Uttar Pradesh government is looking to increase potato production by 35%

The government of the Indian State Uttar Pradesh is giving a final shape to its proposed potato development Policy.

Uttar Pradesh is looking to augment potato production by 35 percent to achieve 18 million tonnes (MT) of produce. Likewise, potato acreage would be increased by almost 25 percent to 6,75,000 hectares.

To achieve these ambitious goals, the state government is giving final shape to the proposed UP Potato Development Policy, 2014, aimed at increasing farm income.

The current level of state potato production and acreage stands at 13.3 MT and 5,48,000 hectares, respectively. UP Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani had recently directed officials to speedily formulate the proposed policy.

The government would set up a centre of excellence for potato, while potato farmers would be facilitated to avail of bank credit facilities based on the proposed ‘warehousing receipt system.’

The mandis situated in potato belts would be converted to ‘potato mandis’ to boost inter-state trade. Exhibitions/buyers-sellers meets would also be organised in other states to facilitate tie-ups between local buyers and UP’s potato producers.

Training programmes would be organised in the district, block and village levels to disseminate latest technical knowledge about potato cultivation.

The state government had already speeded up efforts to ramp up warehousing capacity by over 1.8 MT under Private Entrepreneur Guarantee (PEG) Scheme, 2008, under which UP State Warehousing Corporation (UPSWC) would set up warehousing capacity of almost 1.67 MT, followed by the Food Corporation of India and Central Warehousing Corporation at 1.85 MT and 6,500 tonnes, respectively.

The state needs more cold storage and warehousing capacity for efficient post harvest management of crops and food grain. The lack of proper warehousing leads to colossal wastage of agricultural crops, especially during the agricultural marketing seasons.

Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of potato in India, accounting for about a third of the country's total potato production.