Agricultural Mechanization and Irrigation Engineering
Under the agricultural mechanization and irrigation engineering subsector, we offer a comprehensive suite of services, including but not limited to;
- Irrigation engineering,
- Soil analysis,
- Fish pond construction,
- Agricultural equipment and machinery,
- Agro processing equipment.
Agricultural engineering (agricultural and bio systems engineering) is the application of engineering science and design principles for agriculture purposes, to improve the efficiency of farms and agribusiness enterprises, as well as to ensure sustainability of natural and renewable resources. SANKOFA remains at the forefront as a leading agricultural engineering company in Uganda, offering bespoke agricultural mechanization, irrigation engineering, and agro processing services and equipment.
Broadly, under the agricultural engineering subsector, we undertake design of farm machinery, location and planning of farm structures, farm drainage, soil management and erosion control, irrigation, postharvest technologies, and agro processing equipment.
Irrigation Engineering
At SANKOFA, we, as one of the leading, premier irrigation consulting companies in Uganda remain steadfast in our goal of offering top notch irrigation services and irrigation equipment. As an irrigation consultant, our involvement spans through from consultation, site assessment, irrigation system design, supply, and installation of irrigation equipment.
In order to understand the process of irrigation design, there must first be a fundamental knowledge of the important irrigation components and their relationships to one another. Each element of an irrigation system has a direct effect on how the system operates as a whole. If some components are undersized or misused, the system may not operate properly. This may result in poor distribution of water and less-than-optimum growth for the plant material. When a project is designed and installed using proper science and engineering guidelines, the result is an efficient, long-lasting irrigation system — a system of which you can be proud.
Broadly, our irrigation systems range from drip irrigation kits, sprinkler irrigation systems, travelling irrigators, pop up lawn irrigation sprinklers, and centre pivot irrigation systems.
We undertake supply of the following irrigation fittings, equipment, and accessories;
- Driplines and drip emitters,
- Drip tape,
- Sprinklers, micro sprinklers, and tripod sprinkler stands,
- Latched irrigation pipes,
- Mist foggers,
- Automatic filter stations,
- Monitoring, automation, and control elements (irrigation network automation),
- Treadle pumps,
- Submersible water pumps,
- Surface water pumps,
- Water turbine hose reel machines,
- Travelling irrigators (drag hose irrigation),
- PVC and HDPE geomembrane liners (dam liners/pond liners),
- HDPE plastic welding rods,
- Soil moisture sensors and weather based irrigation controllers (smart irrigation),
- Chemigation and fertigation systems,
- Hydroponics and aquaponics systems,
- Irrigation water meters,
- Pressure regulators,
- Rain sensor devices,
- Fertilizer tanks,
- Venturi injectors,
- Automatic disc filters,
- Weather stations and evapotranspiration monitoring stations i.e. leaf wetness sensors, soil temperature sensors, soil heat flux sensors, and soil water potential sensors for commercial irrigation instrumentation,
- Garden hose pipe (delivery hose pipe).
Soil Analysis
In the twelfth century, the Andalusian agronomist Ibn-Al-Awan wrote in his Book on Agriculture, “The first step in the science of agriculture is the recognition of soils and how to distinguish which is of good quality and which is of inferior quality. He who doesn’t possess this knowledge lacks the first principles and deserves to be regarded as ignorant”.
Every crop has particular macro nutrients, micro nutrients, and soil type it needs to grow. It is thus critical to know one’s soil condition and implement proper soil improvements e.g. pH, since in say acid condition, some nutrients become bonded into complex compounds and are inaccessible for plant use.
