SunCulture: Financing Water-Saving Technologies in Kenya Anissa A. Roberts Director of Strategic Finance
TheProblem OurSolution Three-fourths of the world’s
poorest and hungriest people are smallholder farmers. 3 out of 4 of the worlds poorest and hungriest people grow their very tool from escape from poverty: food.
Provide a full-solution to small holder farmers that includes the technology and training. SunCulture’s Agri-Solar irrigation kits are designed for small holder farmers and provide a higher quality, flexible solution for farmers. Africa's smallholder farmers
have yields that trail world averages by up to 50%.
Only 3% of Africa’s arable land is irrigated compared to a 47% for Asia. Lack of access to irrigation is a key part of this challenge as irrigation increases yields by 2-5x and allows farmers to grow high-value crops
The Missing Puzzle Piece Despite its proven track record of increasing yields up to 300% and in some cases – our farmers were not able to obtain financing.
Not all farmers can afford the upfront cost of irrigation
This investment can only be considered a replacement cost in some cases and only if the investment in a solar powered pump is made.
SunCulture teamed up with a leading local bank in an attempt to procure financing for our clients – very few were approved - (less than 10).
The agricultural and non-agricultural financing needs of the roughly 270 million smallholder farmers in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and South and Southeast Asia10 are estimated to exceed USD 200 Billion1.
Agricultural Asset Financing
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Source INFLECTION POINT: Unlocking growth in the era of farmer finance
Effective Eco-System Agricultural Asset Finance
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DFI, Donors, Foundations
FSPs
Technology Companies
Capacity Developers
Investors
Source: Moving the Needle:Critical Success Factors for Scaling Innovation in Asset Finance for Small and Growing Agribusinesses
SMEs in Agribusiness
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DFI, Donors, Foundations
FSPs
Technology Companies
Capacity Developers
Investors
SME in Agribusiness
Smallholder Farmers
SunCulture’s Built-in Advantages 6
• Comfortable using our systems as collateral Confident in
Our Technology
• Understand Cashflows of farmers and our source & timing of repayment
Agronomy is at our Core
• When things don't go as planned - we understand the what, why and who
On the Ground
SunCulture’s Financing Solution 07
Currently launching the pilot of our financing platform
Designed with proprietary credit metrics and customized payment schedules based on crop program.
Utilizing Pay-As-You-Go and mobile money technology to facilitate payments.
Phase One will consist of testing our credit metrics and repayment rates.
Phase Two will consist of scaling SunCulture’s full solution – water-saving drip technology, technical & agronomical support with a financing solution for small holder farmers.
Pay-As-You-Grow