News on The Potato Supply Chain from India

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, have developed a computational model for automated disease detection in potato crops using photographs of its leaves.

Recently Mahindra HZPC brought 30 more potato varieties from HZPC to India. They include HZPC's Perupas, an assortment of colourful varieties, rich in antioxidants for healthy lifestyle. The recently introduced varieties are expected to give rise to new and differentiated supply chains, especially in the modern retail space.

Union Additional Secretary Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Vivek Agarwal said Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to produce high quality virus-free potato seeds and become its largest producer.

Technico Agri Sciences Limited (a 100% subsidiary of ITC Ltd.) is an Agri-Biotech Company involved in the business of producing and selling 'Early Generation' high vigor seed potatoes, with its award winning TECHNITUBER® Seed Technology.

With retail potato prices rising sharply over April and May, the government of India has decided to permit the import of Potatoes from Bhutan without any license up to June 30, 2022.

Dilip from Odisha learnt an innovative method to grow potatoes using agro-waste, to put an end to stubble burning.

Bharat Insecticides Ltd. (BIL), a group company of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) specializing in crop protection products announced that it has changed its name to ‘Bharat Certis AgriScience Ltd.’ with effect from 1st April 2021.

Cold storages full at 97% capacity; bumper crop drags prices of the spud down.

Potato cultivators in West Bengal were afraid they will face severe losses as the price of good quality seeds have skyrocketed even as the minimum support price (MSP) fixed has remained relatively low.

Retail prices of potatoes have risen marginally, given that farmers have been scrambling to stock up on the harvest, which has had a bumper production this year. This very bounty and the stockpiling is expected to keep potato prices stable over the next season.

Predicting a bumper harvest of potato this season, the West Bengal Cabinet on Monday decided to allow cold storage owners to purchase at least 10 lakh (1 Million) metric tons of tuber from farmers at a fixed price, so that they do not have to suffer losses, a senior official said.

Central Potato Research Institute, (CPRI) Ooty in Tamil Nadu has developed two disease resistant potatoes - Kufri Sahyadri and Kufri Karan - hybrid varieties which at present showing promising results in improving yield by 25 per cent to 30 per cent at laboratory level.

On Jan 31, 2021, the team of Allround (India) Vegetable Processing Machines Pvt Ltd, Ambala, Haryana took part in the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony of the expansion and capacity enhancement project of the unit.

Researchers of the International Potato Center (CIP) explain the difficulties small potato farmers in many states of India may face to access good-quality planting materials at affordable prices.

Prices of Potatoes and all other vegetables and pulses have steadily increased through the course of the coronavirus-infused lockdown.

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.

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.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES), a part of the USD 19.4 billion Mahindra Group, today announced the launch of its new advanced Precision Potato Planting machinery, the new ‘PlantingMaster Potato +’.