The Manila Times

IFarms introduces FuturePump SF2

BY EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ

FILIPINO agricultural technology company iFarms Inc. has received the right to be the distributor of Futurepump products in the country, solidifying its commitment to further bridge development and innovation in Philippine agriculture.

Designed, tested and manufactured in India, FuturePumps SF2 is a low-cost solar irrigation pump suitable for different small farm applications. It is compatible with hosepipes, drip irrigation, mist irrigation and sprinklers.

All Futurepump solar pumps come with 6-meter suction hose and 120-watt solar panels. They are surface water pumps with a suction depth of 7 meters, which are suitable for pumping from shallow wells, rivers, streams, lakes or waterpans.

FuturePump offers a full 10-year warranty on the easy-to-handle water solar pump, covering spares and repairs, of which farmers will not be charged for such services. In an interview with The Manila

Times, iFarms President and Chief Executive Officer Jairus Ferrer explained how the company was given the opportunity to handle FuturePump SF2 product and market development in the Philippines.

“We saw the challenges smallholder farms face on a daily basis, which is the mundane task of watering or moving water from point to point.

Since water is an essential part of everyday life, in this case, growing crops and access to simple machines make a huge difference in the lives of many people, we saw this was the right opportunity to take in,” Ferrer said.

The project ideation of delivering and marketing FuturePump SF2 in the Philippines started in September 2018, Ferrer said. He said “the head sales director of FuturePump UK (United Kingdom) headquarters reached out to explore the possibilities of entering the Philippines market,” until iFarms was given the green light to distribute the said technology across the country.

The 32-year-old agripreneur said FuturePump SF2 was launched primarily in Africa and was designed for equatorial countries, such as the Philippines.

“Access to the product was what needed to be handled.

Presence in the Philippine market is gaining ground as we begin to forge partnerships and drive awareness to the public,” he added.

Market development

iFarms believes that local farmers deserve a cheaper, cleaner and sustainable option for moving water on their farms. Marketed at P55,000 per unit, Ferrer said FuturePump SF2 is an innovative solar water pump that farmers can rely on while eliminating the dependency to petrol pumps.

“What sets this product apart is the simplicity to operate and the efficiency it brings to farmers,” he added.

To date, Ferrer said iFarms is at the “very early” stages of market development for FuturePump SF2 since it was launched in July 2022, with focus on raising awareness about the product.

The company’s base distribution point is from Cagayan de Oro.

“Our initial target is to deploy the product to gardeners, smallholder farms and cooperatives who need that extra ‘hand’ to efficiently and effectively irrigate their fields, transfer water from source to storage with no labor cost,” said Ferrer.

Agribusiness

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2022-08-11T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-11T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/281925956788545

The Manila Times