MoneyMaker: Low-cost irrigation pumps

Low-cost irrigation technologies for increasing incomes for smallholder farmers.

MoneyMaker offers a range of irrigation pumps tailored for small plots in sub-Saharan Africa. The MoneyMaker Hip provides water distribution of up to 40 liters per minute for plots up to 1.25 acres. The MoneyMaker Starter, weighing 3.0kg, pumps up to 30 liters per minute for 1-acre plots. For plots up to 2 acres, the MoneyMaker Max, operated by a 70kg operator, delivers up to 1.8 liters per second. These non-motorized pumps are compact, with the MoneyMaker Max at 16kg, the Hip Pump at 4.5kg, and the Starter Pump at 3.0kg. Designed by Kickstart International, the Starter Pump is a cost-effective solution for transitioning from rain-fed farming, offering a maximum flow rate of over 2200 liters per hour for diverse agricultural and domestic water needs.

This technology is pre-validated.

9•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 7/9

Cost: $$$ 50—90 USD

Pumps cost

200—500 %

Farmer increases their farm produce

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

Water Scarcity in Small Farms: Small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa struggle with water scarcity, affecting crop irrigation.
Manual Irrigation Challenges: Manual and labor-intensive irrigation methods, like bucket systems, pose efficiency and labor burden issues for small plots.
Financial Barriers to Technology Adoption: Smallholder farmers face financial constraints in adopting modern irrigation technologies, limiting their ability to shift from traditional practices.

Solution

MoneyMaker irrigation pumps offer an efficient and affordable solution to mitigate water scarcity by providing a reliable water source for small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
It replaces manual and labor-intensive irrigation methods, offering a more efficient and sustainable solution to ease the burden on farmers while optimizing the irrigation process.
It provides cost-effective irrigation solutions, such as the Starter Pump, enabling smallholder farmers to transition from traditional methods to more productive and sustainable irrigation practices.

Key points to design your business plan

The low-cost irrigation pumps technology may be of interest to manufacturers, resellers and users (farmers).

Manufacturers

Manufacturing low-cost irrigation pumps presents an opportunity to transform agricultural practices. To enter this market:

Identify reliable suppliers of raw materials required for pump production, ensuring quality and affordability.
Establish efficient transportation methods to deliver materials to the manufacturing site and to distribute the pumps to customers.
Evaluate expenses such as transportation costs, import duties, and taxes to accurately determine the total investment.

Identify potential customers, including resellers, cooperatives, agricultural associations, and development projects, to target sales efforts effectively.

Resellers

Selling low-cost irrigation pumps can revolutionize agricultural efficiency and sustainability. To enter this market:

Source irrigation pumps from reputable manufacturers located in regions like Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, ensuring product quality and reliability.
Develop efficient transportation channels to deliver the pumps to farmers and agricultural communities.
Secure appropriate storage facilities to store the equipment securely and protect it from damage.
Calculate the cost of the technology, factoring in expenses such as transportation, import duties, and taxes, to determine pricing strategies.

Target potential customers, including individual farmers, agricultural cooperatives, development projects, and government initiatives, highlighting the benefits of adopting low-cost irrigation pumps for improved agricultural productivity and water management.

Users

Utilizing low-cost irrigation pumps offers smallholder farmers an efficient and sustainable solution for crop irrigation. Key considerations for users include:

Partnering with sellers or managers experienced in handling mechanized farming equipment to ensure proper operation and maintenance of the pumps.
Understanding the cost of acquiring and operating irrigation pumps, with hand-operated pumps ranging from 50 to 90 USD depending on specifications.

By following these steps and considerations, stakeholders can effectively integrate low-cost irrigation pumps into agricultural practices, promoting efficiency, productivity, and sustainability in farming communities.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: Much less water used

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Angola	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Mali	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Mozambique	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
South Sudan	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 13: climate action

Operate by creating manuel suction and pressure alternately.
Natural depth limitation of suction-pressure pumps, with an 8.5m suction limit and a similar amount as a pressure head.

Last updated on 22 May 2024