Nineteen days after the official launch of the Kanakantapa Solar Irrigation Scheme Initiative (KASISI) on 21st January, delivery is already visible on the ground.

As part of the 2025 District Agriculture Awards, Mr. Kobi Mwansa, District Innovative Agriculturist of the Year, received an in-kind award deliberately structured as an implementation instrument to promote youth-led agricultural innovation at district level.

Within 18 days of the launch, a 1 Lima drip irrigation system has been installed alongside a submersible solar pump using hybrid technology, operating on both solar and grid power to ensure reliable and climate-resilient irrigation. These installations are supporting the establishment of cabbage and okra production, with a community nursery bed scheduled for establishment in the coming days.

With technical assistance from SEED Foundation, this intervention is designed as a practical learning site. Mr. Mwansa is a member of two cooperatives — Health Foods and Tuzenje — through which this KASISI pilot will benefit a wider consortium of farmers. Over the next 12 months, approximately 100 farmers across the two cooperatives are expected to benefit from shared learning, production systems, and replication of the irrigation model.