Punjab: Potato area to be stagnant

The area under potato cultivation in Punjab would remain more or less same this year, as compared to 83,117 hectares last year. Experts mentioned that assured return from wheat as one of the reason. Besides that the prevailing price of Potato which is ruling around Rs 5-8 per kg in wholesale market as another reason, while during the corresponding period last year it was ruling around Rs 10-13 per kg.

In 2008-09, the total acreage under Potato was 81,082 hectares and the yield was 24.68 metric tonnes per hectare. Further, the total production in 2008-09 was 20,00,000 metric tonnes.

While in 2009-10, the total acreage was 83,117 hectares and the production was around 21,00,000 metric tonnes. Also, in last year the yield touched 25.46 metric tonnes per hectares. Speaking to Business Standard, officials in horticulture department said that the area would remain more or less same this year. Even if it is increased it would be marginal.

 

The main potato growing areas in Punjab are Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Kapurthla, Bathinda, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Moga, etc. Almost all the varieties released by Central Potato Research Institute(CPRI) Shimla, viz Kufri, Chandramukhi, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Badshah, Kufri Sindhuri, Kufri Chipsona-1 and Kufri Chipsona-3 are being sown by the farmers with Kufri Pukhraj and Kufri Jyoti is the prefreed varieties.

Already, the sowing has started in the states from first week of October and will continue till November. Horticulturists are of the view that Potatao crop is prone to diseases which is also one of the reason, for selecting wheat over Potato.