Solar Powered Irrigation: NaanDanJain Signs Largest Agreement Ever With Eritrea

By Jainsusa

NaanDanJain Irrigation Ltd, a Group Company of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd, signed a contract with Ministry of Agriculture and National Development, Eritrea for supply and installation of solar powered drip irrigation systems for a total value of 18.7 million Euros. This is the largest agricultural development for small holders in Eritrea. This project was fully funded by the European Union. The project brings much needed relief to about 2000 farmers in 14 different locations spread over Eritrea, in 7 different clusters of lots. In each of the 14 project locations, water from reservoirs will be supplied to groups of farmers through the drip irrigation systems. The water from the reservoirs will be conveyed through underground pipeline into the drip systems using solar photovoltaic systems, which makes the project sustainable for a long-term energy requirements to run the irrigation pumps/drip systems. The project will be executed in the next 18 months, so the farmers in the project area will benefit with higher farm incomes.

The project is the first of its kind – integrated drip irrigation project with solar pumping in Africa – and will be relevant for many other countries where the farms are not connected to grid electricity.

These community-based projects, being undertaken extensively in India and now in Africa, are opening up new vistas for the developing world. They are creating a seamless connection between macro and micro, infrastructure and agriculture, availability and productivity, cost and value.

In a signing ceremony presided on by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of National Development, EU Delegation in Eritrea, and various other dignitaries, the contract was signed on the 8th of September 2016.

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