In a move aimed at bolstering potato production and innovation in Uttar Pradesh, the state’s Minister of Horticulture, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Foreign Trade, and Agricultural Export (Independent Charge), Dinesh Pratap Singh, held a meeting with Dr. Simon Heck, Director General of the International Potato Center (CIP) headquartered in Peru. The meeting took place at the Minister’s official residence in Lucknow on Thursday.
During the discussion, Minister Singh expressed his gratitude to Dr. Heck for the collaboration in establishing a branch of the CIP at the government-owned potato farm in Seengna, Agra district. This initiative is expected to bring new advancements to potato cultivation within the state.
The Minister highlighted the commitment of the Uttar Pradesh government, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, to connect farmers with modern agricultural techniques. This includes facilitating the export of their produce to both domestic and international markets. He emphasized the crucial role potato farmers will play in achieving Chief Minister Adityanath’s goal of elevating the state’s economy to a 1 trillion USD economy. The government is actively supporting potato growers through assistance in storage, security, and export processes.
The establishment of the CIP branch is poised to offer several key benefits:
- Development and Production of New Potato Varieties: The branch will aid in the development and production of new potato varieties suitable for the region’s specific conditions.
- Readily Available Germplasm: Suitable germplasm of potato varieties for food processing will be easily accessible, allowing for the development of varieties based on regional suitability.
- Diversity in Potato Production: The center will enable a more diverse range of potato varieties to be produced.
- Advanced Seed Production Technology: The center is successfully conducting potato seed production using the apical rooted cutting method and that technology can be used.
Minister Singh underscored that Uttar Pradesh is a major potato-producing region. And government has also invited investors from India and outside, for investment and innovation in horticulture. The state government is dedicated to providing farmers with improved seeds and technological support to further enhance potato production, aiming to increase both domestic consumption and export opportunities.
The meeting also noted that India ranks second globally in potato production, with Uttar Pradesh being the largest potato-producing state in the country. In the 2023-24 period, the state produced 24.36 million metric tons of potatoes across 6.96 lakh hectares, accounting for approximately 35% of India’s total production. About 40% of the state’s potato yield is sold to other states. The Agra, Aligarh, and Kanpur divisions are key potato-producing areas, with Agra being the most prominent district, cultivating potatoes over 74,000 hectares.
The meeting was attended by key officials, including Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Manoj Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary of Horticulture and Food Processing B.L. Meena, Director of the International Rice Research Institute Dr. Sudhanshu, Raman Abrol from CIP, Director of the Central Potato Research Institute Dr. Brijesh Singh, Horticulture Commissioner Prabhat Kumar, and Director of Horticulture Dr. Vijay Bahadur Dwivedi, along with other senior departmental officials.
