As part of the partnership, the government of the country is providing a 50% subsidy to halve the cost of irrigation systems for 5,000 farmers. This is alongside tax exemptions on import duties and VAT on the water pumps, making the product more affordable for the end user – smallholder farmers in Togo.
Supplied by solar irrigation provider SunCulture, EDF’s partner and affiliate in Kenya, Bboxx EDF Togo will be deploying the water pumps and arranging financing for customers. The irrigation systems to be deployed in Togo will benefit from EDF’s technical R&D expertise in the off-grid sector, where EDF will oversee design choices and help enhance product performance.
The water pumps will be integrated with Bboxx Pulse®, Bboxx’s comprehensive management platform using Internet of Things (IoT) technology, allowing for remote management and monitoring. The services will be provided on the same pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model used by Bboxx’s Solar Home Systems (SHSs).
This deal will improve farmers’ economic opportunities by increasing productivity by up to five times, while removing the need to travel long distances to bring back water. It will enable farmers to secure a harvest even during the dry season, with the possibility to grow higher value crops. It will also create additional irrigation by increasing the area cultivated. This contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 – decent work and economic growth.
Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and Co-Founder of Bboxx, commented: “Strengthening our partnership with EDF in Togo by expanding our energy services and moving into sustainable agriculture, is an exciting milestone in our joint venture. For farmers in rural Togo, this latest deal will be life-changing, improving productivity, household income and quality of life, while fostering economic development at scale and contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”
Xavier Rouland, EDF’s Off-Grid Department Director, commented, “After two years of growth in Togo in the field of solar kits, this new step is crucial for us since it will help boost the rural economy, offering farmers tools that increase their incomes while using more environmentally friendly solutions. We are very proud, with our partner Bboxx, and thanks to the political will of the Togolese authorities, to bring forward the solar powered irrigation know-how of SunCulture, EDF's Kenyan partner, as well as our experience of the Off-grid market in West Africa.”
Samir Ibrahim, CEO and Co-Founder of SunCulture, commented, “We are in a global food crisis, and this subsidy program is an important showcase of how innovating financing can play a leading role in addressing food insecurity across Africa.”
