Powering one district one product (ODOP) and mega food parks with agrivoltaics

Estimates suggest that India loses a significant share of its crop produce after harvest. Nearly 68 million tonnes of food are wasted annually, including 35%–40% fruits and vegetables lost after harvest. To overcome these market failures, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has launched the One District One Product (ODOP) and Mega Food Park programmes. However, high power costs associated with these schemes to run cold storages and post-harvest processing units add to the fiscal burden. To ensure country-wide uptake and pass on the benefits to farmers, these programmes must be fuelled by reliable and cost-effective clean energy—making agrivoltaics a strong candidate. Recognising this, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has recently announced a dedicated agrivoltaics component under the upcoming PM-KUSUM 2.0 scheme, with a national target of 10 GW.

Policy support is already in motion. The agrivoltaics component under PM-KUSUM 2.0 provides a clear direction. The next step is better integration with ODOP and Mega Food Parks. States can identify ODOP districts with high post-harvest losses and energy demand and prioritise them for agrivoltaics. Food parks can serve as anchor loads, with cluster-level power purchase agreements ensuring demand certainty and building farmer confidence. FPOs can be supported end-to-end—from detailed project report preparation to installation—through institutional backing.

Financing can follow a similar approach. Blended finance can reduce upfront costs, while credit can be tied to assured offtake. Green skilling can build local capacity for operations and maintenance. The pieces already exist. ODOP builds markets. Mega Food Parks build infrastructure. Agrivoltaics can power both.

What’s needed is not new schemes but better integration. Linking land, power, and markets at the district level can transform rural value chains, reducing waste, increasing farmer incomes, and creating local jobs. The gap is clear, and the solution is within reach.

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