aDivision of Agricultural Economics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012
bDivision of Design of Experiments, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012
*Author for correspondence Email: drsingh_1960@yahoo.com
The paper is drawn from Extramural Funded project entitled “Enhancing Farm Income through Adoption of Hi-Tech Agriculture”. Authors are thankful for Division of Agricultural Extension, ICAR for funding the project and anonymous referee for his/her constructive comments.
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.
Solar tubewell, capital investment, subsidy, diggi, drip & sprinkler irrigation, farmers’ income, Rajasthan
