Irrigation sector revolution

Solar solutions

Solar-powered irrigation pumps, which are used to irrigate farmlands, can help produce high quality, remunerative crops such as vegetables, pepper and turmeric, say experts.Solar-powered irrigation systems are run entirely on solar energy and can irrigate 100–150 bighas of land to grow different types of high-yielding crops that also fetch a good price, Hamidur Rahman, former director-general,  Department of Agricultural Extension, told The Independent. Speaking on the cost effectiveness of solar irrigation systems, Rahman said, “A solar-powered pump can deliver 70,000 litres of water every day and substantially reduce the total irrigation cost incurred by a farmer from Tk. 1,000 to less than Tk. 350 per session.

 

Pilot project                                                                                                                                     
BASE Technologies Ltd, which installed a solar-powered irrigation system in Chuadanga as a pilot project to promote renewable energy across the country, offers customised solutions, based on the agricultural needs of a location, said the company’s marketing and public relations (PR) manager, Shafkat Sakin.Describing the benefits of this technology, he said it can help farmers get higher yields from a comparatively smaller plot. The company’s 7.5-hp solar pump can irrigate a total area of 30 bighas.

“This technology can facilitate the cultivation of other crops such as Boro rice, maize and corn, which we are planning to cultivate by next September. We also plan to start cultivating watermelons by September,” he added.

Moreover, each year, starting from next October, the company plans to cultivate high-value crops such as vegetables, pepper and turmeric because of their good market price, he said.

“Our plan is to change the entire irrigation system by using renewable energy sources, and thus bring about an agricultural revolution in Chuadanga by 2020. It will become an agricultural hub as well,” he said.
Cost savings
Farmer and manager of the Solar Pump Samiti (Association) Jamal Uddin told The Independent, “Traditionally, the cost of irrigating one bigha of land is Tk. 100 per hour and it takes six hours to complete the irrigation process. The entire work costs Tk. 600. But the solar irrigation system brings costs down to Tk. 250 per session.”

Describing the challenges of the traditional irrigation system, Jamal Uddin said it was difficult to carry diesel to the fields to run diesel pumps; besides, the supply of the fuel was erratic.

A farmer’s cost of crop production increases because of his dependence on middlemen, who charge a higher than actual prices for fossil fuels, among which diesel is the most widely used, he said.

Hamidur Rahman mentioned the cost efficiency of the solar irrigation system, saying there were three types of traditional methods to irrigate fields—deep tube-wells, electric sprinklers and irrigation diesel water pumps.

“It costs around Tk. 2,000 to Tk. 2,500 to irrigate one bigha of Boro rice for one session. The sum includes fuel costs, depreciation, and labourers’ wages.”

In contrast, a solar-powered irrigation system, he said, costs Tk. 500–800 per irrigation session. At present, watermelons, jute, and vegetables are being cultivated with the help of the solar-powered irrigation system.

The installation cost of a solar-run system was high but it had a life of 20–25 years, he added.

Officials of BASE Technologies said in places with a scarcity of surface water, groundwater could be extracted using a submersible pump and distributed through irrigation channels. But where surface water was available, solar pumps could be used for irrigation.

They also said solar pumps could lift water 250 feet above the ground and, hence, function flawlessly in irrigating areas located in hilly areas. About the challenges facing the solar-powered system, the officials said water distribution channels were critical to the effective functioning of solar pumps.

“Advanced technology provides various methods to solve this problem. In the Drip System, water drips down from an opening across the irrigation project keeping the plantation hydrated throughout the day. On the other hand, in the Spray System, as the name suggests, water is sprayed across the irrigation project through sprinklers of various discharge capacities,” the officials explained.

The ongoing project is currently benefiting 100 farmer families by channelling ground water to farmlands.

In this type of solution, a significant portion of the extracted ground water goes back into the ground without causing critical damage to the level of the groundwater of the location, the officials added.

New direction

According to the World Bank, 1.34 million diesel pumps and 270,000 electric-run pumps are being used for irrigation in Bangladesh. Every year, diesel pumps consume one million tonnes of diesel worth USD 900 million.

According to information provided by the Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (IDCOL), it has approved 629 solar irrigation pumps, of which 607 are already in operation. The remaining pumps are expected to come into operation shortly. IDCOL has a target of financing 1,500 solar irrigation pumps by 2018.

The agricultural sector is one of the most important drivers of the Bangladesh economy. More than 70 million people in Bangladesh are actively involved in irrigation as part of various farming activities spread over two-thirds of the country’s arable land.

Bangladesh is an agriculture-based economy, in which almost half of the country’s population is directly involved in agriculture.

In the ranking of world agricultural production, Bangladesh can be proud of its amazing success in the agriculture sector, which plays an important role in the country’s rising economy.

BASE Technologies Ltd started its journey in the middle of 2012, with the vision of ‘Harnessing the full potential of technology for the benefit of humanity and to ensure the best use of it’.

Technology has played a significant role in agronomy and has successfully overcome multifaceted challenges in the domain of farming. The sector is growing at a brisk pace as the intermediaries have been reduced. This has been made possible by better market information becoming accessible because of the development of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector and through the adoption of modern irrigation processes or tools that were not possible before.

Agriculture and allied activities contribute 15 per cent of Bangladesh’s total gross domestic product (GDP), as stated in a publication by the World Bank in 2016, making it a crucial contributor to the overall economic development of Bangladesh despite the challenges that exist in the country’s agricultural ecosystem.

