The average monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households is relatively high for the district, suggesting higher purchasing capacity of the farmers here. The district has a relatively high penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, facilitating higher access to institutional credit for farmers. The district appears in the group of districts, which show (very) low vulnerability towards climate change, as per an index constructed by CRIDA.
Deployment Approaches
| Approaches | Feasibility |
|---|---|
| Individually owned off-grid solar pumps | Limited Suitability |
| Solar based water as a service | Not Suitable |
| Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps | Not Suitable |
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps
Limited Suitability
The district has a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit and high crop revenue per holding. However, ground water availability is below the safe limit, and concentration of diesel pump users is comparatively low, making it very difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps | 1,348 | 20 |
| Water Availability Index | 0.7 | 55 |
| Crop revenue per holding (INR) | 86,158 | 52 |
| Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 141.7 | 74 |
Solar based water as a service
Not Suitable
The district has a relatively high proportion of unirrigated area. But, the concentration of small and marginal farmers is rather low and groundwater availability is below the safe limit, making it very difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Water Availability Index | 0.7 | 55 |
| Proportion of small and marginal cultivators | 83% | 45 |
| Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 69% | 59 |
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps
Not Suitable
The district has a rather high concentration of marginal farmers. But, a relatively low proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, a comparatively low disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, and groundwater availability below the safe limit make it extremely difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here. Such pumps can be promoted only if clubbed with micro-irrigation along with support to farmers for pump adoption and undertaking horticulture.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area | 4% | 38 |
| Water Availability Index | 0.7 | 55 |
| Proportion of marginal cultivators | 65% | 51 |
| Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 141.7 | 74 |
Leveraging Solar Pumps to Promote Policy Objectives
If you are deploying solar pumps in this district then you can further these policy objectives.
Har Khet ko Pani
A relatively high proportion of the net sown area in the district is unirrigated, indicating high irrigation demand. Solar pumps can help improve access to underground irrigation as part of Har_Khet_ko_Pani.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 69% | 59 |
Doubling Farmers’ Income – Crop Intensity
A relatively high proportion of the district’s net sown area is unirrigated. Lack of access to irrigation is one of the major barriers to growing crops beyond two conventional seasons, rabi and kharif. Ensuring irrigation access through solar power will help improve cropping intensity and move towards the aim of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 69% | 59 |
Doubling Farmers’ Income – Crop Diversification
In the district, horticulture crops occupy a relatively low proportion of gross cropped area, indicating an opportunity for growing more high value non-staple crops. Solar-powered irrigation could be an alternative source of reliable irrigation, making it easier to achieve crop diversification and enhance farmers’ incomes.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area | 4% | 38 |
National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP)
The relatively low share of oilseeds and oil palm crops under gross sown area in the district makes it a suitable candidate for promoting NMOOP. Solar pumps could meet irrigation needs for these crops and help farmers diversify their yields beyond cereals.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Area under oilseeds as a share of total cropped area | 2% | 33 |
Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation – Farm Power Availability
There is a comparatively low level of farm mechanisation in the district and a relatively low proportion of electric pump users, indicating an opportunity to increase the exisiting level of mechanisation through solar based irrigation. Solar powered irrigation could be deployed under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation to improve farm power availability.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha) | 0.15 | 40 |
| Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps | 3% | 34 |
