News on The Potato Supply Chain from India

SV Agri organized its Annual Variety and Seed Farm Show from January 8th to 10th, featuring the display of 14 new potato varieties.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ruled that PepsiCo can claim a patent for the potato variety grown for its potato chips.

The Agriculture department of Government of West Bengal has started potato cultivation with Apical Rooted Cutting (ARC) process at the Centre of Floriculture and Agri-Business Management (COFAM) department of the University of North Bengal in Siliguri.

Zero tillage not only boosts soil fertility and raises carbon stocks but also prolongs the potato growing season by harnessing the residual moisture after the rice harvest.

In a full-blown attack by the disease late blight, more than 50% potato crop in the fields has suffered extensive damage, leading to heavy losses for the farmers who had opted for diversification instead of growing wheat after paddy.

High-altitude areas of district Ramban like Gool, Mahu Mangit and Sanasar could become major potato seed producer areas and make the local farmers self-sufficient.

The event is expected to see a footfall of 100,000, igniting innovation, showcasing global collaboration, and positioning India as the epicenter of the future in food processing!

India's agricultural sector is experiencing a wave of innovation, with the introduction of new tools and technologies aimed at boosting crop productivity and profits for farmers.

The state Agriculture department of West Bengal (India) recently set a target of attaining self-sufficiency in the production of seed potato by 2030. CIP is supporting the effort with their technology

For the first time, nearly 29 MT of potatoes from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India were exported to Guyana in South America through Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO).

The potato, a humble yet indispensable vegetable, holds a special place in the hearts of millions worldwide. As one of the most widely consumed staple crops, it plays a vital role in global food security

The potato variety FL-2027 (commercial name FC-5) used for the production of potato chips was registered by PepsiCo India Holdings in India and the registration was granted in February 2016 under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001, but the registration was revoked in 2021.

After extensive deliberations with different stakeholders including government officials, Haryana State Seed Certification Agency (HSSCA), and seed producers, the Government of Haryana with support from the CIP team launched the Har Aloo potato seed quality certification system.

PepsiCo India, through its brand 'Lay’s', announced a crop and plot-level predictive intelligence model to help farmers maximize potato yields coupled with quality via functional dashboards on user-friendly mobile apps.

After mustard, India will undertake trials of two other genetically modified (GM) food crops, bananas and potatoes, perhaps ushering in a new era of biotech-enhanced farming.

(Indo-)Dutch companies providing solutions from planting material to processing equipment believe there are ways to establish more sustainable value chains, with the help of their technologies.

India which is the second-largest producer of potatoes in the world has witnessed a bumper crop in the November–February harvest. And, the farmers are not quite happy with this as the oversupply has brought down the prices, making farmers incur losses.

Interview with Samarendu Mohanty,  Asia Regional Director at the International Potato Center (CIP) focused on the potato situation in Odisha, India