The Philippines is a primarily an agricultural country with 40% of the population is engaged in farming and fishing. There are an estimated 5.56M farms all over the country. The average age of the Filipino farmer is 60, tending to 2 hectares of rainfed land and employing a monocropping system.
Solar pumps have the potential to improve farm productivity by 20-25% by making water available even during dry season and by increasing crop diversity. One Renewable has deployed more than 500 solar pumps for both high value crops and rice irrigation projects funded by the government to support farmers.
The expectation is that improved farm income will encourage young people to take on farming resulting to a reduction in urban migration and an improvement in the country’s food security. Solar pumps, combined with small solar agricultural machinery, will production efficiency and boost farm gate prices.
One Renewable has worked with LGU’s to power reliable irrigation systems for farmers nationwide. With its network of engineers and extensive experience, One Renewable is able to deploy such systems in communities that need them most, well beyond the reach of power grids.
With these solar-powered pumps, farmers have spoken of a more reliable water supply, higher yields and improved income levels. Solar pumps have proven to be a fast and practical solution to the needs of our farmers and households even in far-flung communities.
A 27 kWp submersible solar pump installed by One Renewable supplies water for the extensive rice fields of Bgy. Panlagangan, Sibalom, Antique with an output of 226m3/ hour from a nearby river.