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Abstract
The relationship between energy-use and agricultural production has been examined for major states in
India. The study has indicated that high-productivity states like Punjab and Haryana use energy more
than seven-times as compared to the low-productivity states like Odisha (4 GJ/ha). The paper has
demonstrated that the use of energy-intensive inputs is higher on marginal farms than on large farms. The
energy-related foresight exercise has suggested that the energy requirement in Indian agriculture will be
double of the present consumption level (22 million tonnes of oil equivalent) for achieving 280 Mt of
foodgrains production by 2020. The enhanced farm energy demand will call for a robust energy policy
which should ensure reliable supply of energy to the agricultural sector, particularly to small farmers at
affordable cost. The policy should also aim to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by replacing
fossil fuel by renewable energy sources like crop residues and solar energy. The preliminary analysis has
indicated that the system of rice intensification (SRI) method is more energy-efficient as compared to
transplanted rice.