Solar-Powered Irrigation Turning Rain-Fed Farms Climate-Resilient

SunCulture designs and finances solar-powered irrigation pumps, branded RainMaker, that let smallholder farmers across East Africa pump water for irrigation without diesel fuel or grid electricity. The company has sold more than 47,000 solar irrigation units, using pay-as-you-go financing so farmers can pay off systems from crop income rather than upfront cash. Farmers using SunCulture systems report up to five times higher crop yields and cut irrigation energy costs by as much as 80% compared with diesel pumps, while on-call agronomists provide ongoing farming support. SunCulture now operates in Kenya, Uganda, and Cote d'Ivoire, with plans to expand into Ethiopia, Zambia, and Togo.