It is good to note that the government is implementing a solar irrigation project titled "Increase Crop Production through Expansion of Solar Energy and Water Saving Modern Technology" at the farmers’ level to boost crop production through use of renewable energy. The main objective of this project is to bring affordable modern technology for irrigation to the doorsteps of farmers and encourage them to use renewable energy.
Earlier, the government incorporated a project to boost crop production through integrating modern technology. Reportedly, the use of irrigation technology has resulted in a 25 percent increase in irrigation area, a 30 percent reduction in irrigation cost and a 15 percent increase in production.
We are gradually moving towards commercialisation of
our agriculture sector but hitherto we do not have adequate
infrastructure in place to facilitate this transition
Over the last few years, the government's relentless efforts to bring every village under electricity coverage has brought about remarkable changes in agricultural activities. Low-cost power-run irrigation facilities are being provided to the farmers across the country and farm-activities are becoming more profitable for availability of electricity-run irrigation facilities.
Our agriculture sector has seen a revolution over the last decade. We have tripled our rice production and have achieved self-sufficiency in food production. However, in order to make this growth sustainable we need to adopt advanced technologies in the agriculture sector. Hence, we need to invest a lot in research and development of new technologies, and the public and private sector should work together in this regard.
It needs no mentioning that we are gradually moving towards commercialisation of our agriculture sector, but hitherto we do not have adequate infrastructure in place to facilitate this transition. On top of that, there is no dedicated transportation facility for this sector. Now what is needed is to ensure improved rural infrastructure so that farmers are able to reap the full benefit of their work.
