"Agri-Photovoltaics Proposed to Raise Farmer Incomes Sharply"
Agri-photovoltaics (agri-PV)
mounting solar panels above farmland so crops grow underneath, producing food and power together
PM-KUSUM
scheme letting farmers install solar plants on their land and sell power to the grid
India's agriculture has grown steadily since 2014. But farmers' real incomes have not grown as fast as the target of doubling them. The Ashok Dalwai Committee estimated that doubling farmers' real incomes would need agricultural GDP to grow at 10.4% a year. Actual growth has stayed close to 4% a year. This gap is the central problem that the next phase of farm policy must solve.
A key reason incomes lag is a mismatch between what India grows and what it needs. Farmers in states like Punjab and Haryana keep growing paddy. Input subsidies on power, fertiliser and canal irrigation make it artificially cheap to grow paddy. But India already has surplus rice stocks. Agriculture falls under the State List. States, not the Centre, control most decisions on power tariffs, land use and irrigation support for farmers. This is why reform of farm power subsidies needs state-level cooperation. It cannot be done by a central scheme alone.
The Centre's main tool for farmer-owned solar power is PM-KUSUM. It allows farmers to install solar plants up to 2 MW on their land. They can sell power to the grid. But Component A offers no capital subsidy. The rooftop scheme PM Surya Ghar does offer a capital subsidy. This gap in subsidy design has limited farmer uptake. India's overall solar capacity has grown sharply, but farmer uptake has not.
Public investment in agriculture means government spending on productive assets and infrastructure. These assets and infrastructure enhance agricultural productivity. Examples include storage facilities, irrigation systems, and institutional development. This is different from transfer payments like subsidies or loan waivers. The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) is the official certification framework for organic farming in India. The Ministry of Commerce & Industry operates it through APEDA.
Agri-photovoltaics (agri-PV) is a system where solar panels are mounted well above the ground, at a height of about 10 to 11 feet, with enough spacing for crops to keep receiving sunlight underneath. One plot of land can produce both food and electricity at the same time. A farmer does not have to choose one over the other. A farmer using this model earns income both as an 'annadata' (food provider) and an 'urjadata' (energy provider).
Pilot projects suggest agri-PV can multiply a farmer's income several times over. This is compared to growing crops alone. Selling solar power to the grid earns more per unit of land than most crops do. This addresses the second major income strategy available to farmers. …
In India, which of the following can be considered as public investment in agriculture?
1.Fixing Minimum Support Price for agricultural produce of all crops
2.Computerization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies
3.Social Capital development
4.Free electricity supply to farmers
5.Waiver of agricultural loans by the banking system
6.Setting up of cold storage facilities by the governments
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers?
What do you mean by Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low income trap?
Consider the following statements regarding PM-KUSUM:
1.Component A of PM-KUSUM allows farmers to set up solar power plants of up to 2 MW on their own land.
2.Component A of PM-KUSUM provides a capital subsidy similar to PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Agriculture and related input subsidies such as power and irrigation are primarily under the legislative control of which entity under the Indian Constitution?
The Ashok Dalwai Committee's target for doubling farmers' real incomes required agricultural GDP to grow at approximately what rate per annum?
Bt cotton cultivation, which significantly boosted agricultural output in Gujarat, was approved for commercial use in India in which year?
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