Horticultural irrigation main buyer country

When they talk abouthorticultural irrigation main buyer country, immediately present standard schemes with drip tapes and sprayers. But over 12 years of working in Shandong Lingyao, I was convinced that the main thing is not just to sell equipment, but to understand why, say, Uzbekistan buys differently than Kazakhstan. We had a failure in 2019 with the supply of frequency converters to the Fergana Valley - we did not take into account that local farmers still consider automation an excess if there is no guarantee of repairs on site. We had to rebuild the logistics of spare parts through Tashkent, otherwise we would lose customers.

Geography of demand: where they are looking for irrigation solutions

The CIS countries account for 70% of our exports, but within the region the picture is mixed. In Kazakhstan, for example, the demand for remote-controlled systems is steadily growing - apparently, this is due to the experience of working with large agricultural holdings. But in Kyrgyzstan they still prefer the simplest drip lines, and attempts to offer “smart” ones. controllers often fail. We at Shandong Lingyao LLC even conducted a series of field demonstrations near Bishkek to show how automation reduces water consumption on slopes. It worked, but only partially - farmers are afraid of breakdowns during the season.

It is interesting to observe the market in Uzbekistan: there has been a sharp increase in demand for filtration units after cases of soil salinization due to poor-quality water have become more frequent in 2021. Our website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru even had to be supplemented with a section with calculations for different types of water - hard, with admixtures of sand. Local technicians often call and ask about the nuances of washing strainers, which confirms that theory without practice does not work here.

But in Turkmenistan the situation is special - there is still a strong connection to state tenders, and equipment has to be adapted to them. For example, we have developed a simplified version of control cabinets for land reclamation projects, because complex electronics scare local operators. This is the case when you have to balance between manufacturability and system survivability.

Design mistakes: what beginners don't take into account

A common mistake is to try to implement ready-made solutions without adapting to local conditions. I remember that in 2020, we installed a system for flat terrain in one of the cooperatives near Almaty, but there were micro-differences in elevation. The pressure sensors responded incorrectly, and we had to urgently modify the circuit with additional pressure-reducing valves. Now we always send an engineer to do a topographic survey, even if the client assures that “everything is smooth?”

Another painful moment is the selection of materials for pipelines. In regions with a high salt content in water (as in certain regions of Tajikistan), conventional HDPE quickly fails. We began to recommend composite materials, but this increases the cost of the project by 15–20%. We have to prove that this is cheaper than changing pipes every three seasons. By the way, on the website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru we have posted tables of comparative tests - it helps a lot in negotiations with doubting customers.

There is a separate problem with training. Even a perfectly designed system in the hands of an untrained operator is a pile of metal. We in Shandong Lingyao began to conduct on-site seminars, but COVID-19 interrupted our plans. I had to record video instructions in Russian with subtitles in Uzbek and Kazakh. It works, although live communication, of course, cannot replace it.

Technical nuances: from filters to automation

There is a paradox with water filtration in horticultural irrigation: the simpler the system, the more often it gets clogged. Last year, in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan, we were faced with a situation where mesh filters required cleaning literally every 48 hours due to fine silt. We had to install a two-stage system with a gravel-sand block in front of the main filters. Expensive, but saved the cotton harvest.

With automation, too, not everything is clear. For example, in Kazakhstan, GSM-controlled systems are doing well—apparently, this is due to good cellular coverage. But in the mountainous regions of Tajikistan you have to use radio modules, and with amplifiers. We tested the equipment in the Rasht Valley - without repeaters, the signal was lost already at a distance of 500 meters. By the way, it is for such cases that Shandong Linyao LLC has developed mobile controllers with autonomous power supply from solar panels.

Voltage in networks is a separate headache. In Uzbekistan, in rural areas, surges up to 250V are common. We had to revise the specifications for frequency converters and install additional stabilizers. Local colleagues resisted at first (?it always worked!?), but after a burnt-out pump on an apple plantation they agreed to modifications.

Water economics: why every liter counts

In Central Asian countries, water is gradually becoming more expensive than land. This is especially noticeable in Uzbekistan, where water use standards have been tightened since 2022. Our systems for integrated management of water and fertilizers are now especially in demand there - they can reduce consumption by 30–40% without loss of yield. True, we had to adapt the software to local drainage regulations.

An interesting experience was gained in Kazakhstan, where the implementation of water-saving technologies is subsidized within the framework of state programs. It turned out that farmers are willing to buy more expensive equipment if they understand the refund mechanism. We even developed special calculation tables for submitting applications for subsidies - this became an additional selling argument.

But in Turkmenistan, saving is considered differently - there it is more important to reduce labor costs. In cotton fields, manual watering is still common, and the transition to automated systems reduces workers by 60–70%. This often outweighs arguments about saving water.

Prospects: where the market is heading

Judging by the requests from our website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru, in the next 2–3 years the demand for complex “turnkey” solutions will grow. Customers are tired of assembling systems from components from different manufacturers - there are too many compatibility problems. We at Shandong Linyao LLC focus on the full cycle: from design to installation and service.

Another trend is the request for real-time monitoring. This is especially true for large farms in Kazakhstan, where managers want to see the irrigation status from a smartphone. We had to modify our software for mobile applications, although it was originally created for desktop computers.

Interestingly, demand for systems with AI elements is beginning to emerge for predicting irrigation based on weather data. For now these are single orders from advanced farms, but I think in a couple of years it will become a mass trend. We are already testing prototypes using data analysis from satellites and weather stations.

Overall, the horticultural irrigation market in the CIS countries will continue to grow, but will shift towards more intelligent and locally adapted solutions. And here, experience of practical work in the region will be valued higher than the most advanced technologies from catalogs.