India: No immediate solution to potato crisis
"There is no immediate solution to the problem. We are looking into two aspects like arrangement of seeds and strengthening of cold storage capacity in the state," chairperson of the taskforce and agriculture secretary Rajesh Verma said, adding the committee would recommend producing seeds within the state.
"In order to make the state self-sufficient in potato production, we need at least 1 million quintal of seeds a year. It would not be possible for the state to import such huge amount of seeds," he said.
While, the state's average annual requirement of potato is about 1 million tonnes, it imports about 800,000 tonnes from West Bengal.
The taskforce has also planned to liaison with the International Potato Centre (CIP), Peru, National Seed Corporation, New Delhi, and National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation, Nasik, to increase the seed production in the state, official sources said.
To strengthen the cold storage capacity in the state, it is in favour of attracting private investments. "Unless the government assures a buffer stock to the cold storage owners, they would not be interested to augment their storage capacity. Government cannot develop all the cold storage facilities on its own. Private investors have to be given subsidies to develop cold storage," he added.
Other measures likely to be suggested by the taskforce are ensuring minimum support price and market linkage to the farmers.
"We are in the process of fine-tuning the reports and it would be submitted to the government in next 15-20 days," Verma added.
The taskforce would also send an expert team to Medinapore district of West Bengal to study the tuber production and storage management system.
The taskforce, constituted on August 21, has been asked to prepare an action plan to make the state self-sufficient in production, procurement and distribution of potatoes within three years.
Source: indiatimes.com
