The state Agriculture department of West Bengal (India) recently set a target of attaining self-sufficiency in the production of seed potato by 2030. CIP is supporting the effort with their technology

Potato production in the current crop year is estimated to be 53.60 mt, down from 56.17 mt last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture's first estimate of horticulture production.

Blaming the federal government for the steep hike in prices of essential commodities, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal alleged that the prices were rising as the Centre has snatched away the state's power.

As growth slows down and intense competition emerges from regional brands in potato chips, PepsiCo and ITC are shifting their focus more towards newer and healthier forms of packaged snacks, the market for which is growing at twice the speed.

A centre of the Shimla-based Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) will be set up in West Bengal's West Midnapur district to make quality potato seeds favourable to the state's climatic condition available to the farmers.

The Rs 2000-crore SPS Group, with interests in steel, hotels and biscuits among other things, has taken over a potato flakes project set up by Apurba Saha's Pailan group, another diversified outfit that is into education, aviation, township developmen...