Treadle pump: manual irrigation for small farmers in Bangladesh

Irrigation in Bangladesh first became affordable for the small farmer in the late 1970's, when bamboo and PVC tubewells were introduced. The demand for manual irrigation pumps has exceeded by far the supply. The treadle pump, made from a bamboo frame, is foot-operated; pumping groundwater by suction into one of two twin cylinders while the second cylinder discharges the water into the ditch or receiving vessel. It is a simple system, cheaply made from a wide range of locally available materials. They are presently, produced in small, privately owned workshops. Approximately 65,000 pumps are sold per year, mostly to farmers with less than one hectare of arable land. The use of the treadle pump has increased the cropping intensity in many areas, and has been responsible for the introduction of many new vegetable crops. It is operated by women and children as well as men. No direct cost-benefit statistics were available; however, it seems to be a highly profitable investment for small farmers