New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday shared an article by Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan that highlighted the potential of agrivoltaics to strengthen farmers’ incomes by combining solar power generation with agricultural activity.
In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister said the technology could provide farmers with an additional source of revenue, lower energy costs and support crop productivity, describing it as an important avenue for advancing rural prosperity.
Notably, India will host the seventh AgriVoltaics World Conference here from October 21 to October 23 under the theme ‘Powering the Global South’.
In the article, Joshi and Chouhan said agrivoltaics — also known as AgriPV — offers farmers an opportunity to generate clean electricity while continuing cultivation on the same land, helping diversify incomes and strengthen resilience against uncertainties in agriculture.
The government was planning further measures under the next phase of the PM-KUSUM scheme to accelerate solar power generation through the creation of a dedicated space for agrivoltaics, building on progress already made in solarising agricultural irrigation, according to the government.
They noted that nearly 86 per cent of India’s farmers are small and marginal landholders and said agrivoltaics could help them benefit from both agricultural production and the clean-energy transition.
According to the ministers, the model can generate additional income from electricity sales, reduce dependence on diesel and purchased power, and create favourable microclimatic conditions that help protect crops from heat stress, drought, excessive solar radiation and hail.
They also stated that wider adoption of agrivoltaics could stimulate rural employment through installation, maintenance and agricultural services linked to solar infrastructure.
They stressed that successful deployment would require suitable crop selection, adequate irrigation and nutrient management, as well as designs that preserve sufficient sunlight for cultivation.
Coordination among agriculture and energy departments, state governments, research institutions and local bodies would also be critical, they said.
–IANS–
