India: Can farmers farm the sun?

India’s two biggest future challenges could be agriculture and energy. Agriculture is in crisis since grain production has stagnated for seven years. And if India’s GDP rises 40-60 times by 2050, as predicted by Goldman Sachs, energy consumption will rise at least 20 times, exacerbating the global energy crisis.

Farmers complain that no new, high-yielding grain varieties have been developed recently. Switching from grain to fruit and vegetables could improve farm incomes.
Reliance, Bharti and other corporations are linking farmers to retail hypermarkets. The corporations provide farmers with inputs and know-how, and buy the produce at agreed prices. However, these initiatives cover only a few thousand acres. Even if this goes up to one million acres, that will be just 0.25% of India’s cultivated area.

The energy crisis suggests another way forward. When oil crosses $70/barrel, ethanol made from sugar cane is fully competitive with petrol. Bihar has ideal conditions for this crop. Cane yields far more income than grain.

If farmers really want to harness sunlight for energy, the best process is not ethanol but solar electricity. Farmers should cover their fields with solar-electric panels which directly covert sunlight into electricity. In effect, farmers will farm the sun.

Unlike growing crops, farming the sun needs no irrigation, fertilisers or pesticides. It needs no tractors, ploughs or harvesters. It will yield income in the worst droughts. It is environment-friendly.

Times of India