Jain Irrigation, a prominent name in the agricultural sector, has carved a significant niche in potato seed production through its pioneering work in tissue culture and its commitment to delivering superior quality seeds to the potato farming community. A recent insightful conversation with Mr. V.K. Singh, the Associate Vice President of Marketing at Jain Irrigation, provides a comprehensive understanding of the company’s multifaceted approach to potato seed production, its technological advancements, and its extensive network that reaches farmers across the nation.
A Legacy Forged in Tissue Culture Innovation
Jain Irrigation holds the distinction of being the oldest tissue culture company in the country. Their global footprint in this domain is substantial, with Mr. Singh highlighting their impressive capacity of producing tissue culture plants at their state-of-the-art plant factory situated in Jalgaon. While their tissue culture endeavors encompass a wide array of crops, including mango, citrus, and pome fruits like coffee, their potato seed production exemplifies their integrated and technologically driven methodology.
In a market populated by several seed producers, including notable international players Jain Irrigation differentiates itself through several key strategic advantages
- Pioneering Spirit and Unmatched Capacity: Jain Irrigation takes pride in its pioneering status in tissue culture, coupled with its largest production capacity, supported by a dedicated team of skilled manpower and experienced scientists working in their tissue culture facilities.
- Beyond Aeroponics: Embracing Climate-Controlled Environments: While the use of aeroponics for mini tuber production is a common practice among seed companies, Jain Irrigation has further augmented its capabilities by incorporating climate-controlled natural climate facilities (CA). This dual approach, with a balance of approximately half of their facilities dedicated to aeroponics and the other half to CA-controlled environments, provides them with greater flexibility and control over the initial stages of seed production.
- Generation One Excellence in Protected Structures: A significant differentiator lies in Jain Irrigation’s practice of producing Generation One (G1) seeds within the controlled environment of poly houses and net houses. This contrasts with other companies that typically cultivate G1 seeds in open fields. Jain Irrigation’s substantial infrastructure, encompassing around 1000 acres of poly houses and net houses, provides them with the unique ability to manage large-scale G1 production under optimal conditions, ensuring better quality and minimizing the risk of disease and environmental factors.
/
The Journey from Tissue Culture to Farmers’ Fields
Jain Irrigation’s potato seed production follows a meticulous multi-generational cycle, ensuring the propagation of healthy and high-yielding seeds:
- Initiation through Tissue Culture: The process commences with the production of disease-free plantlets through advanced tissue culture techniques.
- Mini Tuber Development: These tissue-cultured plantlets are then nurtured in either aeroponic systems or climate-controlled environments to produce mini tubers
- Generation One Seed Production: The mini tubers serve as the foundation for the cultivation of Generation One (G1) seeds. Crucially, Jain Irrigation cultivates these G1 seeds within their extensive network of poly houses and net houses, providing a protected and carefully managed environment
- Subsequent Generations through Contract Farming: To multiply the seeds further, Jain Irrigation engages in contract farming arrangements. They provide G1 seeds to farmers subsequently procure the harvested produce. This cycle of providing seeds and buying back the subsequent generation allows for efficient seed multiplication.
Reaching the Farmers: A Robust Distribution Network
To ensure that their quality potato seeds reach farmers across the diverse agricultural landscapes of India, Jain Irrigation has established a comprehensive distribution network. They have a wide network pf distributors strategically located across different states in India. The primary channel for farmers to access Jain Irrigation’s seeds is through these established distributors. While direct sales to individual farmers are generally facilitated through the distributor network, Jain Irrigation can accommodate bulk direct orders from farmers also
Cultivating Variety and Innovation: Potato Breeds at Jain Irrigation
Jain Irrigation primarily focuses on disseminating potato varieties developed by the esteemed Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), offering a portfolio of 12-13 well-established varieties. They also feature one prominent non-CPRI variety, LR. Demonstrating their commitment to advancing potato cultivation, Jain Irrigation is actively involved in its own potato breeding program and anticipates the introduction of 2-3 new varieties within the next two to three years.
The popular potato seed varieties supplied by Jain Irrigation include Chipsona 1, 3, Fry Sona, known for their specific characteristics, alongside prominent table varieties such as Badshah, Khyati, Sukhyati, Sangam, Mohan, and Locker
Jain Irrigation has strategic collaboration with cold storage facilities to preserve the quality of their seeds. This year, they have stored approximately 3.5 lakh bags of seeds in different cold storage locations across key agricultural states, including Gujarat, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh.
Biography of Mr. V.K. Singh
Mr. V.K. Singh, the Associate Vice President of Marketing at Jain Irrigation, bringing a wealth of experience and deep understanding of the agricultural sector to his role. With an MSc in Agriculture from the prestigious Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, and an MBA from Xavier’s Institute of Management Mumbai, he has honed his professional acumen over the years.
Mr. Singh embarked on a remarkable journey in the agricultural inputs sector, culminating in his role as the North India Head for Post-harvest business at UPL until 2019. His pioneering work includes evolving the technology for storing potatoes at elevated temperatures in India, revolutionizing the post-harvest technology of potatoes in the country. He played a pivotal role in registering the product CIPC in India, transforming the storage and processing industry significantly.
Currently serving as the Associate Vice President of Marketing at Jain Irrigation, Mr. V.K. Singh continues to drive the company’s growth and outreach in the agricultural domain. With over three decades of experience in the industry, he possesses a profound understanding of the agricultural landscape and the needs of the farming community.
