Farm Irrigation System

FUND MY IRRIGATION SYSTEM PROJECT

Dry farming is the cultivation of crops without irrigationin regions of limited moisture, typically less than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of precipitation annually. Dry farming depends upon efficient storage of the limited moisture in the soil and the selection of crops and growing methods that make the best use of this moisture.

In March 20, 2015, the Department of Farm settlement in Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources allocated a unit of 5 acres of Farmland to me for my Agri-business purposes . I have engaged in active farming since the allocation of the land, going through farming seasons and harvested cash crops like Cucumber, water melon, pumpkin leaves etc. I have witnessed first-hand drought and flood which had adverse result in the harvest.

I have been involved on small commercial farming of vegetables on the 5 acres of land in the past four farming seasons. Like any SME, I started the business small because of scarce resources and the journey has been enlightening- both fun as well as full of challenges.

The number one resources lacking in my farm which I have tried to get but unsuccessful since the commencement of my agri-business is Irrigation system. I have re-invested profit made from the proceeds from the sales of the crops to acquire some of the irrigation tools needed but unable to acquire the full facilities without crippling the running of the business. Without irrigation facilities, farming business is restricted to less than 5 months’of activities during raining period. The fact is that harvest yield during rain period is less than half of what is normally achievable with irrigation after raining period.

MY 2017 FARMING EXPERIENCE

Relying on nature to irrigate my vegetable farm, thought me a bitter lesson. Last farming season, I experienced two destructive losses to my vegetables where I lost my investment on cucumber, pumpkin, and tomato.

First it was the devastated flood that engulfed my farm which resulted in loss of over 75% of the farm produce. Ireplanted after the ‘August break’ of 2017 raining season, with the hope of getting about 8 weeks of rain to irrigate my farm. Unfortunately, drought set in barely two and half week after planting to compound the loss of my vegetables.

Those experiences made me determined to raise capital from every source available to install irrigation facilities in my farm. I hope to get funds to provide irrigation system through the help of friends, relatives and well-wishers because the benefits are immense.

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to land for the purpose of agricultural production. Effective irrigation will influence the entire growth process from seedbed preparation, germination, root growth, nutrient utilization, plant growth and regrowth, yield and quality.

Irrigation helps to grow agricultural crops, maintain landscapes, and revegetate disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of less than average rainfall.

The key to maximizing irrigation efforts is uniformity. I will have control over how much water to supply and when to apply it but the irrigation system determines uniformity. Deciding which irrigation systems is best for the operation requires a knowledge of equipment, system design, plant species, growth stage, root structure, soil composition, and land formation. Irrigation systemsencourages plant growth while minimizing salt imbalances, leaf burns, soil erosion, and water loss. Losses of water will occur due to evaporation, wind drift, run-off and water (and nutrients) sinking deep below the root zone.

The total investment amount to install and effective Drip irrigation system is $17,590 590 (seventeen thousand, five hundreds and ninety USA dollars).

Drip Irrigation is where the irrigation system works by dripping water slowly into the area where water is needed. It utilizes a network of pipes connected to a water supply and a set of special drippers that are connected to the pipes. A major benefit of drip irrigation systems is that the plants’ root system is watered directly, thus, minimizing the amount of water being wasted.

The tools needed for a Drip irrigation system are:

RESOURCES NEEDED

1. Deep Well

a. Deep well 1: 500 meters @ $13 per meter $6500

b. Deep well 2: 500 meters @ $13 per meter $6500

2. Construction of deep bored-hole well is $13000.

3. Drip Tape

a. 15 mil 8" spacing 0.45 GHP 4100 Roll @ $306 per roll $4590

I understand that this is a major investment but it will certainly ensure that there will bountiful harvest during each harvest period. Any amount you are willing to donate for this project will be greatly appreciated. I am available to discuss extensively on the topic if you need some clarifications.