(ERGO) – Solar power has transformed irrigation and production for farmers in a village in southern Somalia’s agricultural Lower Shabelle region.
Rising fuel prices made regular irrigation increasingly expensive for farmers in Jarran village, Afgoye district. After installing solar systems, replacing fuel-powered pumps, they say they have greatly increased their returns.
Mohamed Nur Isaq, who owns a four-hectare farm, told Radio Ergo that his production had more than doubled since he bought a solar system in January. He used to spend $100 to $150 each time he irrigated his farm. Financial difficulties sometimes forced him to delay watering his crops.
He now irrigates at least twice a month, compared with once every two months previously. His latest harvest of onions, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, coriander, maize and beans in June earned him about $3,000 in profit – more than double the amount he made when he used a fuel-powered pump.
“The main benefit is that I have reduced fuel costs, which has allowed me to irrigate regularly,” he said. “When I could not afford fuel, I had to delay irrigation, which affected the crops, especially when they needed water,” he said.
Mohamed invested $4,600 in the solar system and has repaid $1,000 of the loan he took to buy it. He has saved about $1,700 from his farm profits, more than he ever managed during his previous years as a farmer. He attributed this to higher production and reduced fuel costs. Fuel sells at about $1 per litre.
Mohamed said neighbouring farmers who had already adopted solar power encouraged him to make the investment.
“I decided to make this investment because I saw that it would reduce my costs in the long term,” he said. “I used savings from my farm income and also received a loan to cover the remaining installation costs.”
Most residents of Jarran are farmers who depend on water from the Shabelle River. They sell their produce in markets in Banadir and Lower Shabelle regions.
The money Mohamed saves on fuel allows him to buy seeds, fertilizer, crop treatments and pesticides.
“I have been a farmer for nearly 18 years. Farming is my only source of income to support my family. I try to save part of my profits for emergencies or to improve my farm,” he said.
He plans to buy a larger solar system costing several thousand dollars because his current system has limited capacity.
Mohamed Abdi Hassan, who has farmed for 15 years, is another farmer in Jarran using solar power. He bought his system in March. His five-hectare farm is planted with maize, beans, onions, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and other vegetables, which he expects to harvest in September.
He said he has spent nothing on irrigation since installing the system, whereas before each round of irrigation cost him between $300 and $500 in fuel. He bought the solar equipment for $4,500, including a $500 loan that he repaid in May.
“What encouraged me most was the high cost of fuel and the difficulty of finding money to buy it,” he explained. “I looked for a lasting solution that would allow me to manage the farm properly. When I started using solar power, irrigation became easier and the costs were reduced.”
He now irrigates regularly and his latest harvest, collected in June, earned him $3,000. He has saved half of it.
Mohamed, a father of six, supports his family through farming and spends about $350 a month on education and household expenses. The fuel savings have allowed him to invest more in his five-hectare farm by buying quality seeds, fertiliser, crop treatments and other inputs to increase production.
Some farmers jointly buy solar equipment, while others purchase their own systems, depending on their financial capacity.
The chairman of the farmers’ association in Jarran, Abdullahi Ali Mire, told Radio Ergo that the use of solar power was increasing as farmers recognised its benefits for irrigation and cost reduction. He noted that 90 farmers currently use solar systems – still a small proportion of farmers in the area.
“Agricultural production has improved. Farmers now have regular irrigation, which has helped crops grow better and increased their profits,” Abdullahi said.
He chairman encouraged more farmers to switch to solar power as an effective and sustainable energy source:
“Investment, training and support are needed to expand its use,” he said, stressing the importance of agriculture to Somalia’s economy and people’s livelihoods, whilst calling for greater support to help farmers increase production using clean energy.
Lower Shabelle is one of Somalia’s major agricultural regions, with abundant sunlight that can support solar-powered irrigation. However, farmers also need security and stability, as moving or replacing solar equipment can be difficult if it is damaged.
