Constraints Faced by Farmers in Adoption of Solar Powered Irrigation System in Southern Rajasthan
Anirudh *
Department of Extension Education, RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur, India.
S.S. Sisodia
Department of Extension Education, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur, India.
F.L. Sharma
Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur, India.
B. Upadhyay
Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur, India.
L.N. Dashora
Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur, India.
S. S. Lakhawat
Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
India’s agriculture sector is heavily dependent on energy for irrigation, yet many rural areas suffer from unreliable electricity and costly diesel usage. Solar Powered Irrigation Systems (SPIS) offer a sustainable solution by utilizing abundant solar energy for farm operations. With rising fuel prices and a push for clean energy, SPIS is gaining popularity among farmers. However, many farmers have faced challenges in adoption of Solar Powered Irrigation System. To address these constraints, a study was conducted to know the various constraints which were faced by the farmers who installed solar powered irrigation in Udaipur and Sirohi districts of Rajasthan. For this study, 100 farmers of ten villages (10 from each village) from Udaipur district and 100 farmers of ten villages (10 from each village) from Sirohi district were selected. The findings of the study ranked the constraints based on their Mean Percent Score (MPS). The most severe constraints were unable to locate fault during operation (88.66 MPS), unavailability of credit at marginal rate (85.00 MPS), difficulty in finding a service mechanic in nearby area (82.33 MPS) and customer care centers are unavailable in nearby areas (81.16 MPS).
Keywords: Solar Power, constraints, adoption, irrigation, farmers