Yanmar has launched a Save The Farms initiative in Japan to integrate agrivoltaics with regenerative farming in Japan
Pilot sites for the initiative are planned in Shiga and Okayama, where rice will be grown beneath solar panels on leased land
Local farmers will be involved in the process that the company plans to expand globally
Japanese industrial machinery manufacturer Yanmar Holdings has announced a new agrivoltaics initiative, calling it ‘Save The Farms by Yanmar’ in a bid to promote dual use of farmland in Japan. It targets to expand to 1,000 hectares in Japan by fiscal 2030. Global expansion is on the cards as well.
The basic idea of the initiative is to combine regenerative agriculture with agrivoltaics, a model it will replicate across Japan in collaboration with local governments and agricultural stakeholders.
Under the initial phase, it will establish such projects on farmlands in Shiga Prefecture’s Ritto City and Okayama Prefecture’s Okayama City by leasing land from landowners. Rice will be grown under the solar panels.
The Ritto project will be operated by a Yanmar subsidiary that will employ people with disabilities on-site. It will generate around 78 MWh annually for Yanmar Corporation and Yanmar Holdings. The Okayama project will have local farmers carrying out the farming activities. It will generate approximately 169 MWh/year, which will be supplied to Yanmar Agri and Yanmar Energy System.
According to the Japanese company, there has been an increase in abandoned farmland, especially in mountainous and hilly regions, which account for nearly 40% of the country’s total farmland. Moreover, aging farmers and labor shortage compound the challenge of its maintenance.
By adding solar generation to underused farmland, Yanmar says farmers can add a new revenue source to their income while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
"Through “Save The Farms by Yanmar," Yanmar aims to help protect the future of farmland and curb the spread of abandoned fields by offering solutions that leverage the company’s technologies and expertise,” stated the company.
The Japanese government is promoting agrivoltaics on abandoned agricultural land under its 7th Strategic Energy Plan, with key focus on solar (see Japan To Aim For 20 GW Perovskite Solar Cell Capacity By 2040).
.png?w=50&fm=png){kind=logo}