C&A Foundation’s Drip Pool Programme has proved beneficial in supporting the farmers. Created in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India, the programme provides interest-free loans to smallholder and marginal cotton farmers to help them buy and install drip irrigation units.
It’s worthy to mention here, India is world’s largest producer of cotton.
In a recent report, it was claimed that these efforts resulted in higher earnings and an increased quality of life for thousands of participating cotton farmers. “The affordability of drip irrigation for small landholders has resulted in a 31 per cent higher net income from cotton cultivation compared to non-drip farmers. Farmers, previously dependent on rain-fed cotton to make a living, have increased their gross earnings by EUR 277, after joining the programme” the report reads.
The programme provides far more benefits beyond just an increase in income, with farmers seeing environmental and agronomic impacts thanks to drip irrigation. Water saving is also an achievement of this programme as farmers involved in this initiative have reported using just 1,191 litres of water per kilogram of cotton, compared to the 5,923 litres consumed by non-programme farmers. Uniformity in production, better yield of seed cotton and increased fertiliser cost efficiency as well as reduced weeding and lower labour costs are some of the other benefits of the programme.
