Low-cost hydroponic fodder systems for livestock feed production
Innovation Type:
Water-Food
Product Segment:
Water – Re-use/Efficiency
Country of Incorporation:
Iraq
Country of Implementation:
Iraq
Company Stage:
Stage 1: 0 to 101 end-users
Seeking Investment:
Yes, $120,000 USD
Contact Name:
Zanyar Wakil Saeed
Contact Email:
Challenges
Cultivating barley in croplands consumes a large amount of water, and due to Iraq’s arid climate and the geographical scarcity of water, this in turn leads to high energy consumption (e.g. energy used to transport water to crops using) . Additionally, a fully grown barley plant takes an entire season to be ready for harvest, making barley cultivation expensive and not suitable for farmers and livestock traders. As barley is a feed for livestock, the price of meat is affected, becoming expensive when compared to the purchasing power of the average Iraqi consumer.
Solutions
LORK developed and implemented affordable hydroponic fodder systems ($300 to $1,000 USD) for livestock feed production. They cultivate barley without soil, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional field cultivation. These hydroponic systems are water-efficient, making them more economical compared to open-field barley farming and enabling farmers to produce green, fresh barley fodder for their livestock.
