When we started supplying irrigation pumps to farmers in Taraba State, we expected to see increases in crop yields. What we didn’t fully anticipate was how these simple devices would transform entire farming households.

For many farmers, irrigation meant not just better harvests but a fundamental shift in how they approached farming. With reliable water access, they could grow crops year-round instead of depending solely on the rainy season. This changed everything – from how families managed cash flow to how they planned for their children’s education.

One farmer told us, “Before, I had one chance each year to make money. If the rains were bad or prices were low at harvest, my family suffered. Now I harvest three times a year. I can wait for better prices or try different crops if something isn’t working.”

This resilience – the ability to adapt, experiment, and recover from setbacks – might be the most valuable crop we’re helping to cultivate. When we evaluate agricultural investments now, we look beyond the immediate productivity gains to understand how they might create this kind of flexibility for farming families.

The most successful agricultural investments don’t just add water to crops – they add options to farmers’ lives.