Summary Brief: Pumping up Climate Technology in Uganda

Business and financing models for the roll-out of solar-powered irrigation systems for smallholder farmers

This brief provides a summary of business and financing models for scaling solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) in Uganda.

It highlights SPIS as a strategic climate technology for Uganda’s agriculture sector, which employs about 70% of the population but faces significant climate risks. The brief demonstrates that SPIS can increase crop yields, enable off-season production, and stabilize farmer incomes.

It reviews market progress, identifies structural barriers (such as high upfront costs and limited tailored finance), and presents scalable models like PAYGo, lease-to-own, aggregator-based deployment, blended finance, and bundled insurance.

The Summary Brief shows that SPIS is a proven, viable investment for farmers, and scaling requires coordinated policy, public finance, and private investment to unlock climate-resilient agricultural growth.

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Published year:2026
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