FISD embarks on irrigation water supply initiative

By Bester Kayaye

Local firm, the Foundation for Irrigation and Sustainable Development (FISD), says is implementing a new business model dubbed “Irrigation water supply initiative” which will involve selling of water for irrigation to farmers through advanced irrigation infrastructure.

FISD Marketing and Communications Manager Wezzie Benson Chiumia told Mining and Trade Review that FISD rolled up the programme to complement government’s efforts in promoting agriculture industrialization through supply of more efficient technologies to spearhead productivity in the sector.

Chiumia observed that there are many irrigation schemes that are farmer managed in Malawi and some are not in operating state due to both minor and major faults hence FISD intends to resuscitate these schemes by investing in already existing and even new ones with solar powered irrigation facilities.

“The initiative is a pilot project being implemented under Kaombe Irrigation Scheme in Nkhotakota district, and it is a business model whereby our company will be providing irrigation infrastructure to farmers using our own resources and we will take control over the management of these structures,” he said.

Chiumia said: “Tentatively the project seeks to supply farmers with water for their irrigation needs at an affordable fee, thus K12,500 per 0.1 hectare per season.”

“We came up with this price upon a proper gloss margin analysis with types of crops farmers tend to cultivate, and has been structured to carry away burdens by the farmers of having to monitor irrigation operations as we will be conducting those for them.”

The pilot project has received partial financing from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund (MICF)
In terms of project’s benchmarks, Chiumia disclosed that the company has managed to rehabilitate Kaombe Irrigation Scheme including installation of solar powered irrigation systems.

He said: “Specifically, we have managed to drill high yielding boreholes, installation of pumps and associated structures, and the rehabilitation of canals,”

“We mobilize farmers to work in the developed schemes through close collaboration with Water Users Association (WUA); as at first farmers are required to register with WUA before they are referred to a FISD technician responsible for the distribution of the water to paid-up farmers.”

FISD has also recently introduced floating irrigation pumps comprising of 24v DC floating pump and 275w solar module in its effort of promoting mechanization of agriculture practices by smallholder farmers.

Chiumia explained: “We have pumps for smallholder farmers which are mobile and flexible enough to ease mobility of farmers when commuting to and from their farmland, and they are effective as they have 275W solar module capacitating water flow of up to 11,500 litres per hour.”

“Times have changed with continued climate change so it is high time the country adopted irrigation farming on large scale to triple our agriculture earnings.”

The company has also a financing arm under FISD Finance for Agricultural Development which is registered with Reserve Bank of Malawi as a Micro Credit Agency providing loans for investments in Irrigated Agriculture.

FISD which started its operations in the country in 1985 is a revenue generating entity of the Foundation for Irrigation and Sustainable Development (FISD); a local NGO that was formed with an aim of spearheading Sustainable development and promoting the livelihood of the rural to complement Malawi Government’s efforts for the same.

FISD Ltd specializes in design and implementation of innovative irrigation, water supply engineering works, clean energy agribusiness and financing.