MEASUREMENT OF ENERGY USE IN AGRICULTURE

Historically, energy utilization efficiency has been measured using energy ratio and energy productivity. Both these measures have their limitations. So a new measure of energy productivity, i.e. the value of product per unit of energy input, is proposed to measure energy utilization at macro levels. This measure will enable comparison of the efficiency of different agricultural systems, agricultural regions, farm size classes, countries, etc. Comparisons over time of the changes within an agricultural system are also possible, even if the product mix changes. It will help in identifying regions of comparative advantage for various agricultural activities, and may also aid policy formulation for the location of agriculture and agricultural development. This measure of efficiency is a midway approach to net energy analysis and traditional economic analysis.