Punjab expected to cultivate 75,000 ha Potato

Punjab is expecting to bring 75,000 hectares of land under potato cultivation this rabi season with a total output of 16 lakh metric tonnes.

"We have targeted to bring 75,000 hectares of land under potato cultivation this season and we are hoping that actual area under this crop will surpass our target,"Punjab Horticulture Director Baldev Singh said today.

Last year, about 77 000 hectares of land was under potato cultivation in the state.

Punjab, which has 5-6 per cent share in country's total potato output, mainly grows seed potato varieties which are supplied to various parts of the country for growing potato crop. It is mainly grown in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur districts of the state.

After fetching remunerative returns last season, state potato growers are unsure of getting same rates for their crop this season because of excessive stock piled up in the cold storages.