Urban farming is a hot trend at the moment, and with very good reason – more and more people are moving to cities to seek out economic opportunities that aren’t available in rural areas. In fact, the International Organization for Migration estimated that around 3 million people are moving to cities every week in 2015 already. Currently, approximately 54% of people worldwide now live in cities, which is up from 30% in 1950.
Additionally, the world population is expected to grow by over a third, or 2.3 billion people, in the leadup to 2050. Almost half of this growth is expected to take place in developing countries like South Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is estimated to grow the fastest, with an increase of up to 114%. That’s a lot of people who need food.
It is estimated that to keep up with the demand for food production globally over the course of the next three decades, farmers around the world will need up to twice the amount of arable land and water they currently have at their disposal. With both these resources under extreme pressure as it stands, another solution is required, and urban farming is the answer.
After all, it only makes sense to supplement the food we’re growing on farms and in rural areas with food produced in the cities where people live and work. By making use of smart technology and clever space-saving growth measures, it’s possible to grow fresh, healthy fruit, vegetables and herbs that are immediately available to the surrounding population without any added carbon emissions since it doesn’t have to be trucked in from far away.
Tailored irrigation makes all the difference in terms of resource use and yield when it comes to urban farming. By managing moisture precisely, urban farmers can improve their yields significantly and manage their crop according to their desired outcomes.
Urban farming irrigation leverages traditional agricultural irrigation practices in combination with cutting-edge nutrition solution delivery tactics and hydroponics to offer so-called ‘city farmers’ cost-effective, scalable ways to feed and water their crops efficiently.
Here are a few of the most obvious benefits of investing in an urban farming irrigation system that has been tailored to your needs:
- A highly adaptable system with readily available materials saves a lot of time on watering, as opposed to manual watering.
- It also saves water by delivering the exact amount of water required right at the base of your plants and down into the root system.
- Using filtered water or rain water that is free of chlorine and chloramines, urban farmers can build the natural microbiology in their gardens to get better tastes and healthier plants from everything they grow.
- Precise moisture management can improve yields significantly.
- With the right kind of system in place it’s easy and convenient to add nutrients and fertilisers to the water as needed.
Get in touch to find out more about tailored irrigation options
At Bekmar Irrigation, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. That’s why we like to provide our clients with tailored advice based on the parameters of their particular urban farming location, crops, and production goals.
After all, the functionality of a hobby greenhouse irrigation system will differ vastly from the set-up required by a big growth operation that has firm contracts in place to supply fruit and vegetables to major retailers on a monthly or weekly basis. As such, our urban farming irrigation advice will always be based on your particular needs.
Get in touch with the Bekmar team today to discuss your requirements – our team is standing by with expert advice to help you take your urban farming operation to the next level.