The project 'Access to Solar Water Pumps in Laikipia' aims to accelerate access to appropriate, reliable and affordable energy sources for smallholder farmers in Laikipia County by enhancing local distribution and uptake of quality solar-powered water pumps.

This will result in increased productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers, therefore contributing to the county’s economic development.

SNV implements this 2-year project with funding from the Green People’s Energy for Africa Initiative. The initiative is funded by the  Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and jointly implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and KfW Development Bank.

Project goals

The project will achieve the following specific objectives:

• Increase access and use of SWPs for crop irrigation and animal farming for smallholder farmers

• Value chain actors ensure sustainable supply and distribution of SWPs at the local / county level.

• Improve productivity and income streams for the smallholder farmers irrigating with SWPs.

• Improved marketing and distribution channels for the suppliers of SWPs.

• Deepened awareness of the benefits of clean energy products to enhance productivity in agricultural value chains.

Project targets

• 500 smallholder farmers using SWPs for crop irrigation and animal farming

• 50% of  smallholder farmers reporting improved productivity and revenues

• 30% annual growth in sales performance for the supported distribution network

• 50 jobs created along the value chain

The project will promote access to solar-powered water pumps for crop irrigation and animal farming for smallholder farmers. These will be appropriate and affordable SWPs already locally available in the Kenyan market. Priority will be given to quality products and suppliers who will provide after-sales support, including product warranties.

The beneficiaries approved for support under the project will be based on demonstrated distribution experience, market potential, capacity to implement or deliver results, and commercially viable business models, including cash sales and/or flexible payment models.

Approach

Through a market-based approach, the project will focus on interventions on both the supply and demand sides to address critical barriers constraining the distribution and adoption of SWPs. On the supply side, the project will majorly focus on capacity development for SWP companies and their rural distributors to ensure adequate availability and distribution in rural and remote areas. On the demand side, the project will mainly focus on demand creation to enhance uptake of SWP technologies and enhance the capacity of the smallholder farmers to facilitate appropriate selection, use and maintenance of the SWPs. This will involve a mix of technical assistance and financial support to enable market development activities.

Image: © Sunculture