Muhammad Saleem

Farmers can boost productivity by installing solar-powered tube wells amid rising costs of grid electricity. Farhan Malik, a progressive farmer, told WealthPK that solar-powered pumps would surely reduce the growers’ workload and expenses. He said farmers had to wait for their water sharing schedule or make alternative arrangements to irrigate their lands. “By installing solar-powered tube wells, we can free up our time and focus on other effective methods to enhance productivity,” he said. However, only financially sound farmers could have solar-powered tube wells, he added. He said the government should start converting tube wells into solar energy right away to increase agricultural productivity and ensure farmers’ food security and prosperity. He said inability to foot the bill was the major stumbling block to adopting this technology. “However, the quick fix to the issue is subsidies and financing by the government that will make it easy for farmers to go for solarisation.”

Farhan suggested the government arrange training for farmers on operation and maintenance of the solar-powered tube wells. Dr Khan, a faculty member at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, told WealthPK that energy was once a piece of cake for the farming community, but the situation has now taken a turn for the worse as electricity rates have gone through the roof. “We need to equip our farmers with solar energy so that they can enjoy affordable and uninterrupted electricity to irrigate their lands through solar-energised tube wells.” Khan said farmers having no access to canal water often relied on diesel-run generators for irrigation, straining their finances. Besides, he said diesel-run generators also caused environmental pollution. “Solarising tube wells will surely change the game for the agriculture sector and farmers. Solar power is a cost-effective, clean and reliable energy source,” he said.

Ali Raza, who deals in solar power business, said easy and subsidised availability of solar panels could help farmers increase productivity amid rising costs of grid electricity. “Farmers need to have easy access to solar systems.” “Keeping in view the skyrocketing electricity rates and the environmental pollution in Pakistan, we must reduce our reliance on diesel-produced electricity, and turn to green and cost-effective sources of energy,” he said. Farhan, the progressive farmer, said there were also reports of solar panel thefts in different areas of the country. He said farmers had to install such plates in the open. He asked the government to crack down on the thieves of solar panels.

Credit: INP-WealthPk