Solar panels can be major source of providing electricity to farmers: Chouhan

New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday suggested that a model could be considered wherein elevated solar panels could be installed above the crops to make farmers both food and energy providers.

The minister attended the National Agriculture-Renewable Energy Conference 2025 organised by the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) here.

On this occasion, Chouhan released the Federation’s report and annual reference book on agriculture and renewable energy.

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The conference was organised to push for dialogue and collaboration among policymakers, experts, and farmers regarding the integration of renewable energy in the agriculture sector, an official statement said.

Addressing the event, the minister said that solar panels can be a major source of providing electricity to farmers, and that the PM-KUSUM scheme is working in this direction to ensure energy security for them.

He also "proposed the model of installing elevated solar panels in fields with crops growing beneath them, stating that such models could transform small and medium-scale farmers into both food and energy providers."

The minister urged for more serious consideration and development of this model.

If effective and modern versions of this model are brought forward, the government will certainly support its implementation, Chouhan said.

He noted that six effective measures are being focused on to ensure prosperity of farmers: Increasing production; Reducing cost of production; Ensuring fair prices for produce; Providing compensation in case of losses; Diversification; and Balanced use of fertilizers to preserve the land for future generations.

The minister also emphasised on the importance of organic farming to retain fertility of the soil.

"A 15-day ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ has been ongoing since May 29. As part of it, I have visited Odisha, Jammu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Patna, and Maharashtra, and I will continue to travel across the country to meet our farmer brothers and sisters," he said.

Chouhan stated there has been a notable increase in agricultural production since 2014-15, with overall production increasing by 40 per cent.

While there has been growth in the production of wheat, rice, maize, and groundnut, he said there is a need to enhance the production of pulses and oilseeds.

“India cannot function without agriculture,” he emphasised, noting that 50 per cent of the country's population still relies on agriculture for employment.

He said that integrated farming systems must be adopted to compete with the changing times.

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