Bundling innovations for scaling farmer led irrigation in Ghana Accra, Ghana. November 8th , 2022

1. The 7th Small Scale Irrigation Multi-
Stakeholder Dialogue in Ghana
Bundling innovations for
scaling farmer-led
irrigation in Ghana
Accra, Ghana
November 8th, 2022

2. Objectives
- Share experience on
the use of innovation
bundles to catalyze
FLID;
- Identify the barriers and
opportunities for farmers
investing in innovation
bundles;
- Identify the roles that
various value chain
actors can play to
support the adoption of
innovation bundles for
FLID; and
- Identify the potential for
public and private sector
investment in innovation
bundles to support of
FLID.
Today agenda and activity
Registration IWMI
Welcome by IWMI and ILSSI Nicole Lefore
Bundling innovations as a pathway to catalyzing FLID Petra/Minh
Solar irrigation bundles: prospects and challenges
Moses Tampoe,
Pumptech
Experience with bundling innovations and services in
ADVANCE Projects
Cecil Osei
The Ghana Commercial Agricultural Project: experience
with bundling innovations and services.
Galina Okartie-
Akko
Coffee Break
Breakout discussion: Outlook to scaling innovation
bundles for FLID
All participants
Reflection: Key messages from the meeting All participants
Meeting closure USAID
Lunch and networking All participants

3. Bundling innovations as a
pathway to catalyzing farmer-led
irrigation development
International Water Management Institute

4. • Innovation bundle arrives
when different
technological, social,
institutional, financial,
business, and process
innovations, and services
are “bundled” together to
achieve the desired goal
• Bundling innovations is a
process
• Bundling innovation can
be at multiple scales
Technological
innovation
Social
innovation
Institutional
innovation
Financial
innovation
Business
innovation
Process
innovation
Goals and
objectives
What are innovation
bundles?

5. Single technology or social/economic
innovations are not applicable everywhere
Why bundling innovations is necessary
Different combinations must be developed for
suitability to objectives and context
Social and technical innovations are not stand-
alone solutions
Social and technical interact, one innovation may
require or even catalyze another

6. Why bundling innovations is necessary?
Relevant services and solutions exist
everywhere that work and fit the context
Bundling innovations with these existing services
and solutions is de-risking investment
Bundling helps to unite actors to address
trade-offs
Single technologies or innovations may bring
trade-offs and opposition

7. Bundling solar irrigation for SSI: cross-country scale
- Core partners’
investment
of ̴US$ 1.5
million annually
- Ghana and
Mali: attract
US$ 1 million
impact
investment
from Shell
foundation
- Ghana: US$ 5
million grant
funding from
USAID
Core partners
Accelerators
Oct 20 Jan 21 May 21 Aug 21 Jan 22 Mar 22 Oct 22
Ghana and
Ethiopia
- Value chain
analysis
- Solar
innovation
identified
Ghana
- Capitalize
sale and
service
networks
- De-risking
investment
Ghana
- Expand
demand-
supply linkage
to other
regions
- GIZ’s de-
risking
investment
Ghana
- Market
segmentation
in three new
regions
- Identify new
partners
Ghana
- Private sector
internships
- Tailored
business
models
Ghana
- Establish
partnership
- Market
segmentation
- Solar bundle pay-
go
- Demand-supply
linkage
Mali
- Value chain
analysis
- Private sector
partners
- Demand
segmentation
Ethiopia
- Hackathon and
internship
- Digital pay-go
credit and client
fit assessment
- Market
segmentation
- Demand-supply
linkage
Multi-stakeholder dialogues to facilitate scaling of farmer-led irrigation and water solutions
Mali
- Internships
- Digital pay-go
credit assessment
- Multi-private
partners
- De-risking
investment

