Policy initiatives, modern facilities led to increase in Potato production by 20 per cent: PM Mod

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday outlined the increase in production of the potato crop in the country while asserting that policy initiative, decision and modern facilities for irrigation have led to about 20 per cent increase in production of this root vegetable.

Addressing the third Global Potato Conclave being held at Gandhinagar Gujarat via videoconference from here, Prime Minister Modi said, "About 6,000 farmers are going to visit Gujarat's farms on field day (of the conclave). It is a commendable task in itself. It is also commendable that the potato conclave is happening outside Delhi, in Gujarat"

Modi also hailed farmers of Gujarat for the tremendous increase in production of potato and said, "The entire potato production has increased by 20 per cent. In Gujarat, it has increased by 170 per cent. Policy initiative, decision and modern facilities for irrigation are the reasons behind this growth in both quality and quantity"

"In the last two decades, Gujarat has become one of the hubs for production and export of potatoes", Modi said.

Speaking further about his home state and the facilities available for storage and transportation of potato, there, he said, "There is a huge and interconnected network for cold storage of potatoes in Gujarat. Some of them have world-class facilities."

"Today, water for irrigation has reached areas that used to remain dry all year around", Modi added.

"Work on scientific and technological approach is being done for irrigation. Working on the mantra of 'per drop more crop', micro irrigation is being focussed upon," he said.

Prime Minister Modi addressed the conference through video conferencing and also urged the national, international participants of the conclave to visit the historical places related with Mahatma Gandhi, situated in Gujarat as well as Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Patel.