The leading Water and Energy Solutions Company Davis & Shirtliff has launched a new segment, irrigation, for all its branches in Kenya’s 24 counties in a bid to make their products more accessible to customers.
The launch will not only make the commercial and agricultural irrigation equipment readily accessible to farmers but also products that are designed to optimize water use and conservation.
The product range include; hose reel sprinklers, controllers, valves, pop ups sprinklers, drip line systems and center pivots for various agricultural and commercial applications such as lawn and golf sprinklers.
Speaking during the launch, Davis & Shirtliff CEO David Gatende reckoned that enhancing irrigation is essential for advancing and sustaining the Government’s Big Four Agenda with food security being one of the pillars which the country is deliberately moving towards in the next five years.
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“The ability to meet that goal will be determined by best practices in farming technology. Irrigation presents our farmers with an opportunity to meet required productivity and increase yields, which will guarantee enough for both our domestic use and exports,” he said.
In a recent study, 2030 Water Resources Group identified lack of awareness as the main reason hindering farmers from implementing irrigation schemes in their lands. In the report, farmers prefer common practice for generations, believing that irrigation technology is not yet common, a fact attributed to lack of awareness of the benefits of irrigation.
Mr. Gatende acknowledged that there has not been effective market reach in the country in as far as irrigation products are concerned. However, he said that Davis & Shirtliff has a strong network that will reach every corner of the country with the hope to achieve more irrigated area and better livelihoods in the communities.
“We want to leverage on our extensive branch network throughout the country to make sure that farmers even in far flung counties can access these products,” he said.
