Direct energy optimization for sustainable agricultural operation - a fuzzy linear programming approach

Energy consumption in agriculture depends on different types of crop cultivation in different seasons. Cultivation of crops is done mainly on the basis of agro-climatic conditions, potentials of resources of the region and different types of commercial and non-commercial energy application at the firm level. The present paper offers a model which attempts to optimize the direct energy use for different operations in the agricultural sector, taking into consideration certain objective functions against a set of constraints. The exercise is essentially the application of multi-objective fuzzy linear programming techniques in which efforts are made to arrive at a compromise solution among the objectives in a fuzzy environment. This model is capable of accommodating the needs at local level to provide solutions which are sectorally, spatially and sectionally realistic. The dominance of agriculture in the economy has prompted testing its applicability in the situation of a backward community development block, Narayangarh, which is situated in the state of West Bengal in India and hence finding out the capability of the model to provide validation-based recommendation for the purpose of direct energy use for agricultural operations.