Telangana govt plans to increase potato production

The horticulture sector is planning to adopt Apical Cut (ARC) seed technology to produce quality seeds at an affordable cost

Hyderabad: Along with tomatoes, onions, and spinach, potatoes are a common vegetable staple in Indian kitchens. Given the high demand for potatoes, the state government is planning to increase production in the state.

A major problem related to potato cultivation in the state is the availability of planting material or seeds. Currently, they are procured from Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla and some traders in Agra, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

Sourcing seeds from other countries creates huge transportation costs, adding unnecessary burdens to farmers, accounting for about 40-50% of the total production costs.

To address these issues, the horticultural sector is planning to adopt apical cut (ARC) seed technology to produce high quality seeds at an affordable cost.

To this end, the department sent a team of 15 people, including progressive farmers, to the International Potato Center (CIP) and the University of Horticultural Sciences (UHS) in Bangalore. After visiting different nurseries, tissue culture labs and fields, the team developed an action plan to expand ARC technology across the state.

According to the action plan, seeds produced through ARC will be procured from CIP or other nurseries in Bangalore and provided free to farmers during Vanakalam (Kharif) and the resulting tubers (seeds) will be further used in Rabi crop season.

In addition, the Centers of Excellence (COE) in Jeedimetla and Mulugu are preparing mother beds for the potato ARC. Also, during the Rabi crop season, the plants produced in the mother beds will be distributed to farmers in Sangareddy, Vikarabad and Siddipet on a subsidized basis.

After observing product performance during the Kharif and Rabi crop seasons, the Department of Horticulture will roll out the ARC technology on a commercial scale in the state.