iDEal Global Supply, the distribution enterprise for iDE's micro irrigation technologies, provides product supply and technical support for your project. We assist in the sourcing of sample and bulk shipments of affordable technologies for water lifting, application, and storage.
iDEal Global Supply helps small-scale farmers grow more with less, by developing and supplying affordable solutions that produce more efficient crops using less water, energy and fewer chemicals.
Our standard product offering includes drip kits, pumps and water bags. We are able to work with your project on larger orders that need a customized solution or specific product feature. We are also able to offer technical advising and guidance on installation of our technologies.
Products
Drip irrigation provides farmers the most efficient way to grow crops in water scarce areas, but historically has been too expensive for small-plot farmers. After first approaching manufacturers of commercial drip irrigation systems, iDE developed its own design for small farmers. Our designers lowered the cost of drip systems by replacing conventional emitters with holes and micro tubes, shifting water distribution lines extending to crops, and customizing system layouts for small plots.
iDE promotes drip irrigation throughout the developing world. Our drip systems have helped people with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe to improve their nutrition by growing vegetables, as well as coffee-growing families in Nicaragua by reducing the flowering time of plants from three years to one and a half years.
The treadle pump is a human-powered irrigation device that sits on top of a well. Pumping is activated by stepping up and down on treadles which drive pistons, creating cylinder suction that draws groundwater to the surface. Treadle pumps free farmers from dependence on rain-fed irrigation, provide capacity to raise crops in two growing seasons per year, and help farmers maximize return on their small plots of land. Pump prices, including installation, range between US$20 and $100 based on country of purchase and type of pump.
In Bangladesh, iDE played an instrumental role in popularizing treadle pump technology through focused value chain and social marketing interventions. Presently, 84 manufacturers now produce treadle pumps and 1.4 million treadle pumps have been sold to small plot Bangladeshi farmers since 1985. iDE's successful treadle program in Bangladesh stimulated organizations such as the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), KickStart, and Enterprise Works to begin their own treadle pump initiatives in other countries, and triggered a groundswell of interest in the design of small-scale water technologies for poor farmers.
iDE is developing low cost plastic storage bags that can be used as headers for drip irrigation and sprinkler systems. Currently, farmers pay approximately US$20 for used 200 liter (53 gallon) oil drums in which they are able to store water. IDE has developed a 200 liter (53 gallon) header bag that is expected to retail in Africa for about US$5 and is ready for extensive farmer testing.
In addition, iDE has completed field testing of 5,000 - 10,000 liter (1,321 - 2,642 gallon) trench and earth mound-supported plastic water storage bags. These bags allow farmers to store water from various sources, including both harvested rain and piped water. They decrease work, provide water security, and provide a potential income-generating opportunity for small plot farmers. Through the Rural Prosperity Initiative, several designs for lined ponds were developed and tested for holding larger amounts of irrigation water.