 

 

Irrigation sector revolution

Solar solutions

Solar-powered irrigation pumps, which are used to irrigate farmlands, can help produce high quality, remunerative crops such as vegetables, pepper and turmeric, say experts.Solar-powered irrigation systems are run entirely on solar energy and can irrigate 100150 bighas of land to grow different types of high-yielding crops that also fetch a good price, Hamidur Rahman, former director-general, Department of Agricultural Extension, told The Independent. Speaking on the cost effectiveness of solar irrigation systems, Rahman said, A solar-powered pump can deliver 70,000 litres of water every day and substantially reduce the total irrigation cost incurred by a farmer from Tk. 1,000 to less than Tk. 350 per session. Pilot project BASE Technologies Ltd, which installed a solar-powered irrigation system in Chuadanga as a pilot project to promote renewable energy across the country, offers customised solutions, based on the agricultural needs of a location, said the companys marketing and public relations (PR) manager, Shafkat Sakin.Describing the benefits of this technology, he said it can help farmers get higher yields from a comparatively smaller plot. The companys 7.5-hp solar pump can irrigate a total area of 30 bighas. This technology can facilitate the cultivation of other crops such as Boro rice, maize and corn, which we are planning to cultivate by next September. We also plan to start cultivating watermelons by September, he added. Moreover, each year, starting from next October, the company plans to cultivate high-value crops such as vegetables, pepper and turmeric because of their good market price, he said. Our plan is to change the entire irrigation system by using renewable energy sources, and thus bring about an agricultural revolution in Chuadanga by 2020. It will become an agricultural hub as well, he said. Cost savings Farmer and manager of the Solar Pump Samiti (Association) Jamal Uddin told The Independent, Traditionally, the cost of irrigating one bigha of land is Tk. 100 per hour and it takes six hours to complete the irrigation process. The entire work costs Tk. 600. But the solar irrigation system brings costs down to Tk. 250 per session. Describing the challenges of the traditional irrigation system, Jamal Uddin said it was difficult to carry diesel to the fields to run diesel pumps; besides, the supply of the fuel was erratic. A farmers cost of crop production increases because of his dependence on middlemen, who charge a higher than actual prices for fossil fuels, among which diesel is the most widely used, he said. Hamidur Rahman mentioned the cost efficiency of the solar irrigation system, saying there were three types of traditional methods to irrigate fieldsdeep tube-wells, electric sprinklers and irrigation diesel water pumps. It costs around Tk. 2,000 to Tk. 2,500 to irrigate one bigha of Boro rice for one session. The sum includes fuel costs, depreciation, and labourers wages. In contrast, a solar-powered irrigation system, he said, costs Tk. 500800 per irrigation session. At present, watermelons, jute, and vegetables are being cultivated with the help of the solar-powered irrigation system. The installation cost of a solar-run system was high but it had a life of 2025 years, he added. Officials of BASE Technologies said in places with a scarcity of surface water, groundwater could be extracted using a submersible pump and distributed through irrigation channels. But where surface water was available, solar pumps could be used for irrigation. They also said solar pumps could lift water 250 feet above the ground and, hence, function flawlessly in irrigating areas located in hilly areas. About the challenges facing the solar-powered system, the officials said water distribution channels were critical to the effective functioning of solar pumps. Advanced technology provides various methods to solve this problem. In the Drip System, water drips down from an opening across the irrigation project keeping the plantation hydrated throughout the day. On the other hand, in the Spray System, as the name suggests, water is sprayed across the irrigation project through sprinklers of various discharge capacities, the officials explained. The ongoing project is currently benefiting 100 farmer families by channelling ground water to farmlands. In this type of solution, a significant portion of the extracted ground water goes back into the ground without causing critical damage to the level of the groundwater of the location, the officials added. New direction According to the World Bank, 1.34 million diesel pumps and 270,000 electric-run pumps are being used for irrigation in Bangladesh. Every year, diesel pumps consume one million tonnes of diesel worth USD 900 million. According to information provided by the Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (IDCOL), it has approved 629 solar irrigation pumps, of which 607 are already in operation. The remaining pumps are expected to come into operation shortly. IDCOL has a target of financing 1,500 solar irrigation pumps by 2018. The agricultural sector is one of the most important drivers of the Bangladesh economy. More than 70 million people in Bangladesh are actively involved in irrigation as part of various farming activities spread over two-thirds of the countrys arable land. Bangladesh is an agriculture-based economy, in which almost half of the countrys population is directly involved in agriculture. In the ranking of world agricultural production, Bangladesh can be proud of its amazing success in the agriculture sector, which plays an important role in the countrys rising economy. BASE Technologies Ltd started its journey in the middle of 2012, with the vision of Harnessing the full potential of technology for the benefit of humanity and to ensure the best use of it. Technology has played a significant role in agronomy and has successfully overcome multifaceted challenges in the domain of farming. The sector is growing at a brisk pace as the intermediaries have been reduced. This has been made possible by better market information becoming accessible because of the development of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector and through the adoption of modern irrigation processes or tools that were not possible before. Agriculture and allied activities contribute 15 per cent of Bangladeshs total gross domestic product (GDP), as stated in a publication by the World Bank in 2016, making it a crucial contributor to the overall economic development of Bangladesh despite the challenges that exist in the countrys agricultural ecosystem.