Farm power availability for sustainable agriculture development in Punjab state of India

Abstract

It has transforming from subsistence farming which was dependent on human and animals, to mechanized farming using inanimate power sources like tractors, diesel engines, electric motors, etc. In Punjab agriculture, the human and animal power has substantially reduced from 7.5 to 0.69 % and 73 to 0.61% respectively due to increase in mechanical power from 17 to 76 % and electrical power from 1.7 to 23.5 from 1960-61 to 2012-13. The intensity of farm power availability has increased from 0.37 to 5.68 kW ha^-1 during the same period. Correspondingly there has been increase in the cropping intensity (112 to 196%), production (3.16 to 28.58 mt) and productivity (668 to 3638 kg ha^-1) of total food grains.