Prayagraj is poised for a significant agricultural development as preparations are underway for the district to become a major centre for the production of potato seeds thru germplasm. This initiative marks a crucial step, positioning Prayagraj as the only district in Uttar Pradesh to undertake this specialised production. Currently within India, this type of potato seed production is primarily carried out in Haryana and Shimla.
The project involves a collaboration between Amul and farmer producer organisations (FPOs) in the district, supported by the state government. Under this arrangement, farmers associated with the selected FPOs will be responsible for cultivating and preparing the potato seeds. These seeds will then be supplied to Amul, which will handle the export of the germplasm to Germany. This development is expected to bring substantial economic benefits to the local farming community.
The selection process for the FPOs involved a tender issued by Amul in May, with the backing of the state government1. A total of 17 FPOs from across the state participated in this tender. The tender stipulated several key requirements that participating FPOs had to meet to qualify:
• Possession of 80 acres of farming land.
• A requirement for 20 acres of this land to be in a single, contiguous piece.
• The land should have loamy soil.
•There needed to be good drainage facilities.
• Availability of an electricity connection for water supply was necessary.
• Existence of a storage room or facility was also a condition.
Following the evaluation based on these criteria, two FPOs from Prayagraj were selected. These are the Phulpur Farmer Producer Company Ltd. and another FPO located in Sahson.
The anticipated impact of this project is significant. According to Umesh Patel, the head of the Phulpur Farmer Producer Company, this initiative is expected to open doors for employment for hundreds of farmers in the area. Furthermore, the project is projected to increase the income of approximately one thousand farmers involved in this production effort1.
Understanding the product itself, the explanation provided by District Agriculture Officer K.K. Singh1 says germplasm is described as a biological collection. This collection includes various components such as the seeds, cuttings (kalm), or tissues (tisu) from diverse varieties of a plant. The primary application of this germplasm is in agricultural research and development; it is used for developing new varieties of crops and creating disease-resistant plants.
Pawan Vishwakarma, the Deputy Director of Agriculture, confirmed the details of the project. He stated that Amul issued the tender, attracting participation from 17 FPOs. He reiterated that the FPOs selected, specifically those from Phulpur and Sahson, will produce the potato seeds and provide them to Amul for export to Germany.
