News on The Potato Supply Chain from India

Potato production in West Bengal is likely to be lower by 10-15 per cent on ‘late blight’ in a quarter of the growing districts.

The continued accumulation of heavy frost on plants for the past few days is feared to have damaged 75% of the tomato crop in the district of Karnal, while potato growers may have suffered losses over 20%.

Agristo signed an agreement with West Coast Fine Foods for the distribution of its frozen potato Products in India

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

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.

Bending over backwards following pressure from other states and agitations by traders' associations there, the West Bengal government Monday relaxed its ban on export of potatoes

Since potato prices in West Bengal are fixed by state government, smuggling of potatoes to surrounding Indian states that do not have fixed potato prices has become a major issue.

West Bengal state government today started selling potato at Rs 13 a kilo, a price pegged by chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on a day potato traders in Bengal began a 3-day strike to protest the administration’s ban on selling the tuber to other states.

Despite well distributed rainfall in the monsoon, West Bengal, one of the most important potato growing zones in India, is likely to have major down fall in potato yield in next crop season. Courtesy- prevailing post monsoon meteorological disturbances.

Potato prices have almost doubled in most parts of India over the past one week. While most states are yet to take steps to check the spike in prices, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has called a meeting on October 30 to review the situation.

The Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) in Shimla, India's premier potato research institute, has evolved a new technology to prevent conversion of starch into glucose in low temperature conditions, like cold storages.

Farmers from Kannauj and neighbouring areas have been throwing potatoes on the roads here, after a super bumper crop led to huge excess of supply over demand.

SI Solutions has said it is interested in setting up a potato processing unit in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh and requested land for it.

Contrary to NGO stories of exploited farmers and middlemen running riot, Gujarat’s potato farmers have scripted an entrepreneurial success story by teaming up with multinationals and other buyers of their produce

Potato prices in West Bengal may depreciate by 8% on the back of a better crop prospect in south India. The south Indian crop is expected to enter the market next month which is likely to push down prices at the retail level.

Wholesale merchants in Karnataka have started selling their stock of over 30,500 tonnes of potato seeds brought from Punjab.

In a bid to boost potato cultivation in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced to enhance the subsidy on diggers, graders and planters from 10 per cent to 50 per cent.

For 56-year old Subrata Ghosh from village Garbeta in Bengal’s Medinipur district, it was a dream come true on Saturday.