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Odisha

Even as the State Potato Mission failed to take off due to the lack of direction and apathy of the government to the project, it has expressed it desire to revalidate the contract with the International Potato Centre (CIP) for intensification of potato production.

The Odisha Government has decided to approve a major project with the International Potato Centre (CIP) focused on sustainable intensification of potato cultivation in order to achieve self-sufficiency in production in this Indian State.

The government in the Indian state Odisha has started producing potato variety ‘Chipsona’ on experimental basis in Koraput in anticipation of plans by Pepsico to establish a potato chips manufacturing unit in the region

In a bid to rein in prices of potatoes, the government of the Indian State Odisha has imposed stock holding limits on this Indian staple.

Potato shortages put consumers in the Indian State Odisha and the Odisha State government in trouble year after year. Now the Odisha State Government has announced an ambitious plan to cultivate potato in 25,000 hectares of land.

The Odisha State Government on Wednesday signed an MoU with Utkal Tubers India Pvt Ltd to produce quality potato seeds.

The Odisha State Government’s plan to achieve self- sufficiency in seed potato production has gone for a toss with the National Seeds Corporation (NSC) and National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) backing out of its commitment to produce quality seeds within the State.

Even though farmers in Koraput district have decided to take up potato farming in wake of the recent potato crisis, there are not enough stock of potato seeds in the district.