What is the name of your organization?
Irri Hub Ke
What is the name of your solution?
Irri hub Ke
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Our innovative Irrigation as a Service makes solar irrigation accessible to smallholder farmers and help them transition to low carbon smart farming
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Nairobi, Kenya
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Kenya
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Agriculture accounts for approximately 30% of Africa's GDP, with 80% of it driven by smallholder farms. However, according to UNEP and IFAD, 1 billion of the world's poorest 1.4 billion people, living on $1.25 a day, are smallholder farmers.
The reason why they are so poor is that most smallholder farmers lack access to smart irrigation tools simply because due to weak grid electricity access on farms, they heavily rely on diesel engines, notably for irrigation which are operationally expensive and environmentally destructive or heavily depend on rain-fed agriculture for sustenance. Additionally, they often do not have accurate weather forecasting tools for seasonal planning and are unaware of regenerative farming practices that could restore soil health and productivity. Even when available, the high cost of these solutions makes them unaffordable, highlighting the need for innovative financing to support sustainable practices.
Due to these challenges, smallholder farms in Africa experience yields over 50% below the global average, with annual earnings between $600 and $1,000.
What is your solution?
Irri-Hub’s solution is a farm-based value pack that offers products and services through a unique Irrigation as a Service (IaaS) model, helping farmers achieve sustainable productivity while minimizing environmental impact.
Our solution combines solar-powered irrigation kits with rainwater harvesting systems, integrated financing, and continuous value-added services. This approach significantly boosts crop yields and improves farmer livelihoods.
The drip kits cover 0.25 acre and are equipped with a 1HP DC submersible solar pump delivering up to 2,500 m³ of water per day. Additionally, our smart water pan can harvest up to 100,000 liters of rainwater, ensuring reliable water supply throughout the year. To enhance precision farming, farms are equipped with IoT devices that monitor key soil parameters like moisture, pH, salinity, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus levels, allowing farmers to optimize input use and improve crop resilience.
Our farmers access a mobile application and SMS platform for climate-smart agronomy advice, crop calendars, weather predictions, disease detection, and sustainable farming techniques. Tailored training enables farmers to adopt scientific cultivation methods, increasing yields and enabling year-round production, thus doubling their income.
By adopting these practices, farmers reduce their carbon footprint and build resilience to climate change, fostering a sustainable agricultural future.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our solution targets smallholder farmers in developing countries, starting with 8.5 million farmers in Kenya who own less than 2 hectares of land and primarily depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. These farmers face challenges related to low productivity, climate change vulnerability, and limited access to resources. Notably, 90% of these farmers are women and youth, the backbone of local food systems.
Our impact includes:
a) Increased Productivity: Solar-enabled drip irrigation allows farmers to produce year-round, reducing dependency on rain-fed agriculture.
b) Higher Income: By equipping farmers with tools, knowledge, and financing, they can grow high-value crops like tomatoes and onions, increasing income by 33% annually.
c) Reduced Input Costs: IoT sensors minimize input use, reducing water and chemical usage by 50%, addressing water scarcity challenges.
d) Improved Livelihoods: Smart farming practices enable farmers to earn a decent income, reinvest in their farms, repay loans, and support their children’s education.
e) Enhanced Knowledge: Our platform promotes regenerative practices, including minimum tillage, crop rotation, intercropping, and mulching, fostering sustainable soil management and biodiversity restoration.
Our goal is to empower smallholder farmers to increase productivity, income, and climate resilience through innovative, climate-smart irrigation solutions.
