Pakistan Potato production almost 3 million tons

The potato production in Pakistan has significantly risen and it touched the figures of 2919.21 thousand tons during 2007-08 fiscal year against the set target of 2148.26 thousand tons.  Official sources in the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) told APP here on Sunday that 127.75 thousand hectare of land was set to put under potato crop cultivation to achieve 2148.26 thousand tons of crop for domestic consumption as well as to export.

He said that Pakistan was the seventh largest potato producing country in the world. Area under potato crop cultivation was increased as against the set target and crop was grown over 248.59 thousand hectare, he added.

About 2766.70 thousand tons potato was produced in Punjab, where 137.20  thousand hectare land was under crop cultivation.

Similarly in Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan potato was cultivated over 0.29, 108, 3.10 thousand hectare respectively from which 2.51, 118.30 and 31.70 thousand tons of potato crop was achieved during the time under review, the sources added.

Potato is an important vegetable crop in the country, due to its nutrient values and taste it is commonly used by all age groups as vegetable and snakes  (chips), official informed.

He said that the country needed only 1500 thousand tonnes for domestic as well as for keeping seeds for new crop while the remaining crop production would become surplus.

He said that Minfal has encouraged the private sector to potato export by its processing into Chips and other forms of snacks.