pumps, which they offer bundled with what they call PAY-OWN financing, a type of asset-based financing that can give farmers access to solar pumps without the usual collateral or credit history required for a loan.

Pumptech’s findings build on IWMI’s initial assessment of the market segments in the region, and have been validated and refined through several events, organizing by IWMI, that brought together agricultural extension agents, farmers, community volunteers, traders, borehole dealers and pump repairers, researchers, and others from within the region.

Kulendi stressed an urgent need to explore the region’s market potential. He mentioned that establishing a sales and distribution network is one way to make solar-powered pumps accessible to farmers:

“We have been trying to set up an office here in the Upper East since last year. We have not done it yet because we had not explored the potential, especially in irrigation. But with the potential that we have explored since we visited places in the region [with IWMI], I bet you by the end of the year, we will have a physical presence here. IWMI has created this opportunity to bring us together to interact with you. We would also like to encourage you to bring more of us together again to realize our potential,” he said.

While smallholder farmers in the Upper East region are potential customers for solar-powered pumps, their interest will depend on the ease of access, user-friendliness of pumps, whether the pumps meet their needs and preferences, and whether they are economically attractive investments. The multi-stakeholder dialogues meetings, which are expected to continue over the coming years, are valuable for private sector companies to interact with each other and others in the sector, to facilitate linkages between actors, strengthen information exchange, and stimulate innovation.

Market segmentation benefits go beyond business

For private sector businesses, market segmentation helps identifying needs and interests of various groups, such as the segments identified above as well as for example women, youth, and persons with disabilities. With better market segmentation, companies can save time, while reducing cost and effort, when attempting to reach new customers in target markets. In this way, market segmentation indirectly contributes to economic growth in the agricultural sector due to the increase in use of mechanized irrigation technologies.

What’s more, market segmentation can help governments, practitioners, and irrigation equipment suppliers design products specifically targeting women. Such gender-sensitive product design might consider the various water-related roles and schedules of women farmers and could imply designing pumps that are portable, light, and easy to use for multiple purposes. Women farmers prefer solar technology that can be used not only for pumping water for irrigation, but also for livestock watering, and domestic and household hygiene activities. A well-segmented market also makes clear the need to design products that are within the income levels of the target groups, such as women.

In this way, segmenting markets to target women specifically could benefit women in various ways. It might, for example, allow women to access solar-powered irrigation pumps that could improve on-farm production and income, contribute to nutrition security within the household, and reduce the time women spend on irrigation.

Finally, market segmentation could help government and non-governmental organizations plan interventions, allocate resources, facilitate impact assessments, promote inclusive development, and obtain insights that can lead to best-fit innovations and better services for all Ghanaians.

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The multi-stakeholder dialogue meeting in Ghana was third in a series of events convening stakeholders from the small scale irrigation sector to discuss challenges and collaborate on collective solutions. It was followed by a similar meeting in Ethiopia, which was held on May 27, 2021, and co-convened by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and 2030 Water Resources Group. Reports on both events will be published soon.

The two-faced challenge of the credit constraints limiting smallholder farmers’ irrigation investments

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by Nicole Lefore, Director of Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI), Bedru Balana, Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and Claudia Ringler, Deputy Director of Environment and Production Technology Division at IFPRI

Many smallholder farmers, especially women and other marginalized groups, face difficulty in accessing loans and other forms of credit. Such credit constraints are often considered a key barrier to adoption of mechanized agricultural technologies, such as small scale irrigation equipment.

So how can this challenge be overcome? A new study indicates that the solution might be more complex than previously assumed.

A challenge with two equally important causes

In the past, both research papers and policy guidance documents have advocated for improving the supply of credit to smallholder farmers. The argument is that smallholders face credit constraints on the supply side, meaning that not enough loans or credit schemes are available to them. Therefore, the argument goes, expanding the supply of loans or other forms of finance would unleash investment in irrigation technologies.

Based on this premise, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) has been exploring various affordable and accessible financing options to make loans more available to small scale irrigators, to particularly address these supply-side constraints to credit.

However, a more recent ILSSI study cautions against oversimplifying the solution to credit constraints, when looking to scale irrigation technologies. It has found that demand-side factors, that is, constraints related to the farmers’ own perception and context—such as their risk aversion, bad experiences with past loans, financial illiteracy, perceived high transaction costs, and their household’s labor supply shortages—might play an equally important role, effectively shaping the amount of credit that smallholder farmers are willing to take on, even if they had access.

Complementary solutions required

Using primary data from surveys in Ethiopia and Tanzania, scientists from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) working with ILSSI analyzed both demand- and supply-side constraints to credit. The aims of the study were to identify the credit-constraint status of smallholder farmers, that is, whether farmers are unconstrained, supply-side constrained, or demand-side constrained and to assess gender-differentiated credit constraints.

Fig. 1. Supply- and demand-side credit constrained households.

The results showed that demand-side credit constraints are at least as important as supply-side factors. The message is that easing supply-side constraints alone—for example through lowering barriers to entry for credit—will be insufficient if demand-side constraints are not also addressed. Moreover, gendered credit constraints are also on the demand side – and women face additional challenges generating demand for credit as well as accessing credit.

