Indian government limits movement of seed potatoes to contain Potato Cyst Nematodes

In the gazette of India on October 12, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had issued a notification that in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 4A of the Destructive Insects and Pests act 1914, the Central Government hereby prohibit the movement of seed potato from Himachal, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir to other states and union territories due to the presence of potato cyst nematode (PCN), a pest causing significant damage to potato plants.

Movement of potatoes was banned following an advisory from the CPRI.

The ministry has also identified five states including Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal to promote the export of potatoes.

Of course the measure came as a big blow to the farmers directly affected by the transportation ban.

Ramesh Kumar Rulba, Zila Parishad Chairperson, Lahaul-Spiti, a district in Himachal Pradesh cultivating a large amount of seed potatoes said it seemed a deliberate plot of someone to harm the economy of the farmers in Himachal Pradesh.

Ramesh Kumar Rulba:

“The decision of the Central Government to ban the marketing of Himachal potato seed in other states has shaken the economy of Lahaul-Spiti, where potato seed cultivation is the main source of livlihood.”

“The Lahaul potato seed has huge demand in other states because of its good quality. Farmers here fetch good price for it every year.”

“But the sudden decision of the Central Government to impose a blanket ban on the marketing of Himachal potato seed will hit the livlihood of our farmers, who are already bearing the brunt of snow this year.”

He called on the state government and the Central Government to offer a solution to the problem.

In Lahaul-Spiti, around 1,000 hectare land was covered under potato seed cultivation and estimate production of the crop was one lakh quintal (10,000 tonnes).

Dr Jayant Ratna, Agriculture Development Officer, Lahaul-Spiti, said earlier that the department took potato samples in Lahaul-Spiti to analyse the presence of potato cyst nematode.

Out of the 12 samples, two were found positive.

Meanwhile, the government of Himachal Pradesh has set up a five-member high-level committee to assess veracity of the identified ‘potatoes cyst’ in the produce.

The committee will be headed by Desh Raj, director, state agriculture department. Other members include Ashwani Sharma, principal scientist and CPRI head, Kufri, Anjua Khanna, head of entomology department, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry and Sanjay Sharma, director, seed certification centre, Shimla.

Dr Ram Lal Markanda, agriculture minister Himachal Pradesh:

“We have constituted a committee to ascertain the extent of virus in potato produce in the state. The Central Potatoes Research Institute (CPRI) had drawn samples from Shimla and Una, and not from Lahaul and Spiti.”

“The team will now draw samples from the spot where we received reports about the presence of pest in Lahaul and Spiti.”

Potato cyst nematode (PCN) is a serious pest of potatoes world-wide and is subject to stringent quarantine and/or regulatory procedures wherever it occurs. PCN can be a devastating pest for potatoes in temperate regions, if not controlled.

Infested plants are stunted and may wilt, with leaves turning yellow or displaying a dull colour. Affected plants have a reduced root system which is abnormally branched and brownish in colour. At flowering or later, minute white, yellow or brown spheres or cysts, about the size of a pin head (0.5 mm), can be seen on the outside of roots.