SANKOFA uses ultra modern portable digital soil testing scanners. This real-time technology relies on digital scanning of soil samples, by spectrometry, and avails a soil test report in less than 10 minutes, right at the farmer field. This includes pedon and landscape scale soil properties such as base saturation (BS), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and pH, which all do influence crop type, cropping patterns, and land use management practices. The handheld soil scanner determines nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, pH, cation exchange capacity, soil temperature, and the organic matter level. This enables farmers to make confident cropping decisions, and plant the right crops for the right soils, since farmers get to know which nutrients are deficient and in what quantities and thus apply the right amounts of fertilizers. This helps avoid over fertilization that causes soil pollution, degradation, and leaching, hence enables optimal fertilizer application, allowing for field appropriate soil fertility amendments. It thus guides farmers on the most suitable cropping and soil management practices for their gardens.
Fish Pond Construction
Fish rearing (aquaculture) has emerged as a lucrative business lately, done at both subsistence and commercial levels. It is imperative to note that any successful aquaculture practice with a good harvesting is a direct result of proper construction, preparation, and maintenance of the fishpond.
Different types of fishponds exist, which can be earthen, concrete, or PVC in nature. The exact type for a particular fish pond is dependent on factors such as terrain, water source, and quality of the soil at the proposed site, among others.
At SANKOFA, we undertake fish pond design and fish pond construction; guide you in managing water quality and pond dynamics for both earthen, concrete, and PVC ponds.
We also supply the following fish farming related equipment;
- Pond aerators,
- PVC and HDPE dam liners and pond liners (HDPE geomembrane liners), from 0.25mm to 3.0mm,
- PVC and HDPE heat welding generator sets (hot wedge welding machine), seaming equipment, hot air guns,
- Soilless planting hydroponic gardens and aquaponics systems,
- Floating cage systems used in cage fish farming on existing water bodies,
- PVC fish tanks,
- Galvanized fish tanks.
Agricultural Equipment and Machinery
Owing to modernization, innovation, and technological advancements in the agricultural sector, there has been invention and adoption of numerous machinery and equipment, aimed at improving agricultural productivity and value addition through agro-processing. There are many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools, and the countless kinds of farm implements that they tow or operate.
We undertake supply and installation of high quality on farm and off farm agricultural machinery and technologies, including but not limited to;
- Greenhouses (polyhouses),
- Farm tractors,
- Tillers,
- Agricultural mulch films and surface water retention technologies (SWRT),
- Agricultural shade nets,
- Chicken cages,
- Irrigation moisture retaining gels and super absorbent polymers (SAP),
- Tile drainage systems,
- Seeders,
- Milk cans,
- Fertilizer spreaders/solid fertilizer applicators,
- Transplanters,
- Ploughs,
- Disc harrows,
- Petrol lawn mowers,
- Silage making machines,
- Milking machines,
- Agricultural drain trenching machines,
- Combine harvesters.
Agroprocessing Equipment and Postharvest Technologies
- Coffee huller machines,
- Coffee roasters,
- Maize mills with cyclones,
- Rice milling machines,
- Ice cream machines,
- Maize hullers,
- Solar dryers,
- Digital scales,
- Peanut butter machines,
- Cooling solutions i.e. cold room storage warehouses and refrigerated trucks,
- Harvesters,
- Threshing machines,
- Fruit picking machines,
- Grain dryers,
- Grading machines,
- Milk coolers and dairy equipment,
- Grain silos and bulking equipment,
- Baler machines,
- Sorting machines,
- Grain moisture meters,
- Milk processing plants, including processing to powder form,
- Road milk tankers,
- Meat processing machines,
- Grain and nuts processing machines.
We have in depth knowledge of installation and operation of all the above agricultural machinery and agro processing equipment, from basic manually operated to fully automatic systems. Our highly trained, qualified, and experienced team of agricultural and agro processing engineers undertake installation and commissioning of equipment for both small and complex projects. On request, our technical staff can as well offer annual maintenance services, under planned preventive maintenance, if required.
- Ideal for small businesses or startups
- Monthly/Quarterly strategy sessions
- Comprehensive consulting services
- Designed for established businesses
- Full range of consulting services
- Priority email and phone support
