Potato cultivation in South India presents a unique potato farming landscape, heavily influenced by distinct agro-climatic conditions, seasonal variations, and specific market demands. Unlike the large-scale, winter-based production in the Northern Plains, the Southern region, which primarily includes Karnataka (especially the Hassan district), parts of Andhra Pradesh near Bengaluru, Telangana, and the Ooty region of Tamil Nadu, faces challenges that dictate both the choice of potato varieties and the viability of processing.

The Southern Indian Potato Seasonality

Potato cultivation in the South is characterized by two main seasons:

• Kharif (Rainy) Season: This is the major season in parts like Hassan, Karnataka, where the crop is largely rainfed. The planting window typically spans from May to June. However, growing the potato (a crop that prefers cool weather) during the rainy season, when temperatures are higher, leads to lower productivity, often resulting in yields of only 8 to 10 tons per hectare. This lower yield is a direct result of the non-optimal temperatures and reliance on rainfall, making it a challenging environment.
• Rabi (Winter) Season: This season is more prevalent in districts around Bengaluru, such as Kolar and Chikkaballapur, and is predominantly irrigated. Planting can have a wide window, starting as early as late August/September and extending up to January. With assured irrigation and relatively cooler temperatures (though not as low as North India), the Rabi crop sees better yields, often ranging from 15 to 20 tons per hectare, making it a more intensive and productive season.

The distinct climatic and irrigation characteristics of these seasons necessitate variety selection that can tolerate higher temperatures and manage disease risks, particularly late blight, which is a concern in the rainy season.

Link

Connect Now

Varietal Preferences for Table and Processing

The preference for potato varieties in South India is a balance between established local favour, suitability for the climate, and emerging demand from the processing industry.

1. Table Varieties: The Local Mainstay

The majority of potato cultivation in South India is dedicated to table varieties, which are sold fresh for direct consumption.

• Kufri Jyoti: This is the predominant variety, accounting for a significant portion of the area under cultivation (more than 60-70%). However, despite its popularity, concerns have been raised about the very poor quality of the seed available, with some stocks showing high levels of viral infection. Kufri Jyoti is an established variety known for its field resistance to late blight, although this resistance has, in some regions, begun to succumb to new pathogen strains. In the Southern Hills (Nilgiri region), it is still a recommended variety.
• Kufri Himalini: This variety has been introduced through trials and is gaining popularity. Its eventual success was hampered initially by the unavailability of its seed from the traditional supply hub, Punjab, but its demand has since picked up, and seeds are now more readily available.
• Kufri Pukraj: This variety, while highly successful in parts of the North Indian plains, is grown in Telangana also. However, it is highly susceptible to late blight, which makes it a risky choice for the rainfed Kharif season where the disease threat is high. It is known for its early maturity and ability to give high yields in a short duration.

2. Processing Varieties: The New Frontier

The demand for processing-grade potatoes—used for chips, French fries, and other value-added products—is growing, but the region faces challenges in fulfilling it.

• Early Efforts: The introduction of processing varieties, such as those promoted by companies like PepsiCo, began over a decade ago through contract farming.
• Current Scenario: PepsiCo is re-initiating contract farming for processing varieties. Furthermore, ITC is actively working to introduce and promote processing varieties in the region. This push is primarily driven by the need to reduce transportation costs, as currently, more than 90% of the processing potato produce used by Southern India’s plants is sourced from North India.
• Breeding Challenges: The lack of information on varieties specifically bred to perform well in South India’s high-temperature, Kharif-season conditions is a major bottleneck. Research efforts, in collaboration with institutions like the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), are already in focus on identifying new varieties. For example, Kufri Karan, a variety found to be highly resistant to late blight and other viral diseases, is an area of interest. Other North Indian varieties like Kufri Mohan (resistant to late blight) and Kufri Bahar are being considered for introduction and trials in the South to see how they perform under local climatic conditions.

Link

Challenges and Market Dynamics in Hassan

The Hassan district in Karnataka is a major potato-producing hub, but it is a focal point for the systemic challenges facing the Southern potato sector.

1. Seed System Predicament

The potato seed system in South India is highly dependent on seed supply from Punjab.

• Seed Quality Issues: A major challenge is the poor and declining quality of the seed tubers, with minimal control over their standards.
• Market Price Control: The Department of Horticulture, along with the District Administration in Hassan, attempts to fix the price of seed potatoes for the Kharif season. This price control mechanism, however, negatively impacts Punjab farmers who store the seed in Hassan’s cold storages for months. If the fixed price is low, it makes the venture economically unviable for them.
• Storage Shortfall: Consequently, in recent years, some Punjab farmers have decided not to store seeds in Hassan’s cold storages, opting instead to sell them directly upon arrival from Punjab, which has negatively affected the local planting season’s seed availability.
• Replacement Cycle: Despite the quality issues, one positive dynamic is that farmers in the South demonstrate a strong commitment to using new seed every year, ensuring a 100% replacement rate and avoiding the use of previous season’s produce as seed.

2. Productivity and Disease

The predominance of the rainfed Kharif season leads to inherent productivity issues, and the warm, wet conditions create a conducive environment for diseases.

• Late Blight Susceptibility: Diseases like late blight are a major threat, particularly for susceptible varieties like Kufri Pukraj. The search for a suitable variety often centers on high resistance to this disease.

3. Decentralization as a Solution

There is a growing belief among experts that the excessive reliance on few states for seed is detrimental to the South Indian potato sector’s stability.

• Local Seed Production: Advocates believe that decentralizing the seed system and promoting local seed production in pockets across South India and other non-traditional regions (like the North-Eastern states) is necessary to ensure a stable supply of quality seed.
• Technological Intervention: Technologies, such as the apical rooted cutting (ARC) technique, are being promoted to significantly shorten the seed production cycle, which could be key to making local seed production more viable and responsive to local demand.

Summary

The South Indian potato cultivation sector, led by Karnataka’s Hassan district, is at a critical juncture. While Kufri Jyoti remains the most planted variety, its dominance is being challenged by concerns over seed quality and the push for new, more resilient varieties like Kufri Himalini and the potential introduction of others like Kufri Karan and Kufri Mohan.

The growing interest from large-scale processors like PepsiCo and ITC exemplifies a clear industrial demand to localize the potato supply chain, but this ambition is currently constrained by the absence of awareness on  climate-appropriate varieties and the unstable seed supply. Addressing these varietal and seed system challenges through focused research and a push for decentralized seed production is essential for enhancing productivity and ensuring the long-term sustainability of potato farming in South India.