The Economics of Cooking Energy Scenario in Arid Rajasthan

Abstract

The analysis of non-commercial fuel supply and its use on randomly selected
farms in arid Rajasthan revealed that about 60 per cent of fuel wood consumed
on sample households was supplied by ones own farm. Fuelwood, dungcake
and crop wastes accounted for 58,28 and 14 per cent of total noncommercial
fuels used in cooking food. The per household annual consumption
of non-commercial fuels ranged between 3. 13 to 5.62 t in different size of
farms. However. the actual per capita energy derived from the non-commercial
fuels consumed on sample farms was short by 22 per cent compared to
requirement in country side conditions. It is inferred that the fuels are used
inefficiently leading to diversion of valuable cowdung to hearths. The per
farm cowdung used as fuel worth Rs. 108.00 was actually worth Rs. 302.00 in
terms of nutrients (NPK) contained in it.