Productive Power for Rural Markets

About 50% of India’s rural households depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. However, the sector is starved of affordable and reliable energy services for productive uses. 30 million farmers use diesel groundwater pumps for their irrigation needs. High costs of diesel fuel, rental, and maintenance of US$80-120/acre each season restrict crop yields and growing seasons. 86% of farmers have landholding less than 2 ha and cannot afford alternatives, contributing to low agricultural productivity and income from farming. Further, lack of access to refrigeration facilities results in 30% of post-harvest losses and deters farmers from diversifying to high-value crops. Decentralised solar technologies such as solar water pumps and cold storages can cost-effectively meet these agricultural energy needs and play a role in diversifying and commercialising agriculture, enhancing produce shelf life and reducing waste, generating employment and increasing farmer income. However, despite governm