Kaleya Smallholders Company Limited (KASCOL) is a 2,500 ha sugarcane farm that irrigates their sugarcane using furrow irrigation. This method of irrigation is very inefficient, and consumes a relatively large amount of water, which is pumped from the already stressed Kafue River. The Dutch Fund for Climate Development provided KASCOL with a grant to conduct a study to convert the furrow irrigation to more efficient drip-irrigation. Aquaquest was engaged to conduct the technical study, which also included a return-on-investment analysis to determine the financial viability of the project and the most suitable project scenario.
A combination of SDI development, combined (existing) surface water and (newly developed) groundwater supply, and solar power was considered the most suitable technologically and financially viable option. The study included a detailed assessment of the available surface and groundwater potential, and a geophysical survey, followed by a successful exploratory borehole drilling programme.