8. Scaling solar irrigation bundles
Solar
pumps
Pay-go/Pay-own
Sale and service
network
Market
segmentation
Ghana
• Tailored
business
model
• Demand-
supply linkage
• Digital
marketing
• De-risking
investment
• Multi-
stakeholder
dialogues
Mali
• Digital pay-
go credit
assessment
• Multi-private
partners
• Impact
investment
Ethiopia
• Innovation hackathon
• Private sector internship
• Digital credit assessment
Demand-supply linkage
• Multi-stakeholder
dialogues

9. Demand and supply linkage to catalyze solar irrigation bundle

10. Bundling solar
irrigation for SSI:
Water supply
business

11. Bundling solar technologies and services for water supply

12. Thank you

13. Solar irrigation bundles:
prospects and challenges
Pick, plug, pump

14. A Ghanaian water infrastructure development company
founded in 2007
Market leader in the solar water pumping market in
Ghana.
Available across Ghana at the following locations:
Spintex Accra, Tamale, Wa and Bolga
Advanced in preparations for one in the middle belt.
Focus on solar water pumping
▪ Community Water Supply
▪ Irrigation
▪ Industrial applications
Distributor of LORENTZ PUMP SYSTEMS
PUMPTECH
The Trusted Solar
Water Pumping
Company
14 © LORENTZ 2020

15. 15 © LORENTZ 2020
Pumptech solar-based
irrigation bundles
Pay-as-you-own
(PAY-OWN)
All kinds of pumps
and warranty
Pre-and-post
sale services
Medium-to-large-scale
solar irrigation bundles
Smallholder solar
irrigation bundles
PAY-OWN
subsidy for
farmers’
SPIS
investment
from GIZ-
GPE:
40% for
men, 50%
for women
PS2 solar-powered
irrigation system
Pay-as-you-own
(PAY-OWN)
Pre-and-post
sale services

16. PUMPTECH
The Trusted Solar
Water Pumping
Company
16 © LORENTZ 2020
Medium-to-large-scale
solar irrigation bundles
Pay-as-you-own
(PAY-OWN)
All kinds of pumps
and warranty
Pre-and-post
sale services
PAY-OWN
subsidy for
farmers’
SPIS
investment
from GIZ-
GPE:
40% for
men, 50%
for women

18. • Pumptech offers free training to end user or their appointee on
basic operation and trouble shooting.
• Pumptech is responsible for regular maintenance of the pump.
• Free repairs and/or replacement of components for
manufacturers defect 2 years after purchase of Lorentz
pumps.
• Dedicated professional services available to farmers
everywhere due to Pumptech’s multiple branches.
Pre-and-post sale services
and warranty
18 © LORENTZ 2020

19. Two financing modalities
PAY-GO
• Make an agreement with
Pumptech to provide a pump
that is programmed to pump
water as it is fed with credit
• Credit purchase may be done
through MoMo, bank account, or
directly at the Pumptech office
• A code is generated for the user
to feed into the pump using a
mobile phone via Bluetooth
• Pump automatically switches off
when credit paid for is used up.
• Farmer only pays for water and
does not own the pump
PAY-OWN
• A flexible credit system customized to each
farmer’s capacity to pay, allowing farmers to use
Pumptech’s solar pump while paying in
installments to acquire it.
• Involving the payment of an initial deposit
equated to a water amount that is programmed
into the chip of the pump; and a payment
schedule as agreed with Pumptech which may
be weekly, monthly, quarterly, or scheduled
around the farmer’s harvest times or off-farm
income streams.
• The agreed payments must be made to continue
using the pump after the initial deposit amount
has been exhausted.
• The pump becomes the farmer’s property after
all installments have been paid

20. PAY-OWN subsidy for farmers
investing in solar irrigation
20 © LORENTZ 2020
Investment from GIZ-GPE:
40% for men, 50% for women
Process:
1 Farmer provides the details of his/her water source and daily
water needs to pumptech.
2. Based on the data above, Pumptech does a sizing of the system
(Lorentz Compass software), generates cost estimates shares with
farmers
3. If farmer indicates preparedness, GIZ inspects and approves,
farmer pays his quota and Pumptech installs

