Treadle pumps for improved agricultural productivity

International Development Enterprises, India (IDEI) has commercialised low-cost treadle pumps for irrigation. Over 510,000 pumps have been sold in the rural areas of the Eastern part of India, bringing substantial benefits to farming families.

Many farmers in the plains of the North and East of India rely on a single annual crop such as wheat or maize, watered by the monsoon. The income which they derive is small, and this forces many to seek casual work in cities such as Lucknow for part of the year, often disrupting children's education since the whole family moves to the city. The water table in the region is consistently high, so out-of-season crops can be grown under irrigation if a pump is available. Affluent farmers can afford to buy and operate diesel pumps. Poorer farmers may also hire diesel pumps, but often at very high cost.

IDEI commercialised low-cost treadle pumps for irrigation. The pumps are designed to be simple for people of all ages to operate, and most members of a household, including children, can take part. Typically, the household will pump for two to eight hours a day. Poor farmers can now cultivate and sell a variety of crops outside the normal growing season and bring additional land under cultivation because it can be irrigated. The increase in family income means that the cost of the pump can be paid back from the profits of one extra harvest. All components of the pumps are manufactured locally, and IDEI has successfully developed a supply chain of manufacturers, distributors, retailers and installers.

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Tags:

• ashden
• awards
• 2006
• pumps
• irrigation

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