Diesel prices rose 32.9% globally in the second quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier, increasing costs for farmers, processors and other rural businesses that depend on fuel for pumps, generators, mills and refrigeration. In Africa, average retail diesel prices climbed 25% across 42 countries between mid-January and mid-June, with larger increases in Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
A solar irrigation project in Chamwino, central Tanzania, illustrates how switching power sources can affect farm incomes. In 2021, a solar pump and drip-irrigation system replaced a diesel setup. Farmers said their mango production and average income from mango sales roughly doubled in the first season, as they could irrigate beyond the rainy months and manage their orchards more intensively.
Diesel remains a major part of rural energy supply, even as electricity access has expanded. An Energy for Growth Hub study estimated that Africa had 150–190 gigawatts of distributed diesel-generator capacity in 2024, compared with 268 gigawatts connected to the grid. Excluding South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa had nearly 1.5 times as much generator capacity as grid-connected capacity, and diesel capacity exceeded grid capacity in at least 26 countries.
The recent fuel-price increases have also pushed up costs across agriculture and food distribution. Fertilizer prices rose by 30–45% in several African markets after the conflict involving Iran began, while a women’s groundnut-processing cooperative in Nigeria reported that higher fuel and fertilizer costs raised the price of raw groundnuts and groundnut oil by 33%. In Myanmar, increased diesel costs have made it more expensive to transport food and farm inputs, contributing to higher rice prices.
Solar-powered systems are already being used as alternatives for irrigation and backup electricity. In Ethiopia’s Berbere district, two solar water pumps installed in 2025 enabled farmers to irrigate land using river water. During the first production season, participating households earned an average of $709 from onion cultivation, compared with about $207 a year from maize and teff before the pumps were installed. Farmers also said they could harvest more than once a year and grow surplus crops such as onions and chilies.
Solar deployment in Africa is expanding. The article reports that 17 gigawatts of solar capacity are expected to be installed in 2026, 45% more than in 2025. About three-quarters of the continent’s solar growth between 2023 and 2025 came from distributed systems, as households and businesses sought alternatives to unreliable electricity and diesel generation.
Planning tools could help identify where these systems may be useful. In Ethiopia, the Ministry of Water and Energy and the World Bank have used the Energy Access Explorer platform to help prioritize off-grid electrification. An analysis cited in the article estimates that around 12.6 million people live in Ethiopian areas with high agricultural activity and solar potential but limited access to grid electricity. A related analysis in Uganda identified 243 health facilities and about 4.6 million people in areas with limited or no grid connection, despite abundant sunlight.
The article cites a Tracking SDG 7 estimate that $21 billion is needed by 2030 to provide off-grid solar to the 398 million people for whom it is the least-cost electricity option. The analysis argues that identifying where distributed clean power can replace diesel is important for reducing exposure to fuel-price swings and supporting rural livelihoods.
Sources: CleanTechnica.