Irrigation irrigation systems main country of buyer

When they talk aboutbuyer's main countryfor irrigation systems, many immediately imagine the Middle East or Africa, but the reality is more complicated - contractors from the EU often work there, and the final equipment goes through third parties. The most stable demand is now in Central Asia, and not so much for drip irrigation, but for complex solutions for specific crops, for example, for cotton or vineyards. We are inShandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co.,LtdWe have been monitoring for several years how the structure of orders is changing: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan are not just markets, but regions where farmers already understand the difference between simple irrigation and an integrated system with soil moisture control.

Why Central Asia has become a key destination

This is not so much a matter of climate as it is a matter of government programs for modernizing agriculture. In Uzbekistan, since 2021, there has been an active transition to water-saving technologies, and subsidies cover up to 50% of the cost of equipment - this is a serious incentive for local agricultural holdings. But there is a nuance: they often require not just delivery, but a full cycle - design, installation, training, service. That's why we're inShandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Agriculture Technology Co.,Ltdinitially they relied not on one-time sales, but on complex contracts.

For example, last year in Kazakhstan we launched a system for a greenhouse complex near Almaty - the customer initially wanted only drip lines, but after analyzing the soil and water source, we added filtration units and automatic valve control. This is typical: local engineers often underestimate the importance of water treatment, and without it, any system fails within a season or two.

By the way, about filters - in our case these are not standard disk models, but combined solutions with gravel-sand loading and automatic washing. This is critical for Central Asia: water from irrigation ditches often contains organic matter and sand, which quickly clog the drippers. We even conducted training for local technicians on the website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru - we posted video breakdowns of breakdowns and cleaning techniques.

Mistakes when choosing equipment for a specific region

The most common problem is an attempt to transfer European or Chinese standards without adaptation. We had a case in Turkmenistan: we installed frequency converters without taking into account voltage drops in local networks - after a month, two pumps burned out. We had to urgently modify the control panels and install stabilizers. Now we always analyze the network parameters at the site before shipment.

Another point - materials. In the hot climate of Uzbekistan, UV stabilization of pipes is mandatory, but some suppliers skimp on this, and after a year the pipes crack. We are inShandong Lingyao Co.,LtdWe switched to composite materials with the addition of carbon black - more expensive, but we guarantee a service life of up to 10 years even in constant sun.

And yes, automation is not always good. For small farmers, a simplified system with manual valves and timers is sometimes more profitable than a full-fledged SCADA. Because if there is no specialist to service it, any automation turns into a pile of metal after the first failure. We are now even developing simplified mobile controllers with interfaces in local languages.

How integrated systems affect water consumption

In Kazakhstan, after the introduction of our systems, water consumption in cotton fields fell by 30–40%, but this is not only due to drip irrigation. Accurate analytics turned out to be more important: soil moisture sensors + weather stations + evaporation forecasting algorithm. Farmers initially didn’t trust “these boxes” until they saw the savings on their water and electricity bills.

By the way, about electricity - in remote areas there is often no stable power supply, so we began to complete the systems with solar panels to power controllers and valves. This added costs, but eliminated operational disruptions. Forbuyer's main countrywith developed infrastructure this is not so critical, but for Central Asia it is a necessity.

And one more thing: we noticed that in Uzbekistan they began to more often request systems with the possibility of remote control via mobile networks. Apparently, the increase in Internet penetration even in rural areas is having an impact. We had to adapt our gateways to local operators.

Design for different types of soils and crops

In the Fergana Valley, for example, light loams predominate, and in Karakalpakstan, saline soils predominate. Each case requires its own irrigation scheme and fertilizer composition. We even developed a mobile application for calculating system parameters - you enter the soil type, crop, slope - you get recommendations on the distance between the drippers and the watering rate.

For vineyards in Kazakhstan, we had to completely reconsider the approach to filtration - there are small particles of clay that pass through standard filters. We added a stage with hydrocyclones - the problem was solved, but the cost of the system increased. Customers were indignant at first, but after the first season without blockages they were grateful.

By the way, about fertilizers - in integrated systems it is important not only to supply water, but also to accurately dose the fertilizer. We use proportional injection injectors that are tied to the controller. This is especially important for greenhouse farms, where overfeeding is just as dangerous as underfeeding.

Service and support - what suppliers often miss

Many companies supply equipment and forget about the client. From the very beginning, we relied on local service engineers - we train them on site and provide them with spare parts. For example, in Nukus we have a warehouse of consumables - filters, droppers, valves. It's expensive, but without it you lose your reputation after the first breakdown.

It is also important to adapt the documentation - we translate not only into Russian, but also into Uzbek and Kazakh languages, we use more diagrams and drawings. Experience has shown that text instructions often go unread.

And lastly, we constantly collect feedback from farmers to improve the equipment. For example, after complaints about the difficulty of setting up controllers, they added a “for beginners” mode. with basic irrigation scenarios. This is a small thing, but it is these little things that determine whether the client will return with a new order.