In the 1980s, International Development Enterprise (IDE) initiated a campaign to market the pumps to smallholder farmers. Over the course of 12 years, 1.5 million treadle pumps were purchased by farmers, increasing the farmers income by $150 million annually. The cost of the treadle pump scheme was $12 million, compared with conventional dam and canal systems, which would have cost $1.5 billion to irrigate a similar area. The treadle pump programme in India won an Ashden Award in 2006.
The treadle pump is very cost-effective. Its low cost makes it accessible to even very poor farmers who can use it to grow dry-season vegetables for home consumption and for sale. In Bangladesh, a pump costs US$ 20. On average, farmers are able to generate more than US$100 per year in extra income. Income from treadle pumps adds US$100 million to the GNP of Bangladesh annually. Production and sales are sustainable now without external aid.
With this technology, many families have increased their income. Some farmers who started with this pedal pump have now bought a motorized pump.
The treadle pump is also being promoted in Africa where it is installed by organizations such as Kickstart (former Approtec), who brand the treadle pump under the name MoneyMaker, and Enterprise Works. Models of the treadle pump such as the MoneyMaker and the Soka-pump are now widely used for small-scale "spray" irrigation.
==Costs==
The treadle pump is very cost-effective. Its low cost makes it accessible to even very poor farmers who can use it to grow dry-season vegetables for home consumption and for sale. In Bangladesh, a pump costs US$ 20. On average, farmers are able to generate more than US$100 per year in extra income. Income from treadle pumps adds US$100 million to the GNP of Bangladesh annually. Production and sales are sustainable now without external aid.
With this technology, many families have increased their income. Some farmers who started with this pedal pump have now bought a motorized pump.
* A treadle pump costs US$ 20 in Bangladesh, and US$ 50-80 in Africa.
* Approx US$ 100-200 including tube well (depending on installation depth and drilling method)
