IMPACT OF SOLAR PUMPSETS ON FARM ECONOMY IN ANANTHAPUR DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH
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Date
2018
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Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University
Abstract
The present study entitled “Impact of Solar Pumpsets on Farm
Economy in Ananthapur District of Andhra Pradesh” was intended to
examine the investment required for installing solar pumpsets by the farmers,
to study changes in cropping pattern and farm income, comparison of farm
income distribution among the sample farmers and to study the impact of
farm income on consumption and saving pattern of the sample farmers.
Ananthapur district was purposively selected for the present study as it
is an arid zone with frequent droughts and wherein rainfed and dryland
agriculture of water thirst groundnut mono-cropping predominant, and
wherein the Government and NGOs are trying to transform farmers’ cropping
pattern to more remunerative high value horticultural crops with solar
pumpsets and awareness on adopting water harvesting technologies and use
of micro-irrigation for conjunctive and judicious use of water efficiently for
irrigation.
The list of mandals along with corresponding number of solar
pumpsets was prepared. Four mandals with highest number of solar pumpsets
were identified and purposively selected. Analogously one village from each
mandal following the criterion of highest number of pumpsets was
purposively selected. The farmers with solar pumpsets in the selected four
villages were identified and 50 farmers were randomly selected. Another set
of 50 farmers with out solar pumpsets were also randomly selected from the
selected villages to serve as a control group. The villages Dorigallu,
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Pemanakuntapalli, Shaikshanipalli and Utakallu of the mandals of Mudigubha,
Nallamada, Uravakonda, Gooty were selected respectively.
The information related to the present study was collected using a welldefined
and pre-tested schedule through personal interview method. Detailed
information was collected and it pertained to the agricultural year 2016-17.
Tabular analysis, Gini coefficient ratio and Lorenz curve of inequality were
employed to analyse the set objectives.
The average size of the farm was 3.26 hectare on solar and 3.12 hectare
on non-solar farms. The entire farm holding was irrigated dry under solar
farms and rainfed in the case of non-solar farms. The per hectare value of
assets for solar farms was Rs.8,22,292.05 and the same for non-solar farms
was Rs.5,04,565.13. The share of land value for solar farms was 60.05 per
cent and for non-solar it was 77.28 per cent in the value of assets.
Various components required in installing solar pumpsets by the
farmers showed that the large share of 48 per cent was towards solar PV
modules, with other supply components like solar inverter, hot dip
Galvanized Iron (GI) mounting structure with manual tracking, DC motor
pump and HDPE pipe contributing 12, 11, 8.50 and 3.50 per cent respectively.
Of the total cost of installing a 3 HP 1800 Watt peak (Wp) DC
submersible solar pumpset, farmer’s share was Rs.30,000 in the case of OC
and BC and Rs.15,000 in case of SC and ST. Subsidy to the farmers was
contributed by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Southern
Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APSPDCL) and
Rural Development Trust (RDT), Ananthapur on the total amount of
Rs.5,25,000 was required to install.
Cent per cent of farmers with solar pumpsets were growing mango
orchard, whereas the rest of the farmers who still depended on rainfall
confined to mono-cropping of groundnut in only Kharif. The average land
holding of solar farmers was 3.26 ha. and it was 3.12 ha. for non-solar
farmers.
Cost of establishing mango on solar farms was found to be
Rs.62,792.34 as on current rates. High density planting of 175 grafts per
hectare was adopted by the solar farms. Fencing was not planned on all the
mango farms resulting in yield losses due to non-insect pests.
Commercial cost of cultivation (cost C2) of mango on solar farms was
Rs.76,928.73 per hectare during current period, 2016-17. The average yield
on solar farms was found to be 10.87 tonnes per hectare. With an average
selling price per tonne Rs.11,000 solar farmers realized a net income of
Rs.42,641.27 per hectare. The returns per rupee of investment was Rs.1.55.
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The average total cost of production per tonne of mango on solar farms
was Rs.7,077.16. With an average selling price of Rs.11,000 per tonne, solar
farmers realized Rs.3,922.84 per tonne.
Commercial cost of cultivation (cost C2) of groundnut on non-solar
farms was Rs.46,592.48. The average yield on non-solar farms was found to
be 13.50 quintals per hectare. With an average selling price per quintal
Rs.4,450 non-solar farmers realized a net income of Rs.21,357.52. The
returns per rupee of investment was Rs.1.46.
The average total cost of production per quintal of groundnut on nonsolar
farms was Rs.3,451.29. With an average selling price of Rs.4,450 per
quintal, non-solar farmers realized Rs.998.71 of returns per quintal.
Solar farmers with a Gini coefficient of 0.339 showed much lesser
inequality relative to 0.406 Gini value of non-solar farmers in respect of
income distribution.
Family expenditure pattern of solar and non-solar farmers showed
Rs.3,31,388 and Rs.3,17,081 per household per annum respectively.
With the family expenditure being more or less closer for the selected
two groups of the farmers, the savings did not show much of a deviation
between the two categories of the farmers. The amount of savings generated
by the two categories of the farmers stood at Rs.32,702 and Rs.31,504 per
annum respectively.
Description
D5674
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