Asian irrigation upgrade a $bn opportunity

Some 20 years ago, the blog launched ICI Watercare – which became the largest water treatment business in the chemical industry. So it has kept a close eye on opportunities in the water industry ever since.
The weak monsoon season in India highlights one such opportunity. As a new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) notes, Asia’s vast irrigation systems were built 40 years ago, at the time of the ‘Green Revolution’.
It says they have become “underused, poorly maintained and inefficient“, and calls for major investment to finance their modernisation.
This is clearly a multi-billion dollar opportunity for the chemical industry. Such investment will not only require polymers, sealants and other products for the irrigation systems themselves. It is also an opportunity to provide much-needed expertise, to ensure the rebuilt infrastructure operates more efficiently in the future.