A modern motorized pump that pumps four times faster than the handheld pumps while covering a wider area and crops has been introduced in the market, and is promising to transform smallholder farming.
With the new pump, a farmer can cover five hectares a day, compared to handheld pumps that on average cover a hectare within the same time. It can also cover be host to spray crops ranging from coffee, tea and horticulture.
One of its unique selling points is its ability to cover a wider distance within a short period of time,” said Samuel Ngetha, a sales manager at Hygrotech East Africa Ltd, the company which is supplying the sprays at an earlier interview.
But so does its operations, requiring to only be strapped on the back of the person spraying, then switched on and the nozzle directed to the crops. Due to the fact that it is motorized, it allows for the altering of the pressure and quality of the spray based on the crop and chemical being used. It has a three-litre petrol tank.
According to Mr Ngetha, the pump’s boom and mist sprays can cover crops more effectively, reaching even the top of fruit trees.
While the hand-held pump weighs between six to 10 kilogrammes with its content, the motorised one is much heavier at between 25 kilogrammes to 30 kilogrammes, including the chemical. Its undoing however is its price, which costs over 6 times more than the hand held pump at Sh22,000 compared to Sh3,500 for the handheld.
Aware of this pricing knockdown, the company intends to sell the pumps to farmers through cooperative societies which would make the buying more affordable. “We are using societies to purchase the pumps for farmers and then they will deduct it from their payment,” said Mr Ngetha in an earlier interview.
The huge success of the pumps in countries like China and South Africa is deemed to entice more farmers to them.
Hygrotech East Africa can be reached on:Tigoni Center, Limuru Road+254 722 205 148 Email: info@hygrotech.co.ke
or the Naivasha branch on Naivasha Office+254 722 509 251Email:sales@hygrotech.co.ke