21. PUMPTECH
The Trusted Solar
Water Pumping
Company
21 © LORENTZ 2020
Smallholder solar
irrigation bundles
PAY-OWN
subsidy for
farmers’ SPIS
investment
from GIZ-GPE:
40% for men,
50% for women
PS2 solar-powered
irrigation system
Pay-as-you-own
(PAY-OWN)
Pre-and-post
sale services

22. Smallholder farm irrigation
Pump controller
Water source
Water delivery
Solar pump
22 © LORENTZ 2020
Solar array

23. PUMPTECH
The Trusted Solar
Water Pumping
Company
23 © LORENTZ 2020
Benefits, challenges,
and prospects

24. • It gives farmers the opportunity to cultivate while
paying towards owning the pump.
• It gives farmers the opportunity to expand farms
as it eliminates the drudgery of manual irrigation.
• The technology gives mobile farmers the
opportunity to move with their pump since they
don’t own the land.
• The bundle saves the farmer time and money
associated with looking for suppliers of different
components of irrigation setup.
• Multiple Pumptech offices in the agricultural zone
capable of attending to concerns in good time.
Benefits
PUMPTECH
The Trusted Solar
Water Pumping
Company
24 © LORENTZ
2020

25. • It is dependent on trust of the end user.
• Being an innovation, it is taking time for
people to get used to it.
• It is technology dependent and may be a
bit sophisticated for some farmers.
• Some farmers genuinely cannot afford
the affront payment for pumps.
• Currently payment is credited in days, but
it would be ideal to credit in volume.
Challenges
PUMPTECH
The Trusted Solar
Water Pumping
Company
25 © LORENTZ 2020

26. • Full activation of the Pay Go option will
increase access to water for more small
holder farmers.
• meet the needs of some farmers who do not
necessarily need pumps but rather need water
pumped.
• A more realistic business model since farmers
only pay for what they need
• The pump is smart, will be more appealing to
young people thus will drive interest of a
larger section of the population
• It creates a business avenue for enthusiastic
young people as distributors
Prospects
PUMPTECH
The Trusted Solar
Water Pumping
Company
26 © LORENTZ 2020

27. Thank you!

28. GCAP’s EXPERIENCE WITH BUNDLING
INNOVATIONS AND SERVICES TO
SUPPORT FARMER-LED IRRIGATION
A CASE OF THE PERI-URBAN PROJECT:
MICHEL CAMP IRRIGATION SCHEME
BY
FOOD SYSTEMS RESILIENCE PROJECT (FSRP)
(November 8, 2022)

29. OUTLINE
Introduction
• Objectives of the Ghana Commercial Agriculture
Project (GCAP)
• A holistic intervention
Innovations introduced at Michel Camp
Scheme
• Solar Pumped System Irrigation
• Guaranteed input supply using the Revolving Fund
• Improved post-harvest and sanitation
• Access to high-end markets
Challenges and lessons learned

30. INTRODUCTION
• The Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP)
commenced in 2013 and ended in 2021
• GCAP also managed the Ghana Peri-urban
Vegetable Value Chain Project (GPVVCP) from
2018-2021
• The Project Development Objective (PDO) was ‘to
improve the productivity and access to markets
by beneficiary vegetable farmers in selected
peri-urban communities in Ghana’.

31. INTRODUCTION
• Based on lessons learned implementing GCAP and other Agric Projects the need to
provide holistic support was key in designing the Peri-urban Project
• The following interventions were implemented under the GPVVCP (aka Peri-Urban
Project)
• Rehabilitation of the Michel Camp Irrigation Scheme
• Rehabilitation of the Angorsikope Irrigation Scheme
• Provision of Packhouses for Michel Camp, Angorsikope, and Asokwa Schemes
• Capacity building for farmers on improved agronomic practices
• Linking of farmers with high-end markets through Productive Partnership Enterprises
(PPEs)
• Introduction of a Business Manager to provide business and operational support

32. INNOVATIONS
INTRODUCED
Solar Pumped System Irrigation
• Reduce the cost of production arising from high fuel and pump
maintenance costs.
• Facilitate efficient water management practices since farmers now
irrigate their fields from a centralized and controlled reservoir.
Guaranteed input supply using the Revolving Fund
• The project established a Revolving Fund where subsidized starter
kits were supplied to farmers for repayment after harvest.
• The repayment was lodged into a bank account managed by the
farmers association and District Assembly to facilitate the
continuous supply of inputs.

