Solar Energy Use in Agriculture for Enhancing Farmers’ Income: A Case of Solar Tubewell in North-Western Rajasthan

Abstract

This study conducted in north-western Rajasthan, has examined the capital cost and subsidy in the installation of solar tubewell, its feasibility and benefits realization and has identified constraints in the adoption of solar tubewells. Following random sampling technique, primary data were collected from 124 sample farmers. The study has shown that although, adoption of solar tubewell has a direct relation with farm-size, a considerable proportion of small and marginal farmers also adopted solar tubewells. In recent years, the subsidy component has been reduced in total investment on solar tubewells. Solar tubewells provide impressive economic and water-saving benefits to the farmers and investment with current rate of subsidy in solar tubewell has been found to be feasible. However, without subsidies, investment in solar tubewell is not economically feasible. Due to financial considerations, all categories of farmers were reluctant in adoption of solar tubewells to the expected extent. To realize the benefits of solar energy use in agriculture, efforts should be directed towards more financial incentives to ensure faster adoption and group-adoption and provision for buy back of surplus power to discourage over-exploitation of groundwater and realization of extra income by the farmers.