The energy crisis in Pakistan coupled with a hike in fuel prices has extended the need for investments and improvements in energy efficiency mechanisms. The agriculture sector is not an exception.

The agricultural sector is a significant consumer of energy resources in various ways, having major applications encompassing mechanization, irrigation, and transportation. This energy consumption predominantly takes the form of electricity nearly 90% and High-Speed Diesel (HSD) approximately 10%.

Mechanization involves the use of tractors, harvesters, transplanters, and other seasonal machinery, spanning tasks from land management to harvesting and the subsequent transportation of agricultural produce to markets. Another critical area of energy consumption lies in irrigation, where a substantial amount of energy is required to operate tube-wells. Tube-wells are powered by both electricity and diesel to ensure efficient irrigation processes.

The energy consumption trends worldwide reveal that energy consumption in developing countries, including Pakistan, is increasing. However, in the case of Pakistan, this heightened energy demand has led to an energy crisis. This underscores the necessity for alternative energy sources, such as solar power, or to promote the more efficient use of energy to address and manage this crisis effectively. Pakistan being one of the economies with the lowest agricultural energy efficiency can achieve a competitive edge by reducing production costs, by adopting energy-efficient measures.

Over the last three and a half decades, there........

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