Last year, YAMI’s solar helical rotor pumps reduced irrigation costs for many small farmers across West Bengal. One such farmer is Sanjit Biswas, who owns a one-acre farm in Nadia district. In 2022, the YAMI solar pump he installed saved about Rs. 15,000 in fuel during the winter rice growing season alone.
The total cost of his pump was Rs. 2.37 lakhs, but the state government provided a subsidy of Rs. 1.42 lakhs under the Farm Mechanization scheme. Biswas paid the remaining Rs. 500,000 through a NABARD loan at 5% interest over 2 years. “Irrigation costs are now zero,” he remarks.
Biswas notes YAMI’s 3HP solar helical rotor pumps are ideal for small farms up to 0.65 acres. But many remote areas still rely on polluting diesel pumps due to lack of power infrastructure. Expanding this scheme would benefit many smallholders, he says.
Another farmer, Dhipal Karmakar, also utilizes a YAMI solar pump, saving Rs. 5,000-6,000 yearly on electricity. But most farmers are still hesitant to adopt solar pumps due to high upfront costs, despite subsidies.
Biswas and Karmakar agree hybrid solar-electric pumps would be ideal, allowing irrigation at night or on cloudy days. YAMI provides such helical rotor hybrid pumping systems. Their advanced technology minimizes costs and maximizes renewable solar energy use for farmers.
With rising diesel prices and climate change concerns, India’s rural solar irrigation market has huge potential. YAMI aims to collaborate with more state governments to extend affordable helical rotor solar pumps to smallholder farmers across West Bengal and beyond.