Fig. 2. Supply- and demand-side factors to credit constraints.

These findings open a broader discussion of what it will truly take to improve farmers’ access to and use of credit and other financing mechanisms, which can support their uptake of small scale irrigation and other technologies. As men and women farmers increasingly desire to take on irrigation, credit will continue to be critical.

Scalable solutions in finance for irrigation will require closer understanding of the nature and sources of credit constraints. What is needed is both more targeted finance instruments, from loans to asset-based finance to insurance, and complementary interventions that address demand-side constraints, such as by improving financial literacy and mitigating perceived risks. Finally, gender-sensitive credit instruments and targeted activities are needed that will both increase women’s interest in and access to credit products.

Further reading

Irrigating fodder crops to improve nutrition for animals and people in Ethiopia

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When livestock is fed high-quality fodder, produced with the help of irrigation, they deliver better milk and meat, benefitting the nutritional health of their keepers and consumers. The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) and its partners are investigating best-bet options for where and how to expand the production of irrigated fodder in Ethiopia.

With urbanization, increasing incomes, and a growing population, the demand for animal-based products such as beef and milk is on the rise in Ethiopia. The livestock sector not only provides rural dwellers with cash income, draft power, and transportation, it also serves as an important source of food and nutrition for the entire country. Studies have shown that when livestock keepers are able to increase milk production and provide milk for the household, the nutritional health of children below the age of five is stabilized.

When farmers are able to increase milk production, the nutritional health of children is stabilized. Photo: Melkamu Deresh/ILRI.

However, the health and productivity of livestock is hampered by shortages of livestock feed, seasonality of feed supply, and unreliable feed quality. Weak market linkages also make it difficult for livestock keepers to access commercial feed, though fodder markets are growing in Ethiopia. A low feed supply compromises the supply of milk and meat, making it difficult to fulfill the nutritional needs of Ethiopians.

ILSSI, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems (LSIL) have been collaborating to identify where and how to expand fodder production—toward ensuring a steady supply with higher quality—using promising small scale irrigation practices.

Almost 20 percent of Ethiopia’s land is suitable for irrigated fodder

The Government of Ethiopia and donor partners have expressed interest in expanding fodder production under irrigation. To contribute to national decision-making and planning, ILSSI and partners have mapped where such expansion can sustainably be done.

This work began with field studies on irrigation opportunities for fodder production. Those studies show high potential for irrigating certain fodder species and for directing that feed to crossbred animals for higher productivity. Equally important, farmers saw the trials and began to irrigate fodder to meet demand in their local areas, pointing to the possibility for scaling.

To pinpoint where to scale these practices, ILSSI scientists selected promising fodder types, chosen to fit into the different agro-ecological settings in the country. They then mapped areas suitable for these fodder types, taking into account factors such as climate, soil, infrastructure, and market access. The results indicated that, with the use of small scale irrigation, ~31% of the country (about 350,500 km2) is highly suitable for producing desho (Pennisetum glaucifolium), followed by vetch (Vicia sativa) (23%) and Napier (Pennisetum purpureum) (20%).

The factors used to determine the suitability of land for irrigated fodder production include climate (rainfall and evaporation), soil (soil texture, pH, and soil depth), land use, and slope as well as access to markets and feed demand.
A preliminary mapping of land suitable for irrigated Napier production. The most suitable area was assessed to be 92 percent suitable, whereas the least appropriate area was assessed to be only 20 percent suitable. Land is considered suitable at 80 percent and above.

Local interest and impact of irrigated fodder

Since 2015, ILSSI has been collaborating with ILRI and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), as well as local partners such as Bahir Dar University, Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), and Southern Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), to demonstrate and promote the production of irrigated fodder. Continuous engagement with farmers through on-farm trials and demonstrations piqued farmers’ interest in irrigated fodder production.

For example, in the Robit Bata Kebele of Bahir Dar Zuria district, 15 farmers participated in evaluating water productivity and nutritional quality of fodder during the first year of the project, in 2015. They allocated plots of land ranging between 50 and 140 m2 per household for Napier grass production. Water for irrigation was sourced from shallow groundwater wells, varying in depth between 6 and 17 meters. The continued farmer participation and strong collaboration with local partners meant that more farmers adopted the practice, reaching 400 farmers by 2018, and with many households allocating as much as 1,000 m2 for irrigated fodder.

The introduction of irrigated fodder production has helped the farmers increase their incomes through milk production and cattle fattening. The farmers are embracing the practice and now fodder and milk markets are emerging. According to Aberra Adie, feed and forages researcher with ILRI, the trial has shifted farmers’ preferences:

“Before the introduction of irrigated fodder, farmers used irrigation to grow khat—a stimulant perennial cash crop. In the region, khat is not socially and religiously acceptable, but it used to earn them a good profit. However, since the introduction of irrigated fodder, farmers are abandoning khat in favor of forage farming. The farmers also indicated that fodder irrigation is a lot easier than khat production, which needs lots of water and pesticide.”

Partnering with cooperatives and scaling within the market system

Currently, ILRI is partnering with multiple farmer cooperatives, the private sector and regional extension offices in Ethiopia to scale up irrigated fodder production.

In the ILSSI project sites, identified as most suitable for irrigated fodder, ILRI is facilitating strong partnerships between private enterprises and emerging farmer cooperatives to work in forage seed production and marketing. The engagement is expected to identify the favorable conditions for smallholder farmers to access forage seeds and irrigation facilities. Specific attention is being given to opportunities for women in irrigated fodder and dairy value chains.

ILRI is also collaborating with other projects to increase the awareness and practice of irrigated fodder production across the country, serving development outcomes on food security, nutrition, poverty alleviation, and sustainable use of ecosystems.

Irrigated fodder production can help farmers increase their incomes through milk production and cattle fattening. Photo: ILRI.

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This news story was put together with significant contributions from Abeyou Worqlul and Yihun Dile (Texas A & M University) & Melkamu Derseh and Aberra Adie (ILRI).

Webinar: Potential and options for irrigated fodder production shared with policymakers and practitioners in Ethiopia

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In a recent webinar, scientists presented Ethiopian policymakers and practitioners with promising findings on the potential for irrigated production of livestock fodder, which could help meet important income and nutrition gaps.

Dr. Gbola Adesogan, Professor and Director of the Feed the Future Livestock Systems Innovation Lab (LSIL), opened the webinar with remarks on how insufficient feed has been identified as main constraint to livestock production in Ethiopia.

“Our objective is to share results to inform decisions and shape further investments and research, ” he said. “It is very important to promote research to support policy and further funding for this topic, not only in Ethiopia, but across East and West Africa.”

The event, which took place on December 2, 2020, was organized by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) with support from LSIL and in collaboration with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). More than 30 participants had accepted the invitation to join discussions, and they represented science institutions, development and donor organizations as well as ministries and other government offices.

The importance of the research presented was underscored by Dr. Yirgalem Gebremeskel, Livestock Program Management Specialist and Tech Advisor at USAID, which has funded the work:

“Despite having Africa’s largest livestock population, Ethiopia’s livestock sector has not reached its full potential, which can be attributed to many factors, high among them shortage of feed and low-quality feed.”

Webinar on irrigated fodder in Ethiopia: Suitability and potential

Download presentations by ILSSI scientists on irrigated fodder suitability and potential in Ethiopia.

Significant potential could be converted into big benefits

Through land suitability analysis, scientists from Texas A & M University have been able to identify areas across the country suitable for irrigated production of different types of fodder crops.

“As you can see the western part of the country is suitable for Napier grass production, while the eastern part is highly suitable for Alfalfa, ” said Dr. Abeyou Worqlul, scientist at Texas A & M. “The suitable areas have groundwater reserves that can be tapped via water-lifting technologies and be used for irrigation.”

In fact, Dr. Yihun Tadele, also of Texas A & M, explained that Ethiopia in general has a high amount of water resources that can be used for irrigation.

“But we need to use both green and blue water resources in an integrated manner,” he specified, referring to the blue water in rivers and aquifers, while green water is naturally infiltrated rain in soil.

Finally, Jean Claude Bizimana, Economist at Texas A & M, explained how modeling different scenarios – considering for example improved crossbred cow breeds – has provided a sense of the economic and nutritional potential of irrigated fodder production.

“Use of improved feed and breed can increase households’ nutritional status, but also their incomes,” he concluded.

Growing interest for brand-new intervention in the livestock sector

The research results on suitability and impacts have already been grounded in field trials, in which a growing number of farmers have seen very promising results, both in terms of the quality of fodder produced and the resulting increases in milk yields and incomes.

“Farmers were able to produce a high amount of forage biomass of good nutritional value from small plots,” explained Dr. Melkamu Derseh, Scientist, Livestock Feeds and Nutrition, at ILRI.

While the trials started out with just a few farmers, more have volunteered to join as the work progressed.

“Awareness has been created and interest is increasing. The demand for forage planting materials and irrigation technologies has also increased, especially for the newly introduced solar pumps,” he said.

Melkamu noted that barriers currently hampering broad scaling of irrigated fodder production include limited access to high-quality cow breeds and forage planting materials as well as the high price of irrigation technologies. ILSSI is working to overcome such barriers, including via partnerships with dairy cooperatives, which could start providing their members with forage seeds and thus provide an informal seed distribution system.

To wrap up discussions, Belete Bantero, Senior Transformation Agenda Specialist II at Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), offered his perspectives. He recalled the two year-drought that wrecked havoc in Ethiopia between 2016 and 2018.

“It caused the loss of over 30,000 livestock because of lack of livestock feed.” He went on to say that “this is interesting and really vital work – it’s very evidence based, it’s timely and it’s a brand new intervention, as we have not previously related the livestock sector with irrigation.”

ILSSI scientists and partners will continue efforts to scale up irrigated fodder production in Ethiopia, including through partnerships with dairy cooperatives and the private sector.

To learn more:

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