33. INNOVATIONS
INTRODUCED
Establishment of Water User
Association (WUA)
• Farmers were organized into a
formidable WUA according to the WUA
law (L.I. 2230, May 2016) to facilitate
the effective operation and maintenance
of the irrigation scheme.
• The WUA was trained by GIDA in topics
like farmer organization, effective water
management, irrigation operation, and
maintenance, improved agronomic
practices, financial management,
marketing, and negotiation skills.

34. INNOVATIONS
INTRODUCED
Improved post-harvest and sanitation
• In order to promote post-harvest
processing and increase value, the
project constructed a state-of-the-art
vegetable packhouse for the scheme.
The packhouse consists of cleaning
sheds, sorting and washing facilities,
change rooms, and washrooms.
• In collaboration with the District
Assembly, the project constructed toilet
facilities at strategic locations on farm
sites to improve sanitation and
wholesomeness of vegetables
produced.

35. INNOVATIONS INTRODUCED
Access to high-end markets
• To enhance farm incomes and improve farmers’ livelihoods,
the Peri-urban Project established linkages between farmers
and seven (7) entrepreneurs in the vegetable market value
chain also known as the Productive Partnership Entrepreneurs
(PPEs).
• These PPEs were supported to provide a ready market for
farmers’ produce for sale at high-end markets like shopping
malls, hotels, and export market.
• Farmers were trained in Green Label Certification and
subsequently certified to produce high-quality vegetables to
meet high-end market quality demands
• Multi-year supply agreements were signed between farmers
and PPEs for the specific vegetable supply to specific markets.
• The project provided capacity building to farmers on
compliance with MOUs and price negotiation skills.

36. CHALLENGES and LESSONS LEARNT
• The WUA concept is new and for a scheme that is not managed by GIDA,
farmers require more time and continuous capacity building to adapt and
grow.
• The MOUs signed between PPEs and farmers have not been fully
complied with by both parties.
✓Farmers have been hesitant to diversify to meet PPEs demand for
exotic vegetables
✓PPEs have also failed to offtake the few quantities because it was not
adequate and expensive to meet economies of scale.

37. GCAP is expected to meet outcomes in
year 5
At least 30%
improvement in the
yield levels of vegetable
crops cultivated by
small-holder farmers
At least a 20% increase
in marketed sales
through improved
access to high-value
markets
At least 20% reduction
of vegetable post-
harvest losses (over
current levels) among
the participating farmers
At least a 20%
increment in the income
levels of farmers
cultivating vegetables
under the project
Nine hundred (900)
direct beneficiary
vegetable producers
and other value chain
actors (at least 40% of
which are women)

38. Breakout
group
discussion

39. Breakout group discussion (30 minutes)
Group 1 (Farmers and agric extension agents)
1. What new and existing innovations may be bundled to support small scale irrigation in Ghana?
2. What are the barriers and opportunities for farmers investing in these innovation bundle(s)?
Group 2 (Private sector companies)
1. What new and existing innovations may be bundled to support small scale irrigation in Ghana?
2. What are the major bottlenecks for private sector interest and investment in innovation
bundles?
Group 3 (Development partners and NGOs)
1. What new and existing innovations may be bundled to support small scale irrigation in Ghana?
2. Who are the value chain actors that can support the bundling and scaling process? What are
the roles that they can play?
Group 4 (Research organizations and universities)
1. What new and existing innovations may be bundled to support small scale irrigation in Ghana?
2. How can innovation bundles be applied to support scaling small scale irrigation in Ghana?

40. Abena Ofosu
Tel: 0244205273
Email: a.ofosu@cgiar.org