India: potato growers set to export crop to Europe

Equipped with crop gap certification by a Holland based company Food Cert, potato growers of Punjab, who were already catering to almost 80 per cent demand of potato seeds of the country, are all set to export their next crop to European countries.

As many as 55 potato growers of Doaba region of Punjab were awarded the certificate by the company today and they will cultivate the next crop as per the specification of the company to export their crop to the European Union, Raghbur Singh, President of the Potato Growers' Association of Punjab said.

Markfed has been appointed the State Nodal Agency for potato agricultural export zone (AEZ) and has taken initiatives to enhance productivity and quality as well as provide access to international markets including training to farmers on crop production and disbursement of freight subsidy to the farmers for out of state sales or exports, he added.

A grant of Rs 58 lakh was organized through the Ministry of Agriculture of the Union Government for carrying out necessary research and data collection for phytosanitary requirements by the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, Amarjit Singh Samara, State Co-operative Minister, who was chief guest on the certificate giving ceremony said.

In order to promote export of potatoes to the European Union, the Eurepgap certification programme was organized for progressive potato growers of Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts under which 55 farmers were registered he